Today was the second day at the Casa. We were dropped off at the bottom of what felt like a mountain and by the time we reached the top we were all the more happy to be there. We were greeted once again by an enthusiastic group of children and were put straight to work. It was great to see that the children recognized us and were happy that we were returning. They were now more familiar with us, as were the mothers. Some people sanded the walls of what will soon be a colourfully striped dining room. Some people took care of what seemed like an ever increasing number of infants with more nasal fluid than humanly possible. And some peeled beans in the kitchen for what felt like hours.
I was in the sanding/priming group for awhile. Everyone was happy and joking though all of us were exhausted from late nights and the altitude. We spent the morning sanding and then after a short snack break of mandarin oranges and bread that we bought on the way we began priming. We found it necessary to rip off pieces of tarp and tie them around our heads like ¨pilgrims¨ or ¨the Pope¨ (depending on the person) to avoid getting paint in our hair. It happened anyway. About a half hour into painting the ceiling I realized that I, because of my lack of height, was struggling more than others so I found someone who wanted to switch. I made my way to the nursery to relieve those that had been christened too many times by numerous bodily fluids.
I was surprised by the serious lack of toys in the nursery. There are so few that each kid is allowed only one at a time, which is good for the teaching of sharing, but a stark contrast to the room full of toys that my three year old sister protects with her life. I was surprised by the fact that they don’t have diapers, a fact that was never fully explained to me, it was either a cultural thing or a monetary issue, either way I had to mop up multiple accidents as a result. I really didn’t mind though, I was floored by the relationships between the kids, sure there was some biting or hitting, but no unnecessary crying or screaming, and when the ¨clean up song¨ began before meals they all picked up the toys that they were using and chanted ¨we want food¨. I loved it, and proceeded to spend my whole day there.
A group of five went to buy the Casa a refrigerator, a hand mixer, a stereo, and paint for the bathroom and dining room. We didn’t leave until seven tonight because Raquel informed us that there was going to be a riot and the bus company wouldn’t drive us the next day. So we went to the grocery store and prepared to stay in the hostel for the whole day. This could be interesting.
-Alyssa
As for the group that continued to prime the walls and ceiling, we made great progress, leaving the night with two coats covering the entire room. Over the next few days we will continue to paint white and then on top of that, different colors. As the night was coming to an end, I continued to clean and dry all of the brushes and rollers that we had been using throughout the day. One of the children, Mirabel, found me out back near the sinks doing so, she decided to come and help me. Mirabel took no time getting dirty as she basically climbed into the sink and began following my lead and helping me clean. It was a great experience to be able to bond with her at that moment. Kathryn, who went to get the refrigerator, ended up bringing back a little gift from a store and let me give it to Mirabel, she was so happy and ran to show her mother immediately. She ran back into the room where we were working and jumped on my back giving me a huge hug. This was a great ending to a day of hard work.
After leaving the Casa we left for a supermarket to stock up on food, as there are supposed to be riots throughout the city tomorrow and we will be unable to visit the Casa. The supermarket was a fun time, and we all enjoyed picking out new foods to try new things. The day was a great success and everyone is ready for bed.
-Todd
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