I was allowed to live and assist in the children's home "yo quiero ser..." for six weeks. I spent most of the time helping in the Sala Cuna with the little ones.
The day I arrived, the children were visiting the waterpark "Wonderland", which is why I was welcomed there by everyone. The welcome was very warm; everyone introduced themselves and hugged me.
On the ride from the waterpark to the children's home, I obtained first insights into San Pedro Sula. The city is, on the one hand, highly developed with its many malls and American restaurant chains, on the other hand there is a high poverty rate. This can, among other things, be seen in shoeless children who sell newspapers at the roadside, men who drive through the streets on donkey carts, or crumbled shacks, in which various generations live together. The most lasting impression of the city was the ubiquity of rubbish. People throw their waste over the high walls, behind which they live, without further concern.
Once we arrived at the children's home, the children showed me everything. Filled with verve, they showed and explained everything to me down to the most minute detail. The home consists of various buildings with an own soccer field. The rooms are bright and colourful. The garden, with its banana and coconut trees, renders the yard more "lively". The home is very neat and clean. For me, the home is like an island that is shielded from the ugly environment, and in which the children are given the opportunity to grow up in an intact world.
On the following day, I was granted insights into the Honduran routine. My day at Sala Cuna started with Olga - the infant educator - and me being woken up by the little ones at around 7.00 a.m. Before breakfast, everyone was showered and dressed. Afterwards, Olga and I cleaned everything. During this time, the little ones could go on the rampage outside. At 9.30 a.m. the little ones' "classes" started. They drawed, glued, cut out, crafted, played, sang, listened to stories, all of which happened more or less diligently. I was especially pleased at the fact that even the littlest of children already helped each other with those tasks. After lunch, everyone was showered and put to bed. After their siesta, the children were allowed to go outside to play. In the afternoon, I mainly helped the older ones with their homework or with studying. 6 p.m. was dinner time. Then the little ones were showered and put to sleep.
At times, my daily routine was enhanced with a trip to the market or the city. I was impressed at seeing the amount of groceries that had to be purchased every week for such a big family.
On the weekends, we had a lot of activities. We went to the circus, to the waterpark, played soccer with other children's homes, etc. The girls and boys always really enjoyed the activities. On Friday nights, we used to have a disco at our home. As soon as the music started to play, everyone began to dance - from the youngest to the eldest. The children dance with heaps of energy and fun.
During school holidays, we spent a couple of days in the Chalet on a coffee plantation. The children enjoyed it very much! It is incredible how many hours they have spent in the pool.
The boys and girls are very responsible and dutiful for their age. Be it their daily little chores like cleaning rooms, washing dishes, washing clothes or doing homework. But they are, of course, children as well :o) The girls would have preferred to perform hours-long "photoshoots" instead of studying. The little ones badly wanted to help painting, although they merely painted each other rather than the wall.
Through the employees that work and live in the children's home, I learned a lot about the "real" life in Honduras. There is corruption, crime, a high rate of unemployment and illiteracy and people live in fear. Many of the "residents" here have already lived nasty things in their short lives. But here, at "yo quiero ser...", they have found a home where they have everything, are happy, are loved and receive the opportunity to live a livable life one day.
For me it has been a very emotional and radical experience. I have become aware of the fact that I was raised in a perfect world, which should not be taken for granted. It is even more astonishing that the children live happy and content, despite those circumstances.