Farewell to the children

30th June 2017

Until shortly before today's date, I didn't really realize that the actual volunteer time ends on this Friday. The school year is finished, some of the children still have exams next week. But the foundation cannot be managed with these irregular, last-minute assignments. In addition, the team around Alba and Paul is preparing for the three-day camp.

If you enter properly through the website www.prominadoresdesuenos.org and register there as a volunteer, you will of course become aware of it during the application process. I got involved as a career changer through the association 'la rosa' and the founder Rosa Frei-Weisskopf and was able to participate in my short engagement. Normally, you have to work for at least two months, which makes more sense. It doesn't take long until you know the routines and your tasks, but it's good if there is enough time for the mutual acclimation between volunteer and children. Some children only look very closely until they are sure and then approach the new person. Although, you get the impression that they are all overwhelming you in the first minute and want to know everything right from the start.

I don't know exactly what I will be doing next week. It is clear that there is enough work to be done on the construction site, and who gets the opportunity to do physical work at such a high altitude? Maybe it's a different kind of work, actually doesn't matter. There is definitely plenty to do.

For the farewell, the leaders have come up with a small, fitting ceremony. After the traditional morning and afternoon snacks on the farewell day, which are usually made by the outgoing volunteers (thank you Laura!!!), we were asked to gather in a large circle in the auditorium after the afternoon snack. Two of the children each handed us a booklet with cards from the children. They were personal and very moving. Of course, it was expected from Laura, as she was here for seven weeks and had a good connection with the children. But I was even more surprised to receive so much warmth. After all, I only 'helped' for three weeks, with (too) little knowledge of Spanish and blocking when the children got too close to me (especially in the head area !!).

Of course, it was the same theatre as always when it came to saying goodbye. The eyes just wouldn't stop being moist. It wasn't until I took selfies with a group of children that the fun factor came in and the tears disappeared. All the children who came by to say goodbye hugged me. And I hugged them too, but had to bend down quite a bit.

We couldn't say goodbye properly to the morning children because we had an appointment with Marco. He told us the story of the foundation, which took until after lunchtime. I will write a report for the newspaper and that requires some background information. I can't just write that I helped with homework on the first Monday. And also on Tuesday. And even on Wednesday ...

In this conversation, it became clear to me that the approach in children and youth work at Minadores de Sueños is completely different from conventional children and youth work in South America. The normal example is that you work with street children. Minadores de Sueños takes a different approach. In a neighborhood where a large part of the children would end up in child labor, they enable many to escape this fate. The approach is preventive and sustainable.

I will report on this.

I was particularly interested in case studies from Marco's experience. Stories of children that I don't want to retell here, nor do I want to sketch them out in a sensational and quick way. These stories are real and I want to tell them. They are stories that Swiss people will find hard to believe and will hang on to every word. Incredible, fantastic, not yet finished, so the outcome is still uncertain, and very impressive. Even though they are just stories, you know they are true.

I don't know how many years we would have to go back to find many such stories in Switzerland. It certainly wasn't a hundred years ago.

I'm happy to be able to tell you about the 'forest children' and the 'sheep child' from Quito.
In theory, it could be happening in a month ...