31 Days 31 Faces: Nicolas

Meet Nicolas, a sixteen year old boy at Kaya Children. His favorite subject at school is math, and he loves eating fruit. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, watching TV, and playing soccer. He hopes to one day become a professional soccer player, just like Victor Valdes, the goalkeeper for Barcelona.

31 Days 31 Faces: Antonio

Meet Antonio, a nine year old boy at Kaya Children. He loves studying and learning new things. When he is not studying, he enjoys playing soccer, basketball, and baseball. He hopes to become a professional ball player one day -- the game does not matter as much. His favorite food is chicken.

31 Days 31 Faces: Juan

Meet Juan, a twelve year old boy at Kaya Children. His favorite subject in school is Math, and he particularly enjoys addition and multiplication. He loves listening to music in his free time. He hopes to own his own business someday.

31 Days 31 Faces: Cesar

Meet Cesar, an eighteen year old boy at Kaya Children. His favorite part of the Kaya Center is its library and his favorite classes at school are history and literature. In his free time, he likes to listen to music, play sports, and read. His dream is to become a musician.

31 Days 31 Faces: Erika

Meet Erika, a thirteen year old girl at Kaya Children. She enjoys learning about the social sciences at school and hopes to be a psychologist when she grows up. In her free time, she likes playing soccer, doing crafts, and listening to music. Her favorite foods are chicken and majadito.

Photo: Erika (right) with another girl at Kaya.

31 Days 31 Faces: Fidel

Meet Fidel, a fifteen year old at Kaya Children. He enjoys studying math at school and learning how to use the computers. In his free time, he likes to play soccer, listen to music, and take walks. His favorite foods are local food in La Paz and pork roast. He wants to become a doctor in the future.

31 Days 31 Faces: Juan Daniel

Meet Juan Daniel, an eighteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He loves learning psychology and would like to be a psychologist if he were not already studying to become a chef. His passion for cooking has inspired his goal of opening his own restaurant. His favorite food is lasagna. He also enjoys playing soccer and meeting new people.

31 Days 31 Faces: Jorge

Meet Jorge, a nine year old boy at Kaya Children. He loves playing soccer and basketball. His favorite foods are chicken and chicharon de pollo. He wants to study hard so that he can be a professional in the future.

Photo: Jorge (right) and Adrian (left).

31 Days 31 Faces: Rafael

Written by Anne-Milda Pu, a volunteer who worked with Kaya Children in Bolivia the past two summers.

Going down to Bolivia to visit Kaya Children for a second time last summer, I sort of knew what to expect—the temperature is cold at night and warm during the day, the air is very thin, the sidewalks are busy but the streets are busier, and the people speak too fast. Yes, I knew the factual aspects but I realized that I had forgotten so much of what pulled me back to Bolivia in the first place. I had forgotten about the care that these kids share for one another and for their genuine love of life and their Kaya family.

While I was mainly painting their new school building a mural during the week I was there, I was able to spend two mornings with the kids. The morning I spent with the kids from Hogar Renacer brought back all my memories of what I had forgotten. I remember thinking that these kids really knew how to live their life. They weren’t stuck behind computer screens like so many kids their age are, but they were playing in their yard, they were doing their chores, they were playing marbles with the other boys there.

One of the boys I remembered from the year before was a boy named Rafael. Josh Lee (one of my teammates) was going to take pictures of their faces for the 31 Days 31 Faces interview so after we interviewed them he would snap a picture of them. Well, Rafael disappeared for a little while and when he came back, he was wearing a clean collared shirt, a nice pair of pants, had newly combed hair, and was shining his shoes! I thought it was so precious that he wanted to look his best from head to toe for a picture that was only going to feature his head. It breaks my heart to know that so many people label street kids as thieves and drug addicts because they haven’t even taken a week out of their busy lives to meet these kids. It amazes me that these kids who have had a past that is more difficult than I could ever imagine have completely turned their lives around and come this far.

31 Days 31 Faces: Marco

Meet Marco, a twelve year old boy at Kaya Children. His favorite activities are soccer, baseball, and basketball. He hopes to become a professional football player when he is older, and he admires Messi because Messi is a fantastic soccer player.

Photo: Eddie (left) and Marco (right).

31 Days 31 Faces: Adrian

Meet Adrian, a nine year old boy at Kaya Children. His favorite foods are copacabana chicken and sausage sandwiches. He loves playing soccer, going swimming at the pool, and rollerblading. He wants to be a carpenter when he grows up.

31 Days 31 Faces: Javier Jesus

Meet Javier Jesus, a twelve year old boy at Kaya Children. He loves learning new things in school. His favorite activities are watching TV and playing soccer. He hopes to be a professional soccer player someday. He admires Team Bolivar, a professional soccer team, because they have the best players.

31 Days 31 Faces: Julio

Meet Julio, a fourteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He likes Kaya because he is able to live in a house and be with his friends. His one wish is to be with his family. His favorite activities are playing soccer, volleyball, and basketball.

31 Days 31 Faces: Beymar

Meet Beymar, a ten year old boy at Kaya Children. He enjoys learning at school and likes doing homework. He also likes to play soccer, basketball, and video games and likes to listen to music. His favorite food is fish. He admires his older brother because he thinks that his older brother is a very good brother to him.

31 Days 31 Faces: Milton

Meet Milton, a fifteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He likes playing baseball, basketball, and soccer. He hopes to become a professional soccer goalie one day and admires the Argentinian professional soccer player, Messi, because he is great at handling the ball on the field. His favorite foods are pork and chicken. He enjoys dancing.

31 Days 31 Faces: Omar

Written by Eunice Lim, a volunteer who worked with Kaya Children down in Bolivia two years ago.

Omar’s first day at Kaya’s school was also my first day volunteering in Bolivia at Kaya, but I didn’t know that then. All I knew was that there was this little 8 year old boy who had the most adorable little face but also worked up a storm, never listening to his teachers and calling me “China” (Chinese girl) no matter how many times he got scolded for it.

“Me llamo Eunice, y soy koreana!”

(My name is Eunice, and I’m Korean!)

“China!”

(Chinese girl!)

Sigh. Would he EVER learn?

Only a week later, I was in love with him, writing in my journal:

“omar. oh, omar!! the newest addition to kaya, he’s only been around for a week, like me. the youngest boy of only 8 years old. he. is. SO. cute. TOO CUTE. for some reason his little face is always so dry, i’ve gotten into a habit of putting lotion on his face every morning. “oOooOo” he squeals each time, squirming with joy as i put it on. has anyone ever put lotion on his little face before? as adorable as this boy is on the outside… oh!! how much he tests my limits, and does NOT listen to his teachers. but whenever i get angry with him... he gives me this adorable smile, and envelops me in one of the warmest hugs ever. how can i be angry with this tiny boy who was living on the streets just a week ago? whose first instinct is to fight, because that’s how you survive? who does not know respect or rules because he’s never been taught? i can’t. oh, omar . this same rowdy boy has fallen in love with the songs of praise that i have taught the children. when I start singing songs even during break time, he sings along with me, holding my hand, memorizing the words better than most of the other older kids. omar. how did you dig so deep into my heart?”

I was in Bolivia for a month. Within one month, I saw a boy change from an unruly brat to… one who still struggled with anger and sharing and listening, but one that showed me how capable he was of loving, and how much he simply wanted to be loved. When another new boy joined and started to call me “China,” Omar yelled at him, telling him it was rude and that my name was Eunice. He learned all the Christian songs I taught the kids, and sang praises to God on his own.

Omar… I am thankful to say that he is still at Kaya, still growing and learning exponentially. And I pray that those praise songs that he used to sing will forever ring true in his heart… and that he will grow to have a real relationship with his Savior, Jesus Christ as he grows up to be an upright man thanks to the mentors and love that he is able to receive at Kaya.

Please help us continue serving the children of Bolivia. Learn more about the Kaya Challenge:http://www.firstgiving.com/kayachildren.

31 Days 31 Faces: Icaro Jonathan

Meet Icaro Jonathan, a thirteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He loves learning math in school. He enjoys wrestling, playing the game Jenga, and learning how to use the computer. His favorite foods are Chocapic, a chocolate-flavored cereal, and salchipapa, a dish that consists of hot dogs and french fries. He wants to be a police officer when he is older.

31 Days 31 Faces: Eddie

Meet Eddie, a thirteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He loves playing soccer and wants to be a goalie when he is older. When he is not playing soccer, he enjoys playing video games and learning how to use the internet. His favorite foods are fruits.

31 Days 31 Faces: Raul

Meet Raul, a fourteen year old boy at Kaya Chilren. He loves playing soccer because it is a lot of fun and wants to be a soccer player when he is older. He admires Carlos Tevez, an Argentinian professional soccer player. In addition to soccer, he likes to swim and play baseball. His favorite foods are chicken and fruit.

31 Days 31 Faces: Hector

Meet Hector, a sixteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He likes having his own room, playing soccer, and swimming at the pool. His loves eating barbeque. He hopes to be a doctor someday because he wants to help people.

31 Days 31 Faces: Wilmer

Meet Wilmer, a fifteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He has been with Kaya for three years. He favorite class in school is Physical Education, and his favorite sport is soccer. He hopes to one day become a doctor and have a family.

31 Days 31 Faces: Daniel

Written by Stephanie Kuei, Communications Officer with Kaya Children.

“What were you doing when you were ten?”

I remember Daniel, a former street child and one of the older boys at Kaya Children whom I met while I was in Bolivia, asking me this question and feeling guilty because, at ten years old, I was ignorant of events happening in other parts of the world and was taking all my opportunities for granted.

Up until that moment, I thought I understood the challenges street children face and was able to sympathize with the children I met. However, listening to Daniel tell me the reasons why he left his family to live on the streets, the types of people he encountered, the worries he faced, and the conditions he had to endure really broke my heart. At ten years old, he slept in an abandoned building and worked late hours selling sausages on street corners.

Here was a guy who was the same age as me and who had experienced so many things that no child should ever have to experience. His question shook me up and revealed a passion for these children in me that I never fully realized.

Now, Daniel, who is twenty years old and one of four recent high school graduates at Kaya Children, is in college and is an example to the younger kids of what it means to hope for a bright future. With Kaya’s support, he has overcome countless hardships and has grown to be a man of strong character.

The question he asked me changed my perspective and made me rethink what it means to really care for this population. It made me realize what a blessing a childhood is. So I am going to ask you:

“What were you doing when you were ten?”

Please help us continue serving the children of Bolivia. Learn more about the Kaya Challenge: http://www.firstgiving.com/kayachildren.

31 Days 31 Faces: Israel

Meet Israel, a sixteen year old boy at Kaya Children. His favorite things about Kaya Children are his room, his friends, and his ability to study and get an education. He loves to read, to listen to music, and to watch TV. If he could have one wish right now, it would be to have a collection of music records because he hopes to someday become a sound engineer.

31 Days 31 Faces: Rafael

Meet Rafael, an eleven year old boy at Kaya Children, who wants to one day become a police officer. He loves going to school, learning about computers and technology, and spending time with his classmates. His favorite activities are basketball, volleyball, and racquetball.

31 Days 31 Faces: Omar

Meet Omar, a ten year old boy at Kaya Children. He enjoys learning, playing board games, and taking trips, such as going to the park. His favorite food is chicken, specifically salta de pollo and pollo copacabana. When he grows up, he wants to be a car driver, and he hopes to own his own car someday.

31 Days 31 Faces: Brayan

Meet Brayan, a twelve year old boy who has been at Kaya for a year and a half. He loves learning, but his favorite part of being at Kaya is the soccer court because he hopes to be the best soccer player in the world someday, just like Messi, a professional soccer player. When he is not busy perfecting his soccer skills, he likes to play volleyball and baseball. His favorite foods are chicken and hot dogs.