Day 4 : Casa Esperanza

Posted by Christie

Wow, what a long day! Literally and figuratively, but not in a bad way at all. I actually can't believe how much we've packed into such a short amount of time so far. Today began bright and early at 7:30am when our class split into two volunteer groups- one headed for Nutre Hogar and the other for Casa Esperanza. Dragging yourself out of bed at what most college students would consider an ungodly hour really isn't that much of a challenge when you have as much to look forward to as we did.

It took us quite a while to find Casa Esperanza, where I volunteered, which was somehow hidden and tucked away on a main street we had to have passed AT LEAST 5 times. I'll admit that I was a little taken aback by the humble size of the house; for some reason I was expecting it to be roomier or have more property to play on outside, and it upsets me that places with such good intentions can't always afford to provide all that they want to. That being said, I think they do a great job making the best of what they do have. Some of my classmates went outside to play soccer with the older kids, but I enjoyed playing board games and Uno with all of the incredibly adorable young ones there, and I look forward to heading back tomorrow for our dental hygiene presentation : )

One thing in particular that I liked about the kids at Casa Esperanza (and one of the main reasons I chose this site to work at) is that we got to communicate with them, and in Spanish. I was able to learn about them and teach them games, words, and a little about the United States with the aid of some classmates and a map we brought. They were so interested to hear about us and see our cameras, cell phones, ipods, and blonde hair (haha, Rachel!). I wish we had more time to establish relationships with everyone there though, because I feel like we're just sort of "passing through". While we may only be able to donate a minimal amount of our time, it is nice to know that we were able to help by also purchasing basic supplies from the local mall like toothpaste, wet wipes, soccer balls, games, etc. for the children. I'm sure my classmates agree when I say I wish there was more I could do for these organizations though.

Because Hannah covered almost everything about the rest of our day, I'll contribute some pictures!


A hallway at Hospital del Niño


Casco Viejo


Shopping for supplies at Albrook Mall.