The Work

I realized that I haven't actually written much about what keeps me occupied on a daily basis. So, let's take a walk through a typical Bolivian day in the life of Lady V.

The day usually begins with a Bolivian breakfast -- coffee and bread with butter or jam -- over a Bible study. I make my way to the Renacer Home via two trufis, most of which do not feature working spedometers or gas gauges. Unlike the other shelters, The Renacer Home sits in Zona Sur, a good distance away from the downtown area where the street kids hang out. After all, street kids are pretty hard core, they huff paint thinner, they cut each other up, and they can be as young as 10 years old (actually, some are younger). Even if they step into a shelter, they're not exactly equipped to withstand the temptation of drugs and alcohol on the doorstep.

When I arrive at Renacer, I'm always greeted with an onslaught of hugs -- all six boys have been off the streets for about a year and they are starved for attention and affection. They're usually playing marbles in the front yard, which like most homes down here, is fenced off by a brick wall. For the most part, it's a good natured game :) I have a hard time imagining that these kids who are healthy, chattering and laughing used to live in makeshift shacks by the river. The Choqueyapu River, by the way, is supposedly the world's second most contaminated river, after The Ganges in India. It's estimated that about one-fifth of the trash produced in La Paz each day finds its way into the "river."

Around 9:30, we enter the one-room classroom, which is outfitted with a small chalkboard, a sparsely filled bookshelf, grey metal lockers for the kids' stuff, a desk for the teacher, four student desks, and a wooden table with two chairs from the dining table so the other two kids can sit somewhere. The world map on the wall is from 1986. What books they have are used or out of date, and there aren't enough to go around. The walls are modestly decorated with a few posters created by the kids or typical classroom pieces like a poster of the alphabet.

I generally help the teacher keep the kids in order and answer the millions of little questions they have. A lot of the pedagogy in Bolivia involves copying information from the blackboard and you wouldn't believe how many times they just want clarification on a word on the board. At least I can handle that! Meanwhile, there's always at least one kid who doesn't really understand what he is copying, so the teacher and I walk around and check up on them. The boys have an hour and a half of lessons, a short recess, then another hour or so in class before lunch. They cover all the normal topics, like math and science, social studies, language, physical education.

Today we talked about scientists and came up with ideas for inventions. I also led an acting workshop, where we practiced being "mirrors" and understanding how to pay attention to what the other actors around you are doing and how to react. Then, we acted out the story of Puss in Boots, which didn't end up being much like the story but I think we all had fun.

We also had a minor scuffle between two boys in the classroom and some cuss words were said, so discipline was the next lesson on the docket. An interesting topic actually - we're dealing with street kids who are still pretty fragile. They don't have the coping mechanisms of 'normal' children and the smallest thing will make them want to run away. So, the BCSP has a policy on disciplining and making sure the punishment fits the crime. There's even a policy on how to handle situations when a kids says he wants to leave. At first, they used to have a talk, try to reason with them, but wouldn't keep the kid in the home against his will. Then, they remembered that any other sane parent would simply send their 12-year-old kid to his room if he said something like that. Which is now the policy and it works. I know I've said this before, but the BSCP is about creating loving, solid, Christian homes for these children -- it's not about being a place to sleep.

The boys all have chores, like setting up the table or cleaning the bathroom, and they have been taught normal Bolivian etiquette and table manners. (Example: asking for permission to leave the table for any reason, saying "gracias" to everyone when you're done with your meal). I usually join them for lunch and we chat about football, what they did the day before, that sort of thing. They like to learn new words in English and always ask about what life is like in the U.S. I spent a good deal of lunchtime today trying to explain the Serengeti in Spanish.

Leaving is bittersweet. Again, hugs all around and they often ask me to stay longer and always ask when I'm coming back. As dear as these boys are to me now, after five or so hours, I'm always exhausted! (This trip has confirmed that the teacher's life is not for me, although I have an incredible new appreciation for our underpaid, underestimated, overworked teachers in America). The boys usually see me to the door, unless a really intense game of marbles is underway. On Monday, the newest boy even stood with me while I waited for a trufi, hailed it down for me, and opened the cardoor. Before coming to Renacer, he had been on the streets for around five years and though we don't know his exact age, he's probably 13. Even with limited resources, just few books, and a tough past, he's turning into quite the little gentleman!