First week in Mexico.
So it`s been exactly a week since I've been here so I feel it's time for a blog update.
I'm staying in Puerto Vallarta, a resort town on the West Coast of Mexico. It`s absoulutely stunning, with paradise beaches, but frankly (and I did know this before I came...) not much culture!! I did the only two museums in town on my first day...
The first couple of days after my arrival where completley disorganised with Original Volunteers, the organisation I am with, giving very little support or help, but everything is sorted out now, and the fact I speak Spanish is a huge help!!
I am living in a house with 13 other volunteers in a residential area, which is surprisngly well equipped, although to some people's dismay, there are no hot showers! (With the heat here, I find it quite nice. ) There is a great atmosphere within the house as we all come from various places in the UK, and a range of different personalities meaning there is always something interesting going on.
As volunteers, we work 5 hour shifts, 5 days a week, which sounds easy but is actually shattering. My first 3 shifts I worked at the "Refugio Santa Esperanza", an orhanage in the outskirts of Puerto Vallarta with about 50 children from 3 months, to 17 years old. I think the refuge, in comparison to what I had imaged, has very good facilities, and because of the many volunteers passing through it, a large amount of games etc. However the level of care is not high, with no trained nannies looking after the children. We generally help with what we can, although we are not given much direction which makes it hard to know what is needed. Again, speaking spanish gives me a huge advantage making a bond with the children. Most of the children are lovely, but some are little devils and go about their way to make the volunteers lives miserable! Avoiding the bites and kicks can be a challenge! But, however hard and sometimes boring the work can be, I keep telling myself that somewhere along the line, I am helping these children! This week I am working at the local library where some of the children got a scholarship to attend the summer camp. Its more organised and more fun and great to support them although sometimes feels like our help is not really needed there.
Something that i find quite shocking is the lack of help once the children each the age of 17. There used to be a transition house to help them but for some reason this was closed, and so the only way the older children are allowed to stay in the refuge is if the continue their education (This is a great idea). However, with the refuge being run by a Catholic nuin, the children aren't taught anything about contraception, or anything to do with relationships etc, so the sad reality is that most of the girls that leave end up pregnant within months...
Have a few day trips planned in the next few days, and planning on dipping into Belize and Guatemala and Belize on my travels so keep watching.... Please put a little comment to let make me feel loved!!
Love
Soph
I'm staying in Puerto Vallarta, a resort town on the West Coast of Mexico. It`s absoulutely stunning, with paradise beaches, but frankly (and I did know this before I came...) not much culture!! I did the only two museums in town on my first day...
The first couple of days after my arrival where completley disorganised with Original Volunteers, the organisation I am with, giving very little support or help, but everything is sorted out now, and the fact I speak Spanish is a huge help!!
I am living in a house with 13 other volunteers in a residential area, which is surprisngly well equipped, although to some people's dismay, there are no hot showers! (With the heat here, I find it quite nice. ) There is a great atmosphere within the house as we all come from various places in the UK, and a range of different personalities meaning there is always something interesting going on.
Some of the children at the orphanage
As volunteers, we work 5 hour shifts, 5 days a week, which sounds easy but is actually shattering. My first 3 shifts I worked at the "Refugio Santa Esperanza", an orhanage in the outskirts of Puerto Vallarta with about 50 children from 3 months, to 17 years old. I think the refuge, in comparison to what I had imaged, has very good facilities, and because of the many volunteers passing through it, a large amount of games etc. However the level of care is not high, with no trained nannies looking after the children. We generally help with what we can, although we are not given much direction which makes it hard to know what is needed. Again, speaking spanish gives me a huge advantage making a bond with the children. Most of the children are lovely, but some are little devils and go about their way to make the volunteers lives miserable! Avoiding the bites and kicks can be a challenge! But, however hard and sometimes boring the work can be, I keep telling myself that somewhere along the line, I am helping these children! This week I am working at the local library where some of the children got a scholarship to attend the summer camp. Its more organised and more fun and great to support them although sometimes feels like our help is not really needed there.
The children who go to the library and I
Something that i find quite shocking is the lack of help once the children each the age of 17. There used to be a transition house to help them but for some reason this was closed, and so the only way the older children are allowed to stay in the refuge is if the continue their education (This is a great idea). However, with the refuge being run by a Catholic nuin, the children aren't taught anything about contraception, or anything to do with relationships etc, so the sad reality is that most of the girls that leave end up pregnant within months...
Have a few day trips planned in the next few days, and planning on dipping into Belize and Guatemala and Belize on my travels so keep watching.... Please put a little comment to let make me feel loved!!
Love
Soph
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