Is an Orphanate for children from very small up
to aprox. 15 years
It's situated in El Tamarindo near Barquisimeto
When I was here may 2000, there was 2 Danish "aunties" Maria and
Anja
And there was about 21 children.
I brought two suitcases with used childrenwear, toy, and two old binouculars. If
You go to Venezuela, you should collect such things - especialy shoes, and bring
it with you, they realy need it, some of them do'nt have shoes to go to school.
I visited the orphanate in march 97 Dejame
Vivir means "Let me live"
I took a bus to Yaritagua, changed and took another to Mar Azul, thats just a
croosroad with 5 houses and a liqourstore. A lot of sugarcane is grown in this
area, and tractors and trucks with loads of sugarcane was seen now and then.
From here I should continue to El Tamarindo. I asked people, they knew where it
was, but they did'nt mean that there was any orphanate, and there wasn't any bus. I
jumped on the back of a truck then. The first people I asked in El Tamarindo
didn't know of any orphanate either, but the next ones did think that there
might bee something at the end of a sideroad, and right they were, at the end of a dirt
road I found a gathering of buildings, quit simple but it looked like the
childrens were fine.
It's working more or less like the SOS childtowns, 7-8 children have a
"couple of parents" and a "uncle/aunt" and they together
lived in a separate house. The children are close attached to the
"parents" and if a couple of parents should wish to leave the
orphanate, it's meant to be that the childrens go with them so they do'nt
suddenly stand without parents.
There is not much to do with in the orphanate. That evening there wasn't meat
for the dinner, and normaly I don't think there are.
The orphanate is under a catolic foundation, and they did pray, before eating.
Here lived 15 happy and confident children, they imideate followed me around,
and asked a lot. New houses was being build.
I was interested in staying there for a week or so if that would be possible,
but right now they did'nt need any help, there was aprox. 7 adults, among them 2
danes.
I stayed over the night.
Luz valencia og Jens Kr. Hansen
- Esbjerg, Danmark
Tlf: +45 75 45 14 96 - Mail:
jens@luzjens.dk
