Treasure in Trash

Amazing what beauty can grow amongst such trash.

This could be an illustration describing the lives of many children we work with; beauty learning to survive in such unhealthy environments... amazing what nature and humans can sustain.

This is the flamboya tree, the tree of the Dominican Republic. They're everywhere now and in full bloom...absolutely beautiful...even when found growing out of a trash dump.

Day two of Summer Camp

Day Two: Summer Camp Andres

(Snack Time)

Our group doubled in size today. We had 47 children the first day, today close to 80 arrived ready to have fun... You can only imagine working with 80, 7-9 year olds (some bringing their little siblings 5-6 years old)...Beautiful Chaos is the only words I can think of to describe it! Each day we work with a theme with each group. There are children and youth attending the summer camp between the ages of 7-17 years old. Today's Theme: Children's Rights. A theme with great importance here in a country where most children's rights are abused at some point in their lives. What a great opportunity to begin teaching this theme to children at such a young age! It was beautiful to watch all 80 curious faces as we talked about how they each have the right to equality, health, a name and nationality, to have a healthy diet and live in a healthy environment withh a loving family, to recieve a proper education, be protected in times of emergencies and disasters, to be protected from labor exploitation, to enjoy a clean environment, to enjoy recreation and have the opportunity to express your opinion.

Many of the children here are subject to working in the home and outside of the home at some point during their adolescence. Although my group are a little young to be working, many of them will probably work before they are 15 years old; selling sweets on the beach, housework at home, etc.

(Yesica teaching about their Rights)



After an overview of the theme people from the city health department came and talked about how you get parasites and what you need to do to prevent them. Then each were given an anti-paracite pill to help kill any bacteria they may have. This was excellent because most children here have parasites at some point that enter through bare-feet, playing in the dirt, sand, eating unclean vegetables/fruit. I have even been subject to this awful bacteria since living here...it's not fun.

(Health department giving parasite pill)



(Coloring pictures about healthy diets)

My favorite part of the day today was arts and crafts time...we talked about how all children have the right to equality but are different at the same time. Then did a painting in which you put drops of paint in the middle of a piece of paper, fold it and it turns out to look like a butterfly, but all very different! The kids loved it...and I'm sure their parents did too when they showed up at home with more paint on them then on the paper...

(Our helper for the weak Charline, leading the group in interactive song)

Campamento

Summer Camp began today.

I helped with the 7-9 year old group. We had 47 little ones in our group and three leaders...you can only imagine the chaos. Today was just enrollment, snack and playing. Tomorrow will be more organized with a schedule.

My favorite part of the day was during free time. I saw a bunch of the kids from my group throwing sticks, stones, whatever they could find into a huge tree, probably 20-30 feet high. I pictured a big stick being chucked into the eye of one of the little ones...

Once I got closer and asked why they were throwing everything, I learned it was an Almond tree. I'd never seen an almond tree. There have these fruits that aren't very good but once broken open you get to the almond inside. Each and every one of these little kids were very aware of the delicious nut inside and that it was well worth the effort of attempting to through a stick 30 feet into the air to get the perfectly yellow ripe ones from the top.

Of course after this I wanted to get some down as well. After the kids realized I was fascinated they all started throwing thing into the air, mashing the fruit and handing me the almonds with there very dirty hands from all this work. One after another until I had a hand full of almonds!

In northeastern Ohio there's no such thing as almond trees nor would any of the children have any idea how we get those delicious almonds that we've all eaten. Although I was planning on teaching the kids today during the summer camp, it seems I learned more. I learned about almond trees come and how we get them down from a huge tree! Who knows what I'll learn tomorrow!