Family Projects

One of the many responsibilities of being a volunteer for NPH is that we must go on two "family projects" each month. Family projects are really fun, they are a chance for blood brothers and sisters to get together and spend quality time with one another and a volunteer. The volunteers organize everything - first we ask them what they want to do - go to the nearby town of Parramos for food, ice cream, to hang out in the park, to play soccer... etc, or to stay at the home and make a cake, cookies, pizza, hamburgers, play cards, watch a movie etc. The options are up to the family and it is encouraged to have as much interaction between siblings as possible.

This past month I was assigned to a family of five siblings. The oldest brother was not able to make it to the project, but the oldest sisters and the two younger brothers were able to come. We met up to make hamburgers and french fries together. The oldest sisters taught the youngest brother how to help with cutting tomatoes and washing the lettace, things they would do daily in their house before joining the NPH family. It was intersting to be a part of it, and that they let me into their conversations and jokes made me feel honored. After a few matches of fusball, some puzzles, and building a castle with the youngest brother we ate, cleaned up the room together, and said goodnight as each family member went to their sections to finish up homework and go to bed.



My second project was a Friend Project. Friend projects are for pequeños (kids at NPH) who do not have family members in the home. They are able to choose two friends and do the same things that one would do for a Family Project. In this way they are also given some individual attention and the chance to get out and have some fun. I went with three 15-year-old boys to Parramos where we ate pizza, drank soda, and played a few rounds of Phase Ten. We talked a lot about school, life at NPH, friends, life in the States, English, Spanish, and Chapín (characteristics typical of Guatemala). It was fascenating for me, and I had a great time with the boys. There was a lot of laughing and jokes, and though I have always been the youngest, it felt like I was hanging out with my little brothers.

These trips are wonderful reminders of just how special each child here is. And as Father Wasson, the founder of NPH used to say: "You may be just one person in this great big world; but you can be the entire world to a child." The world is much bigger than me, much bigger than NPH, but sometimes it feels as if nothing matters more than the conversations made and the time spent with one person or small group of persons here.

Accompanying a Section

The children here at NPH Guatemala are divided up into houses by age and gender. In the babies house there are four sections, the first is the Angelitos (little angels) which currently has two babies in it. The second section is the Luceros (little lights) which has four little boys and one little girl between the ages of 18 months and 3-years. Then the sections divide into little girls between 4- and 7-years-old and little boys from 4-7 years. The girls are the Fresas (the strawberries) and the boys are the Cariñositos (the little love bears). When children turn 8-years-old they move to either the boys' or the girls' house. In the boys' house there are six sections divided by age, and in the girls' there are four sections. Each volunteer is given a section of children to "accompany" or get to know well and mentor. My section is in the girls' house with the second oldest girls. The section's name is Belen (Bethleham), and the girls range from 12- to 17-years-old, though most are 15- and 16-years-old.

I have really enjoyed getting to know them little by little each day. The girls are wonderful, smart, loving, and creative. Whenever I go to visit them in their house at night there is always music playing, someone singing, a few girls doing homework, others doing their laundry and cleaning up the space, and certainly a few girls who want to just talk and hang out. Yesterday evening I spent helping with a little geography homework, English homework, talking about health and especially how to avoid acne, and putting the song "You Raise Me Up" to Spanish phonetics - after which I was coerced to sing the song five or six times to a growing number of listeners. Thank goodness two girls joined in with me, as I have never been one to sing for an audience. I always feel so full of joy when I leave them, they bring up my spirits each time I visit, no matter what the day has brought. What a wonderful blessing.