6 Julio 2010

I realized that I forgot to write about the youth group last week

The vision of our youth group is,
" Empoderar y subir la auto eficacia de los adolescentes de la comunidad de Charasana"- " Empower and raise the self efficacy of the adolescentes in the community of Charasana".

We wrote four goals:
Encontrar y captar la atencion de cinco a quince adolescentes del area de Chacrasana
Encounter and capture the attention of five to fifteen adolescentes in the Charasana area.

Incorporar las ideas de los lideres y padres de familias de la comunidad en el desarrollo de las actividades
Incorporate the ideas of the leaders and parents in the community in the development of activities

Reunirse una vez cada semama con el grupo
Get together once a week with the group

Usar una forma de "aprendizaje informal/educacion on formal" y hacer actividades para captar la atencion de los adolescentes y promocionar las siguientes areas:
salud
habilidades para el trabajo
educacion
direccion/liderazgo
servicios de la comunidad
Use forms of informal education y do activities that capture the attention of the adolescents y promotes the following areas:
health
vocational training
education
leadership
volunteering



Week one (4 girls) we did some arts and crafts (made braceltes) and did some "dinamicas" or educational type games to learn eachothers' names and build trust within the group.

Week two (6 girls 1 boy) we opened with another "dinamica" to learn names and build trust. Then we did a little session on hand washing, when and how. This was followed by snack preparation. We wanted to develop a fun way to prepare an inexpensive snack that they could purchase ingredients for in the local bodegas. A counterpart that I have come to really enjoy working with thought of sorbet making. Similar to icecream making we put juice in a bag, then put that bag in a bag of ice and salt. Then everyone got up and danced and shook and tossed the bag of yumminess. My house mom has video because she found it extremely entertaining. The juice didn't freeze as much as we would have liked, but it sure was cool and tasty. The girls left very happy and the clincher of the evening was when I was walking one of the girls home and she asked if everyone could bring fruit next time and they could make fruit salad. ALREADY signs of comfort, creativity, and leadership. Love it! This was particularly encouraging for us as facilitators because this particular girl is probably the most impoverished of the group. She lives in "Chacrasana Alta" or "The other Chacrasona". It is a "neighborhood" That developed from refugeees. Then put up 4 thinner than plywood walls, a roof, stove, and mattress to make a home for anywhere from 2-6 people. Picture your childhood bedroom, cut it in half, that is about the size of their house. This young girl and I have a particular affinity to each other because we share a name. I greatly look forward to seeing these kids every week. They brighten my day as much if not more than I brighten theirs.