is where I feel I've landed. There are so many different wonderful possibilities here that keep revealing themselves, and so many potential ways to help. I am seeing now that this planning is going to be a very ongoing process; every time I think I've figured out what I'm going to do, more details come about and complicate the plan (in a good way).
I was speaking to a fellow volunteer at Nuestros Ahijados about the work I'm trying to do at Casa Jackson. This volunteer, Salina, had volunteered for one month at Hermano San Pedro, the school/residential hospital nearby for children with special needs. Salina was able to explain their program to me. Apparently, the children at the hospital are those whose parents are unable to care for them at home. The children live at HSP for 10 months out of the year and spend one month at home during the summer, and one month during the winter holidays. The students at the HSP school are picked up and dropped off by their parents and spend only the school day there.
HSP does not, to her knowledge, offer any support or educational to parents regarding how to care for their children at home. Salina reported that she had met several parents who were incredibly distraught and heartbroken to have to leave their children at HSP, but simply didn't know how to care for them at home. Additionally, she reported that many children will return from their breaks at home having lost a great deal of weight because HSP is bottle-feeding them, and the parents are unaware of this and try to feed them regular table food. Basically, there seems to be a real disconnect between the services the kids are getting at the HSP school/hospital, and the families. There are a number of families who very much want to learn how to help their children in some way, but don't have anywhere to get that type of support from.
I was obviously chomping at the bit by the end of this conversation. Salina visits Hermano San Pedro just about every week and offered to take me with her on her next visit so I can meet the staff and their long-term (8 years and counting!) volunteer Leslie. Fortunately, Leslie speaks fluent English and Spanish, and can help me to float the idea of offering some basic education and home visits to the families that so desperately want it.
Another volunteer, Maura, had informed Corinne that she wanted to begin organizing Saturday morning workshops for the mothers (past and present) of children at Casa Jackson. Each workshop would provide some basic information/education to the mothers about a particular subject. Maura's interest was in hygiene and disease prevention. Corinne brought up the wonderful idea of presenting several topics in each Saturday workshop, and covering some basic information from each. There is a clear opportunity to piggy-back onto these workshops and provide some information about helping children develop as best they can. I am unsure of the timeline for these workshops, but hopefully they will be happening. It would be nice to have another way to provide some support without having to set up a whole new way to get it to families.
We've also finally gotten the ball rolling on an instructional video for volunteers and staff! It will be available online so that it is accessible at any time. The video will be relatively short, and will include information on how to support the development of both children with and without disabilities. Topics covered (demonstrations that I will narrate and explain what I am doing and why) include tummy time, feeding, positioning, and how to properly stretch and handle children with physical disabilities. We will be filming it very soon. It will likely include a lot of Sandra (as the resident "classic CP" kiddo), some Esvin, possibly Mayra, and Alison. Be prepared for unparalleled cuteness!
No comments:
Post a Comment