Learning and Loving

A Letter I received that a girl wrote in English. With the help of a Volunteer 🙂

Its been three weeks now since I arrived to Medina to volunteer with the Pink House, and it has been an amazing experience. Of course, these three weeks feel like three months!

Since I been here the girls from the Pink House have been focusing on Human Rights and touching different issues about what is lacking in their community. It has been so empowering to hear so many great words from the girls. It goes to show that the Pink House is a safe place for them to share how they feel and to give them a sense of being.

As I mentioned in the past, I am currently helping out the coordinator of the Pink House, Rita, who is also an awesome Social Worker. So these past few weeks I have been learning loads about how social workers work in Brazil, children protective laws, Brazilian governmental systems and Brazilian bureaucracy.  It feels like im back in school sometimes, but it has been such rich experience!

A typical day looks a bit like this:

• To start off the day there is prayer within the girls groups
• Than the group is split up into different activities. Activities include: Dance, Art, Theatre and Beauty Salon.
• There is a break in between to have some yummy food, from the incredible cook!
• Then at the end the girls join back together to pray and dismiss.

Girls praying

Art Work

Dance Practice

Theatre

The times that I am not with the girls in the pink house I am accompanying Rita, the Social Worker to do House Visits and Visits to Other City Programs to advocate for the girls. The visits have been very interesting and such a learning experience. Rita has introduced me to almost all other social workers/case workers in the city; it seems as if there is just a handful. It has been a bit challenging at times with the language. In all professions, there is certain vocabulary that is used. I am still learning Social Work vocabulary in Portuguese. Most of the day I nod my head as if I understand, but I quickly write words down to look up later 😀

I am also picking Rita’s head everyday, asking tons of questions about what to do when you have this situation or that situation. I now know how to make a report if a child makes an outcry of abuse 🙂 I am learning how advocacy works in Brazil as well. In US there are rights that children have that most of the time most professionals follow strictly. In Brazil it is sometimes more difficult to advocate for a child’s  right of safety or protection. For instance, we have gone to the city office for child protection several times for the same cases of girls who have been sexually abused by either other professionals or by people in their home. Rita has shown to be quite the advocate for these girls. She is very respected in the entire city. It has been an honor to work with her!

Other than Social Work stuff I am enjoying every minute I have with the girls. They are growing on me! I Love them already! This week our amazing Volunteer Artist, Kim, made an awesome mailbox for the house. So I have been receiving sweet letters from the girls. Its amazing how someone’s presence can make a difference. I am not with the girls as much as the other volunteers; but I see how my hugs and smiles is bringing smiles to their hearts 🙂 And that makes me so happy! 

Pink House MailBox

Letters I have received 🙂

Two more weeks left to help out at the Pink House! More news to come … Beijos e Abraços!

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