I cant believe my 2 and a half weeks at the Foundation is finally over. So I left on Friday after lunch and after saying goodbye to the staff at the school, the little ones and my fellow volunteers. I had an amazing time there and had some experiences which will stay with me forever, life is completely different for folk in this neck of the jungle. The foundation is based in Villa Tunari in the district of Chapare, located in central Bolivia in the jungle. The Foundation operates 2 schools with around 120 kids. Some but not all the local children aged between 2 - 6 attend 5days per week for wholesome meals, medical attention and prepare for school. Life is very basic for these little tykes. For some of them their only possession in the world (apart from basic clothing) is their schoolbag, so of them walk round all day with their backbacks on for fear of loosing them. Hygiene is a big problem in most homes and children come to school with all kinds of ailments in desperate need of care. The children are very greatful for the 3 daily meals they get at the school and 99percent put up no fight at all, its a pleasure watching a child finish all the food on their plate. Anyway while I was there we kept ourselves busy doing what volunteers do, going on the 6am bus to do the rounds till 9am picking up and dropping children off, helping out in the classroom for the morning (of course my class of choice was with the 2 year olds), helping out with lunch (dishing up, making sure food makes it into the childrens mouths and not all over their clothes and cleaning up afterwards), doing dishes, cleaning the school when all the kids have gone home. Then theres the work you can do with the dude we live with (Mario) helping out with little projects hes working on, like the water tower for the satellite school or painting old equipment to look new for the children to play with, very tiring work in the sweltering humid, sometimes we had no water, mosquito infused heat but rewarding nevertheless. I managed to implement a couple of hygiene and health practises during my time there too which was great. Like the introduction of water bottles and cups (children were only drinking juice throughout the day and were restricted to how much, not only is it hot and the children dehydrated but the refrescos (juice) are no good for their teeth), the introduction of facecloths for the little tykes to wash hands and faces ater mealtimes and the new handwashing stations outside the classrooms, very exciting. Nicole de Alemania, your 500 and my 500Bols covered all these items. And of course I couldn´t possibly leave before creating a procedures manual!!!.....I can hear you all sighing, especially Kurley. 5 very useful A4 pages of reading for new volunteers, with useful things like what a typical day involves, things to do when you are stuck in a classroom on your own (like I got to do twice, imagine that....the kids speak no english!!!), things to say when kids are good and not so good and so much more useful information......and you can be assured that I have spies out making sure these pages are read! ARE YOU STILL AWAKE?? Was difficult to leave as I had gotten quite used to having not only my own room but quite used to all the people I met aswell, the children, teachers, cooks, children, folk we lived with, children and the other volunteers....did I mention the children. However I had a new adventure to deal with soon enough, as the road from Villa Tunari to Cochabamba was blocked due to a landslide! We had to disembark our vehicles, walk for a K or 2 through the drizzling rain, climb over the rubble and fight for other transportation. I thought I had it tough with my packpack but that was nothing compared to local old women with crates of potatoes on their backs, others with one child on the front and another on the back and children walking barefoot over the sharp rocks! Very amusing and sad and also very normal i´m told. We passed a truck which had gone over the side on our way too, very common also as the drivers are insane, very hair raising at the best of times and worse in the rain! I managed to befriend a nice man by the name of Carlos who was great company and help, I seem to have no end of luck in finding very helpful people at the right time. Anyway scroll on for a look at my life for the past couple of weeks.
The "little tykes" with their new drinking cups, this is a great new novelty
This ones for you Kurley, a shot with the gloves!
Inside the school grounds
The kids got to learn about "time out", on this day I had 5 kids in 5 corners of the room at once cause they took off running around the neighbourhood after they were only meant to go toilet! It seems that with my limited spanish I am skilled in the ways of discplining a Bolivian child....or 5, well until the next toilet stop anyway
It was obsession at first sight when I saw this little girl crying not wanting to be separated from here sister wearing a cute cardy and carrying an enourmous nana bag!....scroll on to find out who the mystery child is.
This little one suffered from a bit of my disorder and enjoyed helping with the cleaning, naturally I was willing to show her the ropes.
A beautiful sight, kids willingly washing their not-so-clean hands
Sometimes we get so tired we just have to drop and pass out! 
The blackboard is a good place to get creative when theres no paper in the class
Cuties at the satellite school. Taking photos and then showing them was a great way to use up 5 minutes here and there when supervising the class on my own!
"The train", another great game when resources and language are limited!
Teaching the kids to write their names and recognise letters
One of the typical houses, no its not being renovated. This one is bigger than most (this ones for you Joanne)
Even I thought this guy was cute. There is an animal park next to where we stayed, it was also full of volunteers. There were Pumas, birds and monkeys galore (Ok I never seen a Puma), this place was seriously popular with volunteers
With Oscar, a young boy form the jungle who was brought to the foundation because no one knew his parents were, the foundation is trying to find him a foster family, he has nothing but a amazing attitude, a huge smile and an enormous machete cut on his foot which he apparently sewed up himself!, and Mabel a teacher from the school with her daughter Mabelin 
El Castillo where we lived. Not the whole building, just the one behind the big white sign. 
Fiesta time at the school, 2 of the long term volunteers left so we gathered for a meal and some Bolivian dance moves with the staff
Ok it might not be entirely obvious here but i´m actually trying to bust out some Israeli moves!
A typical night in El Castillo with the other volunteers, in this picture we have half of Israel, the other half are on their way!
Ron, my mate from Israel. A cross between Manuel from Fawlty Towers and Borat!!!! We were like an old married couple, he never listened to me, we were always arguing, having communication breakdowns, amusing for all!
With Mayda 4 and Iraida 6 from El Castillo where we lived, these girls were my new best friends, and didn´t they know it too!!
The morning bus run where the kids pile in 
Can be tough to find a spot on the bus, hence 2 per seat.
At the other end where the kids get off
Sweeping the darling Jessica up off the bus, not supposed to have favourites I know but how could Ì possibly resist this little honey!
Kids lining up for lunch trying their hardest to sit patiently
On my final night we (the volunteers) cooked for the cocineras (cooks), and teachers, it was the first time the cooks got to go out and take a walk in the afternoon, then later that night we all went out to the Latino bar, cooks, teachers and volunteers, 14 of us in a taxi!!!! It was great.
The feast for 25 people (fear not Joanne, there were more plates to put on the table!)
The new kid on the block with Sevina our 18 year old Belgian volunteer
Farewell pic with my favourite class, the "littlies"....notice who i´ve got sitting next to me
After a tough morning one simply must sleep!
The road block after leaving Villa TunariSomething the kids can´t get enough of, after days and days of breaking up fights I decided I had to film one on the morning bus ride, they´re not hard to find, theres on the go at least every 3 1/2 minutes, these dudes are particularly talented at this sport!! The dude in blue is 2, the other is 4
If you´ve made it this far I would like to congratulate you! I´d like to say there was a prize on offer for ´going the distance´ but all I can maybe offer is another blog update at some stage! Great right! ha.
2 comments:
Hey Bron, great to see you made it to Mi Patria Bolivia. Looks like you're having an awesome time - don't forget to come home one day.
how about those kids scrapping! Awesome
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