Back to the Basics

This year, 2012, so far I have really been appreciating working with the kids here at CODENI (Colectivo Pro Derechos de la Ninez). The kids come into the office Monday through Thursday and greet all of us Mairos (between Maestro and friend) with a hand shake. After passing through the office they go to education, then workshops and then recreation making the rounds everyday doing homework, a human rights themed workshop then exercise. I usually support with education and the other day I taught a 9 year old how to read a clock. None of this digital stuff I tell ya. He asked me Maira what time is? and I said you tell me, he said I dont know how to read a watch and so I showed him the little hand and the big hand in spanish and he ended up telling me what time it was. Paco's mom Silvia just participated in two focus groups I had with about 6 mothers trying to understand and get more participation from the parents at CODENI in our programs. I have really enjoyed getting to know the mothers are well as they are so emotionally smart though most of them are abused physically or emotionally, they are so strong and really opened up in these groups.

Another great moment this week was with Patricio, the 4th brother of five of an indigenous Huicol family from the high mountains of Jalisco. Patricio, 6 years old, has been caught fighting with other kids, not paying attention and running around with his older brothers, but today he was great. He has three older brothers- Oscar, 14 and Reyes, 12 and Duilio, 8. So his mom was studying with the education coordinator for her high school degree and I took Patricio upstairs in education to the lecture room because I saw him floating around the house not doing anything and grabbed our bilingual english go fish and started playing with him. After explaining the rules and starting to play, he got so excited each time he saw a new picture of an animal with the letter attached. For example M for Mono (Monkey). The excitement on his face was amazing and just being able to have one on one time with a kid with four brothers who never has that time with his parents who work all the time- it was great and so rewarding.

My next two weeks of work- goal number one: spend as much time with the kids as I can!