Lynn writes...

10 March 2008

Marisol, the director of Villas Miravalle in Guadalajara asked me to write a statement about my experiences here as a volunteer. I have been volunteering for 9 months now, 4 times a week, as English and gardening teacher. My experience has overall, been a great one. I seem to learn as much, if not more, from the kids when I am here. Currently we have 111 kids that live here. The youngest one is 4, and the oldest 18. Because of the number of kids, they vary in background and history. Most come from extreme cases of poverty. Many were rescued from living in the streets, and many of the girls worked as prostitutes- not by choice but often sold by their families. The stories that I have heard from the kids about their situations at home and the treatment from their families have often brought me to tears. I've heard stories about sexual abuse, drug use, prostitution, physical abuse, you name it. My goal volunteering here was to show the kids that they are important and to raise their self-esteem.

Since I studied biology at the University of Wisconsin, and have always had an interest in healthcare and medicine, I've tried to focus my efforts on teaching the kids about health related issues as well. Therefore we have had discussions about drug and alcohol use, sexually transmitted diseases, personal health and hygiene, and other topics that have come up, like chicken pox and Hepatitis A. As a volunteer here you can teach the kids what you are interested. We have a new small computer lab that was just donated to us and we are beginning computer classes with the kids. We also have a piano, and I have started lessons with two of the kids, but because of lack of time are not moving along as I would like. I have started two gardens here and soon we should be getting some vegetables to cook with.

Some of the groups of kids are more difficult to work with than others, for a number of reasons including age, histories, and education. But with time and patience, I feel that I have gotten through to many of the kids, and hopefully have made a positive impact on their life. Volunteering at the Villas has also given me an opportunity to work on my Spanish skills, which is great because now my spoken Spanish has improved immensely. The only problem I have had volunteering here is its location. Everyday I take a 1.5 hour bus ride to get here, and fortunately Marisol is gracious enough to bring me back home. For outside circumstances I live where I do, but I am sure living arrangements could be made closer to the Villas. However, Miravalle is a rough area and I wouldn't recommend living here for safety reasons. Guadalajara, in general, is like many other big cities, it has its rich and poor areas, although I have found it incredible that the two polar extremes can be located so close to one another. In general, volunteering here has been a great experience, and I have learned that a big difference can be made with a little time, effort, and a smile.