El Orfanato

So part of being in the ´avanzado´ group in terms of Spanish abilities means that instead of having 4 hours of normal Spanish class every day we get to actually do something with the Spanish that we already know. I got the last pick out of the group of five of us, but I’m positive that I got the best project, maybe I’m a little biased, but whatever. I get the privilege of getting to work at Hogar San José, an orphanage in La Paz, working alongside Fortunato, a PCV from Seattle, and Sister Edith, an amazing nun from Honduras with a sweet story. In short the orphanage is located in the remains of an abandoned hospital and houses 23 kids from 9months old to 13 years old, run by the Sister and it receives little if no funding from the government. From that quick description you can probably get a little picture of what’s going on, but it is an amazing place. I am in charge of getting records and medical information for the kids, a very important issue from the health aspect, but it is also part of the process for them to hopefully get government help. I am in the process of taking pictures, weight, height, MUAC (middle upper arm calculation) measurements, as well as creating and finishing records for the kids, including going to the La Paz registry department to get birth certificates. This is great practice for me, related to the AIN-C program but also getting me experience talking to government officials, doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals. The thing that really makes my project the best isn’t the work I’m doing though, it’s getting to hang out with the kids and get to know them. After a long day of technical training there’s nothing better than while walking and sweating through the streets of La Paz to have a group of kids run up to you shouting your name and giving you huge hugs, that’s why my project is awesome.