Go hange a life today!

"Yesterday, John tasked us to be aware PIE (Person in Environment) in the morning; I worked out of the Hospitalito that morning as I will all week. There were only four children there yesterday, which gave me more time to work one on one. I have made a bond with my little friend, Omar. Omar is eight years old, he has not been feeling very well, with cold and fever symptoms. He was a bit playfull when I was there, but mostly wanted to just sit on the couch and snuggle. I am sure my mother used to do this for me whan I was 8 years old. The afternoon on Tuesday, Jacob and I (attempted) to teach 8-10 year old boys some conversational English. We showed them plastic shaped animals, and they would scream out the word in Spanish. Jacob and I would write the English word on the blackboard ( pizzara) and sound out the word. We eventually moved outside, and sat them in a circle (rueda), we had them hand a soccer ball to either their neighbor or pass or gently throw it to another boy and proceed with the next number one, two, three... in English, of which they knew how to count. As we were playing this game one of the more timid boys had his head lowered. One of the more rambunctious boys noticed this and threw the ball at him and purposely hit him on the top of his lowered head. Jacob and I made immediate eye contact, and as true social workers noted the social injustice in this act. As I moved to comfort this boy, we politely asked the boy who threw the ball to apologize. After some further prodding, he reluctantly did so. There was another sweet boy seated next to him on his left, who instantly reached over to comfort him with a hand around his shoulder, and a rubbing of the back of his neck. (a possible social worker in the making) This is not my day for "thought for the day" but I do have one...It is an understatement, that we as social workers have the capacity to with a smile, a gentle word or a nod of the head, a kind word, to alter, redirect and ultimately change a life. Go change a life today. "

Tony Loya

Our goal: To give individual care to each of the children!

"We got an in depth tour of the PPA. It was a hard revolution to know that the PPA takes care of at least 450 children from all over Lima. These kids come from all different ages (several months till 18). Some are orphans, and don’t have anywhere else to go. The others, their parents aren’t able to take care of them, so they come to the PPA. It was hard to walk into this giant room for the toddlers and hear a couple of them just screaming. Edith, our local team leader told us that the child just come in a couple of days ago. Many of the workers don’t always have time to give individual care to each of the children, only to take care of them. That is hopefully what we are here to accomplish."




Jacob Campbell

“Live with reverence for yourself and others.”

Today Juana and I were feeling the cumulative effects of the one and a half weeks of challenging and exhausting work at the Puericultorio Perez Aranibar. Even though there are only two of us it is clear that we are helping. The PPA has been short-staffed this week and two extra adults to help play with and care for the children does make a difference.

Today I continued my work with the siblings. Diana and Ruth were there although Nehista and Omar were able to go home this week. Diana (4) and Ruth (2) are wonderful, loving and independent sisters. It is difficult to get them to listen to me and I am often running after one or both, but knowing that I am enabling them to have this time together inspires me to keep going. Although the girls are mischievous, I know they really only get to be mischievous around me. To hear them giggle with happiness makes it more than worthwhile.

I also continued my work with the toddlers as well. The group I generally help with includes Jorge, Ruth, Guadalupe, and Talia. I am happy for the time I have to play with them and can see their faces light up when I say their name or push them in a car.

Juana has continued her work teaching English and working with the four year old girls. Juana spends a lot of time planning her teaching strategy in order to teach the girls as effectively as possible. Juana also spends a lot of time with the kinder girls and playing games, reading books and engaging in many activities.

Tonight Bill, Jean, Juana and Kari were taken to Barranco by Edith to say goodbye to Bill and Jean as they return to Wisconsin and had a good discussion of values in our society. It is clear that we all seek justice and fairness in our world. We have all furthered that goal with our service to the PPA.

Kari Zipko

“The art of happiness is to serve all.” - February 4th

The fellow who does things that count doesn't usually stop to count them.”

This day in Lima, Peru dawned bright, warm, and beautiful. After the usual bus ride to PPA, Kari and Juana began their morning activities. At the suggestion of Edith, our valued program leader, Juana used catalogs and other picture material donated by our hotel, Hostal Torreblanca, to entertain the four-year-olds, who cut and pasted and designed “posters” which they signed. Later Juana and an aide made a tricycle tour with six of the four-year-olds to that part of the PPA campus which is next to the ocean. The aide spoke English very well. When asked where she had studied English, she responded that she had been listening to songs sung in English all of her life. Aha!

In the afternoon Juana attempted to teach a few English words to a group of lively seven-year-olds. Most popular among the group were Spanish/English picture dictionaries. On this day the most motivated “estudiantes” seemed to prefer learning on their own as they dutifully read words and phrases out loud or copied them on the white board.

Kari continued her afternoon work with the challenging and out-of-control toddlers.

The two woman team reviewed their day's work over dinner at the hotel.

Juana Snook

Visiting home...

"The usual bus ride to the school (PPA), but today we take a van with a social worker on a follow-up visit to one of the parents whose children (2) are in PPA. The lady, Sabina, had temporarily lost custody of her children because of poor health. The trip to Carabayllo took over an hour through heavy traffic. Her home was in a very poor area of “Leantos” and primitive dwellings on a parched hillside. We met and spoke with Sabina who was thin and missing many teeth. She had a lung disease. Possibly T.B. Her age was only 38. She had 4 children and had lost one from a miscarriage recently. Her house was very primitive, but seemed clean.

We toured a soup kitchen for the neighborhood funded by a combination of apoyo social &
contrib from neighborhood residents.

A lthough obviously poor, neighborhood residents seemed clean, well dressed, and involved"

Bill Hoge

“You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”

January 25th-26th

Welcome, Team 72. Tonight as I picked up this journal I started to brainstorm the number 72. I began to think about the significance of our small team, this particular week, the 72nd group of people spending their time at Puericultorio Perez Aranibar. There have been 71 teams before us, 71 first days at PPA, 71 journals, and hopefully there will be many more that follow. So what is the significance of team 72?

Today in our first meeting it was mentioned that we are part of a chain. A chain of people from all over the world, here for various reasons, all connected by these children in whose lives we are trying to make a difference. We all started our multiple tasks today. Whether we are coloring with the girls, chasing the runaways, or changing a diaper, we are each making a difference in their daily lives. We are giving them an unconditional loving interaction that otherwise they may never have. Who knows whether they will remember our individual faces, or how to pronounce our names, but I am sure they will never forget the “voluntarios” who always come to play and have fun with them. Marian Wright Edelman said, “We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.”

Chances are we will never see these kids after they have grown, or know what kind of impact we truly made. But if we can be a part of those small daily differences, then Team 72 can be a strong link in the chain that makes the world a better place for these deserving children, part of a chain that will undoubtedly change their lives.

Cheryl

Greeting for 25th Anniversary - from PPA

To Global Volunteers

I have the pleasure to write to you to give you an affective greeting in name of the kids and teenagers sheltered and in my name because of the occasion to celebrate 25 years of foundation, giving support to the most needed ones in many countries where you participate, and 5 of them you are supporting Puericultorio Perez Aranibar in an uninterrupted way. We wish you a lot of success in your praiseworthy work that you do and God fill you with blessings.

It is an appropriate moment to reiterate my feelings of my most distinguished consideration to you.

Sincerely,

Ms. Maria Elsa De Rossi Fataccioli

Director of Puericultorio Perez Aranibar

Magdalena Del Mar, January 27th, 2009