Educadora de la Calle

.... ah forgot to mention I have changed work place from January on... I still work in Casa Alianza... only that now I am an "Educadora de la Calle"... which basically means that we go with a team of 2 peolpe on the street and look for the kids.... and later try to convince them to come to casa alianza... because there they can embrace a much brighter future than on the street... starving to death and taking resistol (glue which they inhale and makes them high).... With my work I go to placed of Tegus that I have never imagined I would get close... but the challenge is incredible... the impressions are overwhelming... the people you talk to have so much to say... they just need someone to listen...last week I went to a part of Tegus which is called Villa Nueva.... very pooor poor part... and we started to talk to these 3 little kids... (Jose - 8, Mario - 8 and Jorge -7) .... they were looking for toys in the trash... their cloths were dirty and destroyed... they had no shoes on.... but still... when we went up to talk to them... they were laughing .... and happy... because even though they were dirty and poor... they were happy... they were happy to be together and to have a family that loves them.... the problem with these kids was that they are too young for Casa Alianza... usually we work with kids between 12 and 18.... well but in a couple of years I am sure we can do something...I have to say... this work is so challenging... not only physically because one walks around all day to look for the kids.. but as well as already mentioned the stories of violation, abuse, prostitution, addiction problems (with time one learns to ignore the disgusting smell of urine, dirty and shit)... its a question of habit i guess... but living this... feeling this... made me grow in so many ways ... i can not describe it... it made me realize... the importance of priorities and family. I really dont know if you understand what I am going through.. I really do hope so.... i want you to understand and I hope my mail could help you to picture a piece of my new world. heaps of love and kisses