Do a little dance

Build confidence and self esteem.
Teach them to use their creativity. 
Model appropriate social behaviors.
Show them someone cares.
Help them to smile a little bit more often.

These are some of the main goals of HELP's work at CIPI, a government sponsored facility that houses teenage girls, young children and infants who have been removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect, or abandonment.  There is also a group of about 25 young boys who came from another similar facility and who come froma similar background.  Some of them were living on the streets.  CIPI also houses pregnant teens or young mothers with children who cannot live at home.  Some of them are as young as 13.  Supposedly this is a temporary facility, meant to be an interim home until they can find other family members or another permanent home for the children.  But many of them are there for much longer. And group of boys - no one knows what to do with.  They tried to integrate them into regular public school, but having grown up mostly on the streets, they were unable to adapt to such a setting. 

Lucky for them, their new director is absolutely amazing.  She knows the story and status of each child, she knows what is going on in the orphanage at all times. As she was showing my around the compound, she would stop to talk to and listen to the children.  She has a good grasp on what is needed and seems to have good goals.  It is unfortunate that, like many government run programs here, she will never see the funding she needs to fully maximize those goals and really achieve what she is capable of for this program.

One of the main projects that HELP volunteers are focusing on for CIPI is creating a year-round program of local volunteers and interns who will really be able to supplement where the gov't funding falls short.  There are a plethora of universities in San Salvador, and all students are required to do a certain number of service hours to graduate.  So hopefully they can get something set up and running before the end of the summer. 

Here are some of the other things that HELP is a part of at CIPI this summer:

Drawing/Art Classes

Informal Literacy

Dance Lessons

Arts & Crafts / Music!

And of course, baby holding (I couldn't resist)

3rd Day of Thanks&Giving - Education

I had one goal before I had children - to finish my bachelors degree. Whether it was fate or perfect planning on my part, I brought my oldest son, Corbin, home from the hospital the same day I received my diploma from Brigham Young University. As I had planned since the age of 14, I studied International Relations and was well on my way to saving the world. My education has not only given me a broader perspective of the world, but it has given me oppportunities to serve and grow in ways I never would have imagined. It has allowed me to travel and teach and share with others my passion for community development and poverty alleviation. It has made me a better mother and a more productive member of society. I am so thankful for education I have recieved and am so grateful that my sons will have many of those same opportunities. I hope we do not take for granted all the knowledge that is available to us.

All around the world, there are millions of children who do not have the opportunity for an education. Many do not even have a place to call home. In El Salvador, I had the chance to work at a home for street boys. I could not believe how young some of them were - and before coming to this home, they were expected to provide for and take care of themselves, literally on the streets of a large city. Many of them had been abused and that is why they chose to live this way instead of going home. Most of them had been involved with crime, drugs, violence, street gangs, or all of the above. This home helped integrate them back into society by putting them back in school, giving them vocational training, and most importantly, giving them the emotional support and confidence they needed to progress with their lives. I am so grateful to those who help make this happen and who see more in these boys than the menacing label society would put on them.

In Uganda, there is a similar organization. Though new and fairly small, they are having a profound effect on children that others have forgotten about. They are The Youth Outreach Mission. It is run by a few young men, who after completely their university studies, have decided to return home and do all they can to help the less fortunate in their communities. Volunteers of HELP International have had the opportunity to work with them for a couple years now and have had tremendous experiences. I mentioned them previously here, but that was just one small part of what they do. To see more, check out their blog here, and just remember that it is amazing that they even have an internet presence. This is true grassroots efforts making a real difference in the lives of Ugandan street children. These guys are amazing - so motivated and dedicated. They are very inspiring!

And you thought YOU were a young mother

Another HELP story . . . better pull out the tissues.

One place HELP international works in El Salvador is the CIPI orphanage. CIPI, which stands for "Centro Infantil de Protección Inmediata" (Center for the Immediate Protection of the Youth), houses orphans and young mothers. HELP volunteers have spent many hours preparing activities, visiting the orphans, teaching life-skills, bringing them books, etc. An especially meaningful project was a support group HELP established for the young mothers at CIPI. Some of these mothers are as young as eleven, many of them victims of rape. They live at the CIPI with their babies temporarily, until they can find support from family or be prepared to live on their own. The mothers enjoy spending time with HELP volunteers, because of the non-judegemental love and encouragement they provide.

2008 volunteer, Stephanie Blood, had the opportunity to serve these girls and said that it was an unforgettable experience. “The girls were so sweet. They took care of each other and each others babies and shared everything.”

She and other volunteers planned weekly activities and taught valuable life skills including: infant care, nutrition, empowerment, and goal-setting. One day they had an activity with fruits and vegetables where they taught the girls the importance of healthy diets. Afterwards they made faces with the fruits, vegetables, and peanut butter. Another time, they planned a day of water balloon volleyball. HELP volunteers took care of the babies while the girls played.

Stephanie says, “Sometimes it was good to give the girls opportunities to just have fun and be girls which was so great for them because they have had to deal with so many huge responsibilities at such a young age.”

Of all of the activities they did together, one that stood out to 2008 volunteer, Whitney Smith, was square-foot gardening. It gave the mothers a sense of accomplishment and a skill they can use for the rest of their lives.

"We wanted the young mothers to feel like they owned the project, so we helped gather the supplies, showed them what to do, and let them do it,” said Whitney. “They were so excited and really worked hard! The girls dug out a spot for the garden, sifted sand, made a rock wall around the garden, put in posts, tied string to partition the garden into sections, and planted and watered the seeds. It was really fun to see the girls succeed."

The gardening technique uses one-third of the water and land and produces three times the yield of traditional gardening. Using this method, the girls have a way to grow vegetables for themselves and have excess to sell in the market.
The most important thing volunteers did there may have simply been talking to these young mothers, offering them love and support and letting the girls know that somebody cares about them. Stephanie said of her experience: “I wish I had stayed longer. I would wake up every morning thinking ‘I can’t believe this is my life right now!’ Every day you wake up ready to serve and just see what you can do for other people. It was the happiest I had been in years!”