Buenos dias!
In the past month I have
(hopefully) answered your questions about where in the world I went (NOT the
middle of the jungle), what I am doing (NOT running from the real world) and
what kids have stolen my heart (all of them). However, many of you are probably
still wondering how this “orphanage” works, the values the kids are taught and
the general philosophy by which NPH is run. So for the next few blog entries I
will be talking about the philosophy behind NPH international, which includes
all of the homes (9 in total).
[Also, a side note, just like
orphanage has been phased out of English it is also no longer used here. The
more loving term is “casa hogar”
which roughly translates to “group home”.]
When Father William Wasson founded
the first NPH home in Mexico in 1954 founded it on 4 pillars: Education,
Love, Respect and Work. Each one of these
aspects has a scriptural basis and is founded in the Catholic character of the
home. Everyone here at NPH knows these pillars by heart and it is easy to seem
them reflected in the everyday life here.
This week I want to focus on work
and how all of the children here are taught the value of hard work from a young
age. Why don’t you take a look at their typical weekday for yourself…
5:00 am-Wake up. Do chores and
wash pajamas and clothes from yesterday.
6:30 am-Breakfast then off to
school.
7:00-12:30 School.
1:00 pm- Lunch
1:30-4:00 pm- Homework, chores,
wash uniforms and possible work in the fields.
4:00-6:00 pm- Free time, usually
spent going on leisurely walks to pick fruit or playing soccer in one of the
many fields.
6:30-7:00 pm- Dinner, chores, iron
uniforms for the next day and relax with the rest of the time.
8:00 pm- Bedtime. “A dormir y soñar con los angeles”
Even the littlest boys (as young
as 5 years old) have daily chores, which they must complete three times a day.
The most common chore is “trapear 5 veces” or mop the floors of the common area
five times. Although I originally thought mopping the floors a total of 15
times a day was crazy, I have learned that in a house with 15 boys running all
around it does make sense. About 2 days a week everyone is also called to work
in the fields after lunch for an hour or two, helping collect the food that we
eat. These jobs range from collecting rice, weeding onion gardens, tilling the
soil and “macheteando” (macheteing)- the Nica way to mow the lawn. I am
learning now that my childhood chore of vacuuming the house was nothing in
comparison to what these kids know.
The children also get rewarded for
all of this hard work. Each child is given enough clothing and shoes but if
they want a new or special pair of shoes they also have the option of working
extra. For example, the boys of my house wanted new sneakers so they worked in
cleaning up a garden for a few days and were then given colorful new sneakers. For
a sneaker fanatic, I could understand their overwhelming excitement to try them
on!
All the children here have faced
tough situations, one way or another. But with this commitment to work, they
learn that they have the power and capacity to change their situation (to a
certain degree). They learn to take responsibility for the cleanliness of their
own home. They learn that even though they may be small, they can work just as
hard and make as much of a difference as an older kid. For me, this is crucial
for any child’s self-confidence and self-worth, and I am proud to be a part of
it.
So that’s our lesson for the day!
Here are a few pictures of them enjoying powdered milk…
Now for a bit on my recent
travels…
On my weekend off last week I ventured to the nearby city of Granada with Beatriz, another new volunteer. Monday was Independence Day for all of Central America from Spain so on Sunday we were able to watch a parade march through the town square. Every school in the city marched in the parade and many of them had their own bands. A few of the bands were truly amazing and a pleasure to watch. Not only did they have an awesome beat but the kids had the perfect attitude to go with it…
I ended up hiding in the shade to
avoid another sunburn and came across this man who had taken his grandson to
watch the parade. I couldn’t help to take a few candid pictures after they
asked for a picture…
And last but not least, my weekly
food update...
After wandering around Granada all
weekend, Beatriz and I found a great Canadian bakery for breakfast on Monday. I
indulged in an apple cinnamon crumb cake and LOVED it. I know its not Nica food
but I was feeling a bit homesick and this just hit the spot!
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