Christmas Spirit

This time of the year is a particularly dangerous one for street kids and the victims of abuse.  It is one when tempations to take drugs are even higher, and there are more opportunities for robbery, or more money to be made through prostitution.    This side is far removed from the traditional Christmas image, but at the same time, working directly with kids such as these at this time of year is exactly how I want to be spending my Christmas.

  At Casa Alianza a lot of our kids have left for the Christmas period.  Those who have families or homes have gone back there. There are, however, about 30 or so kids in our residential center who have no families or homes to go to, or it is not safe them to leave Casa Alianza (Izmael is one of these kids who simply has nowhere to go to that would be safe for him)

So I will be spending Christmas with these kids.  If I'm honest, I'm doing it more for me then anything else, as the courage these kids show inspires me.  At the same time these kids have spent their Christmases of years gone by on rubbish dumps, gutters or brothels.  I hope that this year we can bring them a Christmas that gives them the minimum of  what every child deserves: love, respect and understanding.

So I wanted to share this story mainly  because these kids lack a lot of things, but through nearly all their lives they have been without these three values of love, respect and understanding.  It is not possible for us all to donate physical stuff such as money to make a difference, nor is it possible for us all to give up our time and lives to do voluntary work, but it is always possible for us to provide love, respect and understanding for those who need it, be it in one's own home, community, country or wherever.

I will leave it there, but in case I don't write again before the 25th, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year, and for those who read this blog and write to me about it, I really do appreciate your support!

With love,

Simon

When it all makes sense

Firstly I am sorry I don't write on this blog as often as I would like to.  I spend most of my working days confronted by so many situations and emotions of the kids and of my own, that it can sometimes be really difficult to untangle all of these different feelings and work out how to put them down in writing. 

Last week, however, was one of those moments when everything I am doing out here seemed to make sense.  We held, within Casa Alianza, the pre-Christmas graduation ceremony.  All of the kids who had completed various courses (computing, bakery, jewlery making, mechanics etc) received their diplomas. 

The 40 or so kids who received certificates were dressed up and proudly went up to the podium to receive their certificates. 

Seeing as I spend time working on the streets of Managua, I know all too well the background of the kids resident at Casa Alianza.  Many have lived in rubbish dumps and gutters, where addicted to drugs, they scrounged through thrown away garbage to see what they could find to eat.  Failing this, most would then use robbery as the other main means of supporting themselves.    There are other people, 12/13/14 years old who are the victims of abuse, commerical sexual exploitation and human trafficiking. 

To see these kids who have come from such background receive certificates in new skills they have acheived so that they can leave Casa Alianza and work to build their lives a-new is a phenomenal thing to, and it is moments like this when the work we do really does make sense.

Casa Alianza also runs courses for the families of the children we work with, and these mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters were also presented with their diplomas.

You might remember Gloria from a previous entry.  It was Gloria (who is still at Casa Alianza) that gave the vote of thanks.  Her words had me fighting back the tears.  She thanked everyone at Casa Alianza for helping her have another chance at life, when previously she had given up any aspiration and hope for her future. 
here,
It is difficult to express all my emotions about this event on here, but I hope my emotions come through.

There are times when everything we do makes sense, and we can really see that through work, commitment, passion, respect and love we can make a difference, and, for want of a better expression, make this world a better place......This has been one of those moments. 

He jumped over the wall.......Danilo's story

When kids come to Casa Alianza, they need to follow certain rules.  First and foremost, they can't use drugs, smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or have sexual relations with other members of the residential center.

For teenagers coming from a background where an excess of all of the above things was the norm, this can prove especially tough.  It is bad enough to think the sort of life a 14 year old has lived whereby drug addiction and promiscuous sexual behaviour was regular (especially when thinking of the numerous health concerns this arises), but then imagining the pain a young person must go through when trying to get away from these addictions.

At Casa Alianza the door is always open, and the kids that come can leave at anytime.  But if they leave through the front door, then they have to receive the signed support of their Support Officer, and they have to follow a monitoring procedure and come back to particiapte in various activities every so often.

For some kids however, it is just to much,  and, under the pain of trying to rid themselves of all their various addictions, they choose the quickest and simplest way out, and climb over the wall.

Danilo (once again not his real name) had been at Casa Alianza for about 2 weeks.  He is 14 years old, although his aged face told a different story.  I had been monitoring him closely, as he was clearly finding it extremely difficult to try and live a normal life away from the drugs.  He was usually either extremely restless, or collapsed in a heap somewhere around the building.  He was often withdrawn and shy, although equally often agressive and moody. 

On Monday I was outside playing baseball with some of the kids (for my friends from the UK, I still think baseball is a terrible sport), and I saw the withered figure of Danilo carrying nothing more than a small and broken rucksack clamber down from the Casa Alianza wall and make his way on the street.

The streets of Managua are some of the unsafest in the world.  Seeing this troubled kid give up on his recovery process and decide to take up life again on these same streets was really very very tough.

He walked off down the road heading to one of Managua's most dangerous neigbourhoods, (well one of many), I try not to think what will be facing him, and hope that maybe he will make the decision to come back.

I wanted to share this story, because in this story there is not, as yet, a happy ending, and sadly it is very much a reality.  So by sharing it, I wanted to share the sad momets with this type of work, just as much as the good moments.

In the interests of fairness, I will try and have a happier story for my next update.

A rare happy ending (for the time being)

So as I was told this morning, at about 9pm on Friday, Izmael came back to Casa Alianza.

He told me today, that when he arrived back to his market of old, he quickly decided that the street was no longer where he wanted to be.  I was delighted to hear the news.

He told me how on Saturday they had gone on an excursion to the cinema.  He had never been to the cinema before.  He also told me how over the weekend the abuse from the other boys had considerably lessoned.  I think that he had showed that he is here to stay  to get better and to get over his problems, and by doing this he showed to the others that their insults didn't mean anything to him.

I don't think happy endings like this are regular.  I am also aware that I will have to pay attention in case the same situation should arise with Izmael. 

For the time being, I am very happy with the results.

The trouble is of course, Izmael's story is one of many.  Today a girl of 15 at Casa Alianza, lets call her Gloria, confided in me she has had enough of the bad attitude of many of the other kids, and wants to leave.   Gloria is a victim of human trafficking.  She has a two year old kid. 

I had a long chat with her, and once again I hope my words might have had some effect.

The work continues.......

Izmael's story

Last week I met Izmael (I have changed his name, just out of respect)

It was his first day of living at the Casa Alianza residential center.  We were all outside playing football and I noticed him straight away, he seemed very uneasy, so I went to speak to him.

He told me how he had left home 2 and half years ago (he is now 15) and hasn't seen his family since.  He took up life of the streets after years of abuse at home.  On the streets he took up glue sniffing and smoking crack.  He also told me how he used to walk around one of Managua's main markets (where he also slept) with a knife tucked into trousers, which he used to rob various people in order to feed his drug habbitt.

When I spoke to Izmael last Monday, he seemed genuinely delighted he had found Casa Alianza, where he could finally get away from the past of such pain.  I took to Izmael immediately and knew I would have to be there help him through what would be a very difficult process.

The trouble is, as a result of years of living on the street and all that it entails, along with drug abuse, Izmael has been left with a scarred  and unattractive face.    The other kids at the residential center spotted this immediately and took to calling him 'grinch'.  In violence borne out of living on the streets, the other kids at the residential center bullied Izmael, beat him up and stole from him.

On Thursday Izmael confided in me, he said he couldn't take it anymore.  He wanted to leave the center.  He had had enough of it all.  I spoke with him, and told him all I could to convince him to stay.  I told him that if he stayed at Casa Alianza he could always count on my support and that of the other teachers, but on the streets, if he turns back to the drugs and walking around with a knife, for our own safety, there is very little we can do.

I then left him, as I was working outside of the center on that day.  When I came back I was delighted to see he was still there eating dinner with the rest of the kids.  It made me so happy to think somehow my words might have had on impact on him.

On Friday I was also working outside the center.  When I came back in the afternoon, Izmael had gone.  To be honest, I was left broken.  I have already seen enough of the streets of Managua to know the little hope it offers for a 15 year old, especially one in such a situation of high risk.  I have no idea where he has gone. 

I always knew a moment like this was going to happen to me during my time here, but it is still an enormously diffiicult thing to deal with.

I really hope that wherever he has spent this weekend, that Izmael might come back.  Sadly, I not sure I think he will.

Back to it!

My apologies for being out of contact for so long!

While I was recovering from dengue fever I wasn't feeling much up to writing, and I guess I got out the habit.

So its been great to be back at work and doing what I'm meant to be doing.

When I went back to the work for the first couple of days, after being away for two weeks, I felt some tension from the kids.  I think some of them felt that I had left and gone back to the UK.  I can understand this.  I guess a lot of them are used to people coming and going in their lives.  Now most of them are aware I was sick and that I am going to be around for a while, I think I have managed to acheive their trust again.

There are however lots of tough moments.  Last week, while playing footbal, one of the little kids in the residential center got into a fight with one of the older ones owing to a penalty dispute.  The older kid, with violence ingrained in his system began kicking the little one on the ground until I managed to intervene.  It is tough, these kids come from backgrounds of such violence that violence is how they deal with every problem and confrontation.  The same day I had to deal with a kid who had gone into the gardens to find rocks to throw at some of the other kids who were winding him up.  Dealing with that level of violence and agression is never easy, and can be tough to stay calm with the kids when you yourself are scared as to what they might be capable of.

Bearing in mind many of these kids used to walk around market places or other areas with knives and other weapons in order to steal and rob people to pay for their drug addiction, the violence that remains in their systems is a sad but clear reminder of their pasts. 

There have been good things as well.  I went with a group of Casa Alianza street kids to an annual national sports event in Managua, where the kids took the third place in the football competition.  It is great to see when kids who used to live on the street, be addicted to drugs or are the vicitms of abuse, are able to stand up with the rest of the country, play sports with them and receive medals for their efforts.

So its been great to be back.  Living in Managua remains a very rough place to be, but that all's part of the experience.  The work is intense but great and also very challenging.  My current project involves working to establish a programme of non-violent conflict resolution for street kids, drawing on the principles of peace education.  From what I have seen so far, it is almost certainly a necessity.

I will try and get the updates back to my former more regular efforts.

All the very best, and thank you to those who read my blog,

Simon

down and out (for a little bit)

Last week, as I was sitting in reception taking a break after lunch, one of the kids I have been working with for a fair bit over the last few weeks comes up to me. Our conversation follows like this:


Him - 'hey'
Me - 'hey'
Him - 'do you work here or something?'
Me - 'um yeh'
Him - 'what are you new or something?'

He had completely forgotten who I was.  In one quick and clear example I was shown just how badly some of these kids have been left as a result of years of drug abuse (glue sniffing in the case of nearly all street kids).  Only three days before I had been playing football and laughing around with this same boy.  It is tough to think that a 14 year old kid has been mentally destroyed to this degree. 

In other news, I have got dengue fever.  It is not a particularly pleasant experience.  I have been off work all of this week, and it looks as if next week will be following in similar fashion.  Hopefully when I am back to full health and back at work, I will be able to write a better update.

From top to bottom

I never thought when I picked up my First Class degree from Edinburgh University that two years later I would be sitting in a children's play center as a volunteer, just trying to spend time with kids whose mothers have lived on the streets or were the victims of violence.

Nor did I think, when I was the Founding Secretary General of  a Model United Nations Conference in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that three years later I would be volunteering and sitting in a canteen with some street kids answering questions about the UK.

The truth is, I have, for the last few years, become used to being at the top of things.  Either getting the top degree or by being the President of the organization, or in another position responsible in some way for managing whatever organisation I was working for or involved with.

As such, it has been quite a shock and a new experience to go from being at the top, to being at the bottom.  To being a volunteer in an international charity, where to be honest, my responsiblities are pretty basic, its mainly just being there with the street kids or victims of abuse.  Play games with them, chatting to them, trying to provide a sense of friendship and support.

But it is exactly this transition from top to bottom that has given me some inspiring new opportunitiies and insights into trying to make this world a better place.

It was much more glamorousat a fancy graduation ceremony than it was today at a young child's play centre.  However, I have been able to see the real importance of having people working and being commited to work at this 'bottom' level.  The street kids I work with are in clear need of that sense of support and understanding in their lives, and it seems that the best way this can be done is simply be being there.  It doesn't matter if I got a First Class degree, or that once some time ago I helped to set up an MUN in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  It seems that what matters most is that I am there, I am commited, and I care.

After one week......

Here is a brief overview as to some of the things that have stuck with me after my first week working with Casa Alianza Nicaragua.

It is a humbling and inspiring experience working with a group of mothers and their children who are the victims of abuse and exploitation.  At the same time, there is nothing more sickening when, after thinking it is really cute that a 5 year old girl knows how to dance regaetton, to find out that child is the victim of human trafficking.  I was left with the harrowing question as to whether that child had been taught to dance for the most unspeakable of reasons

To see a 10 year old on the street, with glazed eyes, aged face and a body that he could just about manage haul about is an image I will never forgot

There is something phenomenal about being invited to take part in a dance class with women who are victims of horrific abuses.  To have been allowed to enter their world and take part in their activities has meant a great deal to me

To hear a 14 year old boy talk about the future, aware that there might not be that much left of it for him, after his body has been destroyed by drug addiction and alcoholism is something a child should never have to go through.


In one week I have learnt a lot.  This can only be a very small overview as to some of the things which have happened and which I have been part of.  I hope to keep learning and keep doing all I can to support and help.

Arrived

You know you are in Nicaragua, when instead of walking through the arrivals terminal to be met by someone waiting to pick you up, you are instead met by a girl who looks about 7 years old, holding out her hand in the hope of receiving a dollar

You know you are in Nicaragua when as driving from the airport in a pick-up style truck, three homeless children jump on the back of the truck at a set of red-lights in the hope of finding something to steal.

You know you are in Nicaragua when driving through Managua you see a city stripped of its pride, by both natural disasters and extreme poverty

You know you are in Nicaragua when you see all this within a few moments of arrival in the country, and already the country is 'under your skin'

I think I am going to love it here but I also have a funny feeling that this country is going to break my heart!

This is it!

With less than 24 hours until I board the plane to make my return to Nicaragua, here is my final update from the UK:

Well the bags are packed, all the details sorted, although the feeling that I am once again  to travel and live on the other side of the world, hasn't quite set in.

What's ahead of me I think is going to be the toughest challenge I have undertaken to date, as such, I am both very excited and very nervous. 

I am sure that I am going to be exposed to situations that leave me shocked, saddened, frustrated, horrified, perhaps even scared. I just hope I am able to find all of the strength within me to work through the moments when confronted by these emotions, and do what I can to fulfill my aims, and try, where possible, to make a positive difference for the lives of street children.

Its gonna be tough, but I am also sure that the next period of my life is going to be phenomenally rewarding.  I am sure I am going to learn a lot from it, especially in terms of the possibilities and set-backs in trying to  make this world a better place.

So that's it.  I'm off.  I don't know how regular my internet access will be, but I will do what I can to keep this blog updated as often as possible, with stories of life working with street children in Managua, Nicaragua.

Thank you to everyone for your support so far,

Hasta pronto,

Much love,

Simon

Getting close!

With just over two weeks to go until I head to Nicaragua, its time for another update.

The first thing I want to do, for those of you who are still not sure, is explain exactly why I have made this decision to begin working with street children in this very troubled part of the world.

From a personal perspective, it has always been my intention to work with young people and teenagers, as I have always found them the most inspring group of people in the world. When I travelled around Central America during last year, whilst living in Costa Rica, I saw the appalling situation faced by young people living on the street, as well as the sheer volume of youngsters in this condition. I knew, as I started to piece together my plans for the future, that working to somehow make things a bit better for young people and teenagers forced to live on the harsh streets of Latin America, was exactly what I want to be doing.

Facts and figures

UNICEF estimates there to be at least 100 million street children in the world.  At least 40 million of these are thought to be in Latin America.  Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, and the city where I will be based, has at least 15,000 of these homeless and abandoned children.  Most live on rubbish dumps or other of the poorest and most dangerous corners of the city.

Whilst on the streets the children face massive risks to chronic illness, HIV/AIDS infection, victims of violence, drug dependency, and being recruited into prostitution.  Around 80% of Nicaragua's street children are estimated to have been forced to turn to prostitution at some point in order to survive.

Casa Alianza

Casa Alianza is one of those organisations that I really do feel, inspires.  It works in a number of different ways to help the street children in the countries it works, first and foremost, helping to provide friendship for children where society tends to neglect and marginalise.

Casa also works to give the kids an option of a residential centre, support for young mothers, legal aid, family rehabilitation, and support for street children with HIV/AIDS.

Along with the tremendous day to day work of this organisation, there are two major examples where its work has rightly caught the attention of the world's press.

The first was the work of Casa Alianza which bought the state of Guatemala before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, where the state was found guilty of killing street children by police officers (agents of the state).  It was a barbaric practice of 'social cleansing' where street children where killed and tortured as they were seen as disposable citizens.  The practice still goes on, but Casa Alianza has bought light on the horrific practice.

The second was the remarkable first ever Street Childrens World Cup, held in South Africa in March 2010.  10 teams of street children from around the world took part.  Team Nicaragua was coordinated by Casa Alianza and came third in the competition.  The event, which bought street children together, provided friendship, a sense of belonging and identity is a true example of how it is possible to make the world a better place.

And back to me

Ok, so to be honest, I was having doubts.  Had I made the right decision?   Managua is not a nice place.  It is a very poor, unsafe city.  Do I really want to be there?

Last night, however, when I attended the opening of an exhibition in London about the Street Childrens World Cup, my doubts were dispelled.

I firstly saw that I am not alone.  There is an enormous group of wonderful people who want to make this world a better place for street children.  I also saw that with strength, commitment, and passion it is possible to do things that really make a wonderful difference to the lives of these people.

Seeing this has given me a renewed sense of hope and belief in myself.  I am ready to go to Managua!  I am ready to do what I can, working with Casa Alianza, to make this world a better place for street children!

Steps in the Right Direction

So today, 8 years to the day since my Mum passed away, I thought it would be good to give an update on my progress.  I often wonder if my Mum would have approved all this moving around the world, experiencing new things and hoping to make a difference.  The truth is I know she would have been worried about me, especially if she had known I rode around on a motorbike in Vietnam, or spent a month in Guatemala City talking to street children and gang members to research my Thesis.  But I hope she is proud of my commitment to try and do good things in the world, and to know that I am never truly happy unless I know I am doing all that I can.  I am still exceptionally grateful to my Dad, who I know worries about me as well, but has always given me his utmost support for the direction I have chosen to lead my life.

Progress has been good and I am now a month and 10 days away from leaving for Nicaragua (I fly on October 10).  I currently have a part time job at Purley Language School, which, by coincidence, is the same school my Mum taught at in the 1980s.  I have also made an appearance in the Caterham Independent, and you can see the article here - http://www.caterham-independent.co.uk/latest-news/574-local-man-helps-nicaraguas-street-children-

Everybody has been really helpful and supportive of the work I am hoping to do, and I am extremely grateful of all this support.  I still need to get sponsorship, and I am hoping soon that my efforts on this front will bear fruit.

Well I think that it is it for now.  At 6pm today I will light a candle to remember my Mum.  In my prayers I will thank her for giving me the strength and commitment to do all that I can to try, in someway, to help make this world a better place.

Preparing for the future

I am starting this blog, as I hope it to be my official diary for everyone interested whilst I head to Central America, where I will be working with the organisation Casa Alianza, working with street children in Nicaragua.

I will keep this blog for al those interested in following my work and especially for those who are equally working in development or human rights.

I will leave this is as a little introduction for the time being, and more information will appear on this site as I prepare to head off in October.

For the time being, seeing as I will be working as a volunteer, I'm dong what I can to raise money and gather funds whilst I am away.  Anybody who thinks they might be interested in sponsoring me for this type of work, or helping me raise publicity, your support will be greatly appreciated. 

In the mean time, please let me know if you would like more info about the work I will be doing.  I would love to be able to promote my work and the work of Casa Alianza in my local community, and anybody who wants to help me do this, would be great to have your help!

More updates willl follow,

Simon