Greetings from Cochabamba!

As caregivers, we desire that our children grow and acquire new knowledge, mature, discover and nurture their abilities, until they, like the young bird, find themselves, tentative, but ultimately ready to leave the nest to explore new frontiers and new horizons.

Peace and Blessings,

Teresa's Goodbye Party

The joy of welcoming a new child into the home is comparable to the anticipation of giving birth, so while we are always filled with joy when a child is adopted, it is also painful to part with one for whom we care so deeply. After all the times shared together, the affection, the joys, the fun, the moments of reflection, there comes the difficult time to say goodbye.

When Teresa joined the NCV family, she immediately won the hearts of everyone with her sweetness, but she was also a little one who was woefully behind developmentally and struggled daily with health issues. It's been such a joy to see her make huge strides both developmentally and health wise. What an even bigger joy it was to hear the news that she had had a family assigned to her!

At the first meeting of Teresa's new mother, she was definitely apprehensive and even a bit disconnected, but her mother committed to coming every day to visit her, even when the only time she had was during her lunch break. In those dedicated times, Teresa formed a genuine attachment to her mother as she came to understand what this new phase in her life would mean.

Teresa's goodbye party was a wonderful way for us to not only say our goodbyes, but also to reassure her, help her transition to a new family, and bless her in this major transition.

Above Left: A photo of Teresa taken recently after her arrival at CDP.
Above Right: A recent photo with Paty.

Above Left: The girls of CDP making a card for Teresa to take with her.
Above Right: Each one signed the card with their own personal message for her.

Above Left: Reading all the nice messages.
Above Right: Teresa very happy with her card.

Birthday Girls

Birthdays are always a wonderful time for us to not only give thanks for another year of life, but also time to reflect on the growth and changes that have occurred in the life of that child.

This month we celebrated the twins', Jhoselin and Johana, birthday; it's hard to believe that they will be turning 15 next year, a major milestone in Bolivian culture.

Bryssa turned 11 and Victoria turned 7, and both of them have experienced major changes this past year. It's exciting to see how they are learning so much and working hard to overcome the challenges they deal with because of their pasts.

Above Left: A really big candle!
Above Right: The girls singing "Happy Birthday".

Above Left: Jhoselin with her mother.
Above Right: Johana hugging her father.

Above Left: Cutting the cake.
Above Right: The October birthday girls celebrating at Hotel Aranjuez with Tía Maru and Tío José.

The Soccer Boys

Pretty much everywhere in the world except maybe North America, soccer is by far the most popular sport, though we all saw that it's finally gaining mass popularity there too as evidenced in this past World Cup. Our kids are no different than the billions of others for whom this sport is a very important part of their lives.

We're so excited and blessed to have partnered with the soccer academy "Futbol Aranjuez" where all but the two youngest are attending three days a week. It's not such a wonderful experience just because the boys are learning to play soccer, team work, self-control and discipline, but also because the coaches, who are all ex-Bolivian national team players, have really connected with the boys, and have become invested in their lives, making sure they are doing well in the home and at school, encouraging them, inspiring them, and serving as role models for them.

Above Left: The boys at practice.
Above Right: Sharing their passion with other teammates.

Above Left: Discipline is important!
Above Right: Dividing up the teams.

Above Left: With the strong sun and high altitude, staying hydrated is vital!
Above Right: Stretching out those muscles after practice.

Above Left: It's also good practice on how to follow directions.
Above Right: The coach and kids!

Woman's Day

October 11th was established as Day of the Bolivian Woman in honor of the birth of Adela Zamudio Riber, an important writer, teacher, poet, and an advocate of women's rights here in Bolivia. She was also an innovator in the area of secular education and argued for the importance of including women in educational, social and cultural arenas.

To be a woman in this society carries a heavy emotional weight, culturally they are the ones who maintain the family, the cornerstone of society--always strengthening and giving to not only their children and husbands, but their extended families, their friends and coworkers too.

In celebration of our young Women of Valor we had a male friend of the foundation come and speak, sharing from a male perspective, the value of strong women, the need to stay true to oneself and one's value system, one's faith, despite the many challenges and struggles we all inevitably face. Many of our girls have not had positive male figures in their lives before arriving to CDP, and it served to encourage and reassure them that there are men in this world who will respect them and encourage them to reach their full potential.

Above Left: The girls listening to the message about the value and importance they have as women.
Above Right: Victoria praising the delicious cake that the girls shared.

Above Left: Laura was the winner of the raffle!
Above Right: Sharing a moment with the guests.

Above Left: Zamora was the second winner in the raffle.
Above Right: Gifts for all the girls!

Above Left: And they all received flowers as well.
Above Right: Beautiful roses for our beautiful ladies.

Patitas Descalzas

The issue of homeless dogs and cats just wandering the streets of Cochabamba is a big and complex one. The government has yet to implement a comprehensive plan on how to deal with it, so we're grateful for groups like "Patitas Descalzas" (which literally translates to Paws without Shoes) which is a foundation formed by a group of young people who are united in their love of animals, and the shared conviction that together, they can really make a difference in the lives of abandoned and abused animals. They strive to do this on two fronts: rescuing cats and dogs who are either abandoned or have been mistreated, and then finding them loving adoptive homes, and through community education programs to help everyone realize that they can be part of the solution.

The girls at CDP joined together with this cause, helping pets, some with difficult behaviors or handicaps, find new homes. It was an interesting experience for the girls as they recognized the parallels with their own personal experiences in rescuing these innocent beings that were abandoned or abused through no fault of their own, coming to a home where they were loved and cared for while a permanent home situation was searched for. It always makes the tías swell with pride as they see the girls enter into the service of those in need.

Above Left: Caring for the pets.
Above Right: Mariela along with a friend.

Above Left: The care of a mother is always necessary for the babies.
Above Right: Laura giving lots of love to one of the puppies.

Above Left: Alandra and Kattia enjoying some serious cuteness.
Above Right: Feeding and watering all the dogs is a major undertaking!

Above Left: Making sure they all get fed.
Above Right: Alandra assuring that the big dogs don't bully the little ones.

College Fair

Some of the girls in the Sendero de Esperanza program had the opportunity to attend a college fair at the local state university. They were able to speak with professors, program directors, students and graduates in all of the areas of studies that they offer. The girls learned about the academics, student life, extracurriculars, international programs, and the admission process in addition to career opportunities once they graduate college.

It was a very enriching experience for the girls, helping them further define what they want their futures to look like, considering new majors and career paths they hadn't known were a possibility. It's certainly an exciting time for our young women!

Above Left: Sofia learning about the Montessori method and childhood education.
Above Right: Ana learning about Confucius.

Taekwondo

Some of the girls were introduced to Taekwondo when Tío Sam was here a few months back, and Cynthia has continued to advance in her studies, and our newest girl, Natalia, has joined her. It's been an effective venue for them to improve both self-esteem and self-discipline as well as concentration and respect. Cynthia recently earned her yellow belt!

Above Left: Cynthia with her new uniform.
Above Right: Natalia doesn't have her uniform yet, but it hasn't stopped her from practicing!

Above Left: Cynthia trying not to crack up while doing a demonstration.
Above Right: The two of them showing off their kicking skills.

ExpoSida

Every year an informational fair is held to educate the public about sexual health, and it's particularly geared toward helping adolescents and young adults make healthy, safe and informed decisions regarding their sexual health.

There are still so many myths and so much ignorance surrounding issues like HIV/AIDS, STIs, and safe sexual practices. So it was important that the oldest group of girls at CDP went to the fair where they were able to educate themselves in some creative ways like playing educational games and engaging with others at the fair through activities geared toward helping them discuss different themes.

One of our goals as a foundation is to equip and empower our children so that they are able to take what they've learned and share it with other children, and this is an important area where we want to see this take place. Our girls have the opportunity to not only be well informed for themselves, but also to pass along this knowledge to their friends and classmates, and hopefully create a safer and healthier future for all of them.

Above Left: Jhoselin and Vanesa checking out the banners.
Above Right: The girls learning about sexuality.

Above Left: Adolescence: the most difficult stage?
Above Right: Love vs. Violence... often only one step away.

Above Left: Understanding the different ways to take care of our bodies.
Above Right: What are the changes going on in our bodies?

Above Left: It's always important to know more about effective prevention.
Above Right: We can have lots of information, but we've got to apply that knowledge to make a difference!

Horita Feliz

Sometimes translating things literally can be dangerous, or at least lead to a big misunderstanding. For instance, "Horita Feliz" would literally translate as “Happy Hour”. Saying our younger kids loved going to Happy Hour would certainly be problematic! However, we assure you that while our kids do indeed love going to Happy Hour, it's more like VBS or Five Day Clubs that they enjoy so much.

Every Saturday, La Trinidad, the church where the children attend, holds an Horita Feliz where children from the neighborhood have the opportunity to get together and do fun crafts, games, and share a time of learning important values like honesty, friendship and solidarity. It's also a good opportunity for our children to get to know others in the community and forge positive friendships.

Above Left: Alandra with her little booklet "Learning about the Bible".
Above Right: Nohemi looking quite content.

Above Left: The teacher showing off the books the children will be using.
Above Right: Getting the crafts ready.

Above Left: Praying for the time together to go well.
Above Right: We give thanks to God for such a wonderful group that our children belong to.

It can be tough sometimes to give these children the freedom to succeed or fail, to soar or to crash, as the natural instinct is to protect and remove all possibility of harm for them, but we must trust that we have done our job as best we can to instill in them all the necessary tools and self-confidence to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. And for those times when they aren't as successful as they were hoping, we love them unconditionally, offering hope and reassurance for them to try again.

Peace and Love from the Kids, Staff and Volunteers of Niños con Valor.