Testimonial

Before leaving, each volunteer had to write a testimonial about their year. Here's mine:

Volunteering as an SLP (speech-language pathologist) at NPH Guatemala is one of the most fulfilling experiences that I’ve ever had. Building relationships with the children has been the most important part. I have learned how to love them unconditionally. My one-on-one time with them in therapy is unique because children here rarely receive individual attention. Therefore, I have strong bonds with some of them. I enjoy working with kids not only as my speech clients but also as family members in the NPH setting.

Along with learning to love unconditionally, I’ve learned to be more patient. Several of my experiences working with children before I came to NPH had already helped my patience. Yet working with children from a different culture helped it to grow even more. And, I found a balance between patience and strictness. I learned that being patient doesn’t mean being too lenient.

My abilities as an SLP have also improved. Creating appropriate goals and working on them in the correct manner has become easier. I am able to better help children with speech and language disorders. Watching them progress throughout the year has been wonderful! I’ve seen the most progress in two young boys (four and five years old). When I arrived last year, they could barely say any sounds. Now they are able to say many sounds and short words – even their names!

And of course, I love the kids in my section. I chose the children with special needs. They’d never had a volunteer before. Twice a week I ate dinner with and read to them before bed. I loved seeing their faces light up when I walked in the door! Interacting with kids outside of therapy was important as well. I made friends with some of the other children, and strengthened the relationships that began in therapy.

In January, my friend and I started Club Amistad Especial (The Special Friendship Club). Our goal is to integrate children who do and don’t have disabilities so that they can build friendship and respect for each other. We meet once a week for an hour. Some big group activities include playing with the parachute, “Duck Duck Goose”, and Hot Potatoe. When we do arts and crafts or other small group activities, each child with a disability is paired with one who does not have a disability. Friendships between the kids have formed and grown! There are several children who come every week and better understand the children with special needs. One memory that stands out to me was when a new girl with special needs had arrived at NPH. During Club Amistad Especial, some of the other girls asked if she liked NPH. “I don’t have friends here,” she responded. “But we’re your friends!” said the girls.

Another aspect that I loved about this year was the cultural experience. Living and learning about Guatemala was intriguing! My understanding of other cultures and how to interact with people from one different than my own has grown immensely. One important thing I learned was how to live a more simple life. In the U.S., I always ran around crazily from one class or activity to the next. Here, I have learned to relax and really appreciate life. I think more about the big picture.

For me, the “big picture” about my year at NPH was definitely relationships with the kids. As I said before, interacting with them is fulfilling – and fun! I feel like a friend, sister, and even a mother figure sometimes. The children have changed me in so many ways. They will always remain in my heart and mind.