The Girls Home

The other site placement that we have is a girls home about a 20 minute bus ride from our apartment. It is called the Hogar del Buen Pastor, so I will refer to it as the Hogar from now on. They have over 50 girls betwen the ages of 6 and 19. There are 3 what they call pavillions that have dormitories where the girsl sleep. It is usually about 6 girls in a room. In the morning the girls wake up and makes their beds and make sure there rooms are clean. After that they have a knitting/crocheting workshop followed by a sewing workshop. Then they get washed up and ready for school and eat lunch together. After that they go to school from 1-6. Then they return and eat dinner and do nighttime activities. They also have weekly meetings with a psychologist and receive help with their homework. There are also lots of other activities that go on like trips on the weekends. Also on the grounds are two buildings for the ceramics workshop that is for people form a surrounding who come on Saturdays to make things like plates and cups to sell. The sisters also live on the grounds in another pavillion with a chapel. There is also a playground, a basketball court, and a large field where they are growing potatoes. The sisters also have a snack bar about 10 minutes away from the Hogar that sells juice and coffee in the morning and drinks and salchipapas (french fries with fried hot dog on top) during the week and other foods on Saturday. The older girls work there everyday. They also work in the kitchen at the Hogar helping to prepare lunch and dinner. There are also social workers and educators on staff everyday to help the girls with whatever they might need. Catherine and I will have the chance to participate in all the activities here as well. We are both excited to see what we will be able to do in the years to come.