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.......
About Me
- Simon Walters
- My name is Simon Walters - I work for Casa Alianza Nicaragua. Casa Alianza Nicaragua is a non-profit NGO, working to protect, support and rehabilitate children living on streets, victims of abuse, violence, abandonment, commercial and sexual exploitation and human trafficking. I work as a specialist member of staff, coordinating healthy and sustainable activities for the kids in our protection, and on the international development side of things - working with all the Casa Alianza sites in Latin America. I hold a MA in International Law and Human Rights from the United Nations University for Peace, and a MA in History from the University of Edinburgh. I am very involved in the Model United Nations, and in 2009 served as the Founding Secretary General of Mostar International Model United Nations, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I also have experience in English teaching, coaching public speaking and debating, acting and radio presenting.
Monday 29 November 2010
Sunday 28 November 2010
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.
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.
Thursday 25 November 2010
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
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
Thursday 4 November 2010
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)