What is favorable about street life?

 

Working with homeless children can be a monumental challenge. The day to day struggles that exist for survival and the bleak reality for many of these children can be draining. In society, we are so trained to identify and reward successes in our lives. According to Webster’s, success is defined as“a favorable or desired outcome.” What is favorable about street life?

We learned early on when working with the children in La Paz, that we must change our definition of success. For many US families, sending their children to college, or starting a successful career can be success. Success for Kaya’s children may be living a life without chemical dependency. Perhaps, success is going one day without cutting on one’s arms as a coping strategy. There are successes happening every day in Bolivia. Miracles.

Thank you for assisting Kaya to help these children define success in their own life.
 

 

Four New little Faces at the Kaya Center

Little Jorge is just 7 years old and already facing an uphill battle. His father recently walked out on the family, leaving Jorge's mother to care for 6 children on her own. Already more than one year behind on rent, it is doubtful his mother will ever catch up earning less than $3 per day washing clothes. Jorge's sister had to be placed in a state run orphanage. Jorge and his older brother Juan, who is 12, were referred to Kaya by the public defenders office.

Nicol is not much older. She's only 8 years old. Two of her brothers are currently in the residential program at Kaya and the family is in financial turmoil. Her father, who is unemployed, has separated from her mother and has sent Nicol and the other children out to earn money for the family. Even more concerning is that there are indications that Nicol may have been abused. While this is under investigation, she was referred to the Kaya Center. 

Luz Maribel is growing up and is now 11 years old.  She was placed in the Kaya Center by her mother who is single,, unemployed and pregnant. Luz Maribel's mother hopes to return to work as a domestic worker soon so that she may provide for her new baby and 11 year old daughter. 

The One Thing Money Can't Buy...

Children who have lived on the streets have so many needs. The basic need for food and shelter is obvious. Medical care and education are critically needed, and so vitally important too. But to feel that they are loved, that someone out there really cares about them, is far more important to the children than anything else. Which is why we at Kaya are so grateful for all of our volunteers who make the trip to Bolivia to work face-to-face with the children, taking the time to get to know each of them as unique and wonderful individuals. There is no amount of money that can buy what the children receive from caring volunteers who give the kids what they need most of all...  LOVE!

Kaya volunteers hail from all over the globe, bringing different talents, languages, experiences and skills. Whether its playing futbol or guitar, the children truly crave quality time with caring adults. Our latest group of volunteers from Germany have truly enjoyed working with the children, and a new volunteer just arrived last month from Belgium! Since she is a psychologist, she is helping to evaluate children when they first arrive. A US volunteer, Katie Harris, is working alongside them. One of Katie's jobs at the house is to help plan the boys' birthday celebrations.

Each year, Kaya Children International runs a Vision trip in June, which departs from US soil to La Paz. So, perhaps you -- or someone you know -- might be interested in answering the call to come and work with the children of Kaya. Volunteering for such an endeavor is not just transformational for the children, but also for the volunteer. Leaving behind your comfortable world in favor of one where you will encounter poverty and loss, is not an easy thing to do. But the children whose lives you impact will return the favor with a smile, a hug, or some little phrase that will become etched forever in your mind. And if you long for the real meaning in life, many say it is found in such priceless moments.

Kaya by Gabriela

Gabi is 11 years old and has been a member of the Kaya Center for over 2 years.  When she first joined, she did not attend school and was not really interested.  She worried intensely over her mother and wanted to continue working to help her financially.  After much work with both Gabriela and her mother, Gabi is now doing well in the 5th grade and her mother is receiving support through the Warmi Kaya program.  Gabi, like so many young girls, loves to play with her friends and can often be found running from one place to another giggling like crazy.

These are her reflections on Kaya.

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Kaya

Oh Kaya!  Siempre tan linda,

con sus flores adornando su espléndido jardín,

siempre ayudando a los niños que más lo necesitan,

tan noble el corazón de Kaya.

Las tutoras ayudando a que mejoren,

la directora controlando que est,én en paz y armonía con su inmenso corazón,

la Karina, Carlita, Guisela, Sandrita, la profe Zare, Anahí, Lorena, Marith, el profe Erick, Juanca, Norman  todos los de Kaya son un futuro para nuestra querida Bolivia.

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Oh Kaya! Always so beautiful,

with flowers adorning your splendid garden,

always helping the children who need it most,

so noble is the heart of Kaya.

The teachers helping us to improve,

the director who keeps everything in peace and harmony with her immense heart, 

Karina, Carlita, Guisela, Sandrita, Zare, Anahí, Lorena, Marith, Erick, Juanca, Norman 

all of those at Kaya are the future for our beloved Bolivia.

My Kaya Family

by:  Robin Sale

In 2010, I decided to move from Melbourne, Australia to La Paz, Bolivia.  My fiancé, Ana, had been offered a job in La Paz and I couldn’t resist joining her in a place I had never been and, to be honest, knew little about.

We landed in La Paz with my few works of Spanish, few ideas about Bolivia and even fewer friends.  Well, I actually knew absolutely no one who lived there.  I had a feeling, driving down the steep streets of La Paz on the way from the airport to El Centro that the next chapter of my life would be very different from anything that had gone before it. 

Within a week, Ana had begun work, leaving me to figure out the multitude of challenges that face a non-Spanish speaker alone in La Paz  -- from getting around the city, to buying milk at the local shop. After a couple of weeks, I began Spanish classes and volunteering at Club Bolivar, a professional football club. The club wanted to further its social reach while giving back to the community.  I started to research potential partner organisations in La Paz, and continually the name Kaya Children International would pop up on my screen. 

A week after emailing Kaya, and with Ana enlisted as a translator; I jumped on a mini bus and headed south to the Zona Sur. I was somewhat apprehensive about visiting Kaya; I was not sure exactly what I was in for.

I vividly remember my first visit to Kaya, the front gates, and the view of the mountains, the warm welcome, and the interested looks from the children.  Most of all, I remember my confusion in trying to understand the rapid-fire Spanish of Carla.  And so I began to visit, twice or three times a week, to help Carla with a football program. 

My first impressions of the young people at Kaya were that they were tough. I was also taken aback at the age of some.  They were too young, I thought, to have been living on the streets. However, living in the centre of La Paz, it became clear very quickly that there were a lot of young people living and working on the streets.  I could not imagine the mental fortitude that it must take to survive on the streets of La Paz for just one night, yet for so many young people, the street was their home. 

My visits to Kaya quickly became the highlight of my week. Although I am a horrible football player, and the altitude meant I could barely run, I enjoyed playing with the children, and I’m sure they enjoyed playing against me! I soon realised that there was nothing different about the young people at Kaya.  They had the same interests and aspirations as other young people anywhere in the world. Although I could still understand very little Spanish, my visits gave me the opportunity to observe other aspects of the children and staff at Kaya. I noticed how well the children took care of one another, how much the workers cared for and respected the children and the familial atmosphere that engulfed me as soon as I walked through the front gates.  

One of the highlights of my time in Bolivia was the day that the players from Club Bolivar visited Kaya. Although I was severely limited in the work I could do while at the Club due to the language barrier, I was proud that I had played a small part in organising the visit. There were many smiles that day, and just thinking about it now, sitting in an office back in Australia, brings a smile to my face. 

After six months of living in Bolivia, visas struggles meant we needed to leave.  Although I was happy that I would see my family again, I soon realised that I would be saying goodbye to another. When I told one child at Kaya that I was leaving.  He asked me “why?” I told him that I was going to see my family and he looked me very seriously in the eyes and responded, “That’s good.  Family comes before everything.” It is something that I will always remember.

My time in Bolivia deeply changed me and my outlook on life. I learned so many things from my experiences and from the Kaya kids. One of the biggest things that I took out of my time with Kaya was that I loved working with young people. Although I worked as an environmental consultant for a year after returning to Australia, I have now begun a career as a youth worker. I work with at-risk and vulnerable young people in Canberra who are often homeless or at risk of homelessness, and I love it. Young people, no matter where they are in the world, just need to be in an environment in which they can flourish and grow. Kaya provide this, and my time there made me realise that we can all help in some way to provide this environment. 

I often reflect on my time in Bolivia and I look forward to the day that I can come and visit my Kaya family again.

Warmi Kaya's First Participant

Warmi Kaya’s first participant is Ms. Miriam Yapu, single mother to 5 children attempting to support them financially.  She moved to La Paz in an attempt to make more money as a street vendor.  She has some serious health struggles as does her youngest child, an 18 month old.  The Kaya team began working with her on the children’s health to ensure his safety.  Additionally, one staff member, her “mentor,” is working with her to identify and set expectations for her own family as well as assess her motivation for supporting her family.  Two of her children, Jhonatan and Yamil, attend the Kaya Center and participated in the extra academic support offered during the school holidays.  Both are far behind in terms of their reading and writing skills.  They made some progress during the holidays but not enough and are still receiving support.

Miriam Yapu and 3 of her 5 children.

Miriam was recently evicted from her one room home.  The owner needed the space and asked her to leave the next day.  Her children had accidentally broken the window in the room.  The owner of the house room kept her cylinder of cooking gas as payment for the damage.  Miriam had a small amount of savings that she used to rent another room but she didn't have any money left to purchase another container of cooking gas therefore her children were unable to have hot meals.

Warmi Kaya provided Miriam a small loan to purchase the gas.  She has been repaying the loan by cleaning the Kaya Center several days a week.  Miriam recently learned how to make alpaca scarves and is selling them for approximately US$4 each to earn money for her family.

Miriam Yapu proudly identifies as a Christian.  Even though she faces extreme difficulties, she often wears a smile.  "God won't' let me know.  I have a lot of faith," she says warmly.

Kaya's Seeking a Volunteer to Assist the Board of Directors

Kaya’s Board of Directors is comprised of generous, thoughtful and committed leaders throughout the United States.  Responsible for the overall management of the organization, they meet as a large group approximately every other month through conference call.

We are currently seeking a volunteer to assist with those Board meetings.  The main responsibility will include producing minutes of bi-monthly Board meetings.  This will include attending Board meetings through conference call, taking notes, and creating a draft version of minutes within a reasonable timeframe.  This is a significant, and hopefully, rewarding position.  It helps to maintain the structure of the organization.  There may be further opportunities beyond this in time.

The ideal volunteer has strong writing skills and a pleasant personality.  He or she is dependable and prompt.  He or she is able to work with little supervision while maintaining a high level of confidentiality.  The volunteer must be able to meet deadlines in a timely manner.  Great communication skills, proficiency in English and access to the Internet and a phone line are essential to the position.

Additionally, the ideal volunteer will be available for a minimum of 1 year with an average time commitment of 5 hours every other month.

For more information or to apply, please contact Sarah Porter, Kaya’s Executive Director, at sporter@kayachildren.org or 617-207-5438.

For more information on Kaya, please visit www.kayachildren.org.  Thank you.