La Moda Loca!!!

"Crazy Style" really does say it all! Yesterday, Ninos con Valor had their third annual Moda Loca and it was quite possibly the best day I've had in Bolivia yet. What it really is is a fashion show but with the craziest clothes we could find. NCV also hired a DJ with loud speakers. These pictures say more then I ever could! BTW, I took almost 70 pictures, these are just a sampling. First there was the prep time This is my crazy fashion getup. And this is our director, Tyson. And a couple of our girls.

And there was dancing, oh yes, there was dancing! This is one of our Tias This is the girls' psychologist Doin' the train And one of our short term team members

And after the craziness died down and we had the girls walk the fashion runway we were all starving. We had homemade pizza and icecream sundays At the end of the day we were all exhausted but very very happy!

Vote

Another vote has come and gone and the city is still standing. We don't know for sure the results of the vote and when or even if anything will change. But when I know something so will you!

This and That

Random is good. Random makes up most of my days. For example, all the girls in the home received christmas card type ornaments from a church in Canada (it was some sort of a fundraiser). All the cards had a message written in English. So the cards where given out and then I heard a House Tia say " and Kim will translate." All of a sudden 22 girls are crowding around me shoving christmas cards in my face demanding "what does this say?" Thankfully, many of them said just said Merry Christmas. But others had a short message that I was doing my best to translate correctly. Subjunctive in Spanish is difficult and doesn't exist in the same way in English. But it has to do with when you wish something for someone. So yeah, that was a challenge as I translated all the Christmas wishes.

The daycare has been going ok though we'e been short 2 babies for the last 2 weeks. That makes me sad cause I know they are not geting the nutrition they need in their homes. But 3 babies are easier to handle then 5! A random thing from there is this. One of my babies, I called her my escapee before, is a very sad quiet child. Rarely does she smile or laugh or really do a whole lot of anything. Except to escape the room of course! She is developmentally behind and is 1 year 3 months and not walking or talking. I randomly put her in a walker and she started walking around, she had the biggest smile on her face, showing all of her crooked teeth! I finally let her escape into the hall another time and she walked along all the walls and gates. And she loves it! She's fake talking, walking (with help), and having a great time of it. I've never seen her so animated. She stands all by herself and we work on walking with just holding on to one of my fingers. I have a lot of hope for this one. I think she'll be able to walk on her own very soon!

There is a vote this Sunday, lot of propoganda for vote YES and vote NO. Nobody really seems too worried about this one but of course, I'll let you know the result when I know it. I will of course be staying indoors on voting day which is what is recommended to all white folks.

More stuff coming soon, I promise!

wet again

The streets aren´t safe anymore. Your walking down the street, minding your own buisness and SPLAT! your the victim of yet another waterballon attack. It could be worse, and believe me, it gets worse! This is the month for Carnival, a national holiday in many latin american countries. Carnival is actually at the end of February but the waterballoons started flying as early as December this time around. Its now getting worse. I live near several main roads and walking almost anywhere is risking getting a good soaking. I was walking the 15 mins to my language school yesterday when I took a direct hit on my shoulder. I worry mostly about my glasses getting broken (or my nose!). The balloons may be filled with ice and/or other more disgusting liquids. There is no respect in these waterballoon attacks, I draw more attention being white, but everyone is a target, young and old. So for now, I take public transportation when I can and avoid places where there are waterballoon wars on a regular basis. Although, waterballoons have been known to fly through the bus windows too!

El Campo

Saturday @ 4AM I woke up to join my team as we headed out to the mountians. Our destination, a community at more than 14,000 ft above sea level (7,000 ft higher then Cochabamba). Our purpose... to bring a little belated Christmas cheer to a poverty strickin community in the mountians. Was it worth it? Oh yeah.
First no one was there. What in the world were we going to do with all the toys and food? Then I learned, if you bring it, they will come! And believe me, this doesn´t show even half of the kids!

And it wasn´t just kids, it was mothers and fathers too.


My team, along with six of the girls from the home, handed out toys to the kids and hot Api (a common bolivian drink) and bread to everyone. Also, about 75 families received garbage bags full of rice, flour, oil, and other such food from us as well.


Remember, these are mountian folks. Some walked for miles to come to us, they are dirty and smelly, and live in complete poverty. Giving them cheap toys and bread and drink seems like such a small thing, but to them, I would hope anyway, they saw a little bit of Jesus.

The girls home

ok, so its been a while since I´ve posted an update. Blame it on being too busy! And then being too exhausted to do much of anything else. I have been spending time in both the daycare (see previous blog) and at the girls home.

The girls home is kinda a controlled chaos, a very well controlled chaos. The girls have a pretty set schedule that includes chores,


english class (and homework classes as well),

And plenty of time for girls just to be girls.



I am in the progress of taking over half of the english classes from another volunteer and also begining some bible study type activites with the girls as well. I sometimes help out with lunch preperation and am spending a lot of time watching the girls to makes sure they aren´t cracking their skulls open with their crazy antics.

One of the hardest things that happen this week was when one of our younger girls had a migraine. She had been in bed for 2 days with this headache and was literally in agony when I saw her. She was crying non-stop and her whole body was reacting to the insane pain in her head. Sitting there next to her trying to keep her calm yet being able to do nothing was the most horrible feeling in the world. Less then an hour later, one of the house Tías took her to see a doctor where she got an injection and some pills. She came home a completely different girl!

On a brighter note, I have enjoyed watching the girls´ spontanious creativity as they put on puppet shows with barbies and act in a play. I am very nearly done learning the 22 names but I still goof up every now and then!

My first week at the daycare

Before I start talking about my week, let me show you my kids! But do to privacy issues, I can not give you their names or if they are HIV positive or not. Even I do not have that information. So here they are, pics of 4 of my 5 little darlings.

This picture didn't work out so well, my little escapee was... well... escaping!

This guy is awfully cute but he is my touble maker! He doesn't eat well and sleeps only when he feels like it! He's 8 months old.

He is my hyper one, never met a baby that doesn't like to be held! He wants his freedom and is well on his way to walking, he's 8 months old.

She is my little escapee! She's 1 year 2 months but not walking yet and quite chubby. Ever opportunity she gets she's making her way out the door, and the door is too big for a gate.

And she is my most precious doll baby. She is 5 months old and trying really really hard to roll over but she hasn't made it quite yet. She's come a long way in a week, when I first started she didn't know how to drink from a bottle, she downs them in no time at all now.

And this is how I like them the best! If I'm lucky, I have maybe an hour during the day in which they are all sleeping!

Not shown is my big kid. She's 1 1/2 years and walking all over creation.

So I spent my first week working only with the daycare for a number of reasons, which is fine with me. It is so close to my apt that I can walk there in 5 mins. My day begins at 8:30 AM when the kids arrive. Remember, this is a daycare to help families effected by HIV and AIDS. All the parents are positive and some of our kids are, some of them are not, and some of them are too young to test. There are 4 other older kids that come that I am not responsible for.

So the schedule looks something like this for the babies. Eat breakfast (bottle and babyfood), change diaper, bath, clean clothes, bottle if needed to go down for the morning nap. If they went to sleep like good babies, they get up at 12 and get changed and ready for lunch, lots of downtime just playing in the playroom. 1pm lunch and then bottle and naptime again, if they go down nicely they sleep till 4. 4:30 is another bottle and diaper change and change back into their clothes and wait for the parents. I normally leave at like 5:30 or so. I do have some help from the Bolivian workers as I can't change one kid and keep eyes on the others.

It is very important for these kids to eat a lot and get good nutrition. They also recieve medication (not from me) and are regularly monitered by a doctor. If any of them arrive sick they are turned away as to not infect the others. We sanititize everything after every child too. It is exhausting work and I smell and am starving when I leave there. I love these babies so much I can't even tell you. After the first of the year I will be there only every other day to guard against burnout. The other days I will be at the girls home helping with the 22 girls that live there. Update on Christmas week coming soon!