Sponsor's update from Limón (at Los Cocos)
25/09/2007
Update from Summer 2007 (This report is by someone whose first language is not English)
Dear Sponsors and friends,
To all of collaborators and families that the SOS Children Village Limón, (at Los Cocos) it is a pleasure to inform you about the activities and achievements that we reached during the first semester of 2007.
Family Life
In Limón SOS Children Village (at The Cocos) there are now 11 families who protect 102 children and young people from 2 to 22 years old whose daily care and protection is under eleven SOS mothers with the help of 3 aunts which are family helpers. Then 18 children more will be able to grow up under a family care.
During school vacations (December 2006 and January 2007), Holy Week and weekends families plan trips to different places in the province. For instance, they take a one day tour or go camping for several days near the Barvilla River or La Bomba River, National Parks such as Cahuita or beaches such as Cieneguita, Bonita Beach, among others. Children and young people enjoy the river or the sea, share games, make new friends and enjoy sandwiches and typical food from the region that their mothers lovely prepare. Some children visit the biological families or their affective mothers, strengthening then bonds with them and extending their social web.
In January, this year six children and their family had a special event, because after several months of preparation they received the Baptism and their first communion. They had a celebration at church and later on at home where they had special food which they shared with some neighbours.
Christmas and New Years celebrations in 2006, each family decorated her house and prepared an activity by themselves or together with one of the neighbors where each mother gave a present to her children.
Academic Area
There are 101 children and young people living with the families of the village that attend either a school or a technical institution from these amount 24 go to a private school and 77 to a public school.
At the present, there is in process the agreement with two public universities in the country, in order that, University careers such as English, Mathematics, Elementary School Teaching to teach reinforcement lessons to children and young people according to everyone’s needs.
There are 6 young people in technical learning in fields such as: hairdressing, construction, cabinet work and others, according to their abilities and interests. Families support and help them in the process to assume their independence in a responsible way. Meanwhile, we are looking in the community for technical alternatives that will allow young people to be independent in the future.
Sports and Recreation
There are about 30 children and young people that participate in the soccer for Talented Caribbean People. All the children and young people, who are skillful for soccer, have the chance to train at this school. Likewise, a group of 14 girls attends dance lesson at the University of Costa Rica Regional Center and 11 children take drawing lessons at the Casa de la Cultura in the city of Limón.
Some children participate in some groups such as the Red Cross, the Green Cross and in a religious group in the Village. As all the families attend church, many young people and children are in the church as the Catechesis, Sunday School and a group of young people.
Mother development
It is very important for SOS Villages to offer mothers with theorical and practical tools to allow them to make a better mother role. For this reason, there are three mothers working at the Educator Mother process. They are getting ready to begin the third and last level of this process which last a month. They study about health and nutrition, SOS philosophy, spirituality, child and adolescent growth among other topics.
We hope that as we do, you feel proud to contribute to children and young people growth under family protection and loving care.
We thank you again for your support,
Yours sincerely,
MSC. Wilberth Mejías Cruz, Director, SOS Children Village Limón (Los Cocos)
Child Sponsorship update from Tres Rios
Update from Summer 2007 (This report is by someone whose first language is not English)
On behalf of all the families and support team from Children Village in Tres Ríos, I send you a warm greeting.
There are eleven families in our village, with a population of 106 children. Four children are been received into two families in the village and a party of 7 siblings form a new family at house number 12. At present, eight young people began a preparation process for their independent life.
At present, four of our mothers have finished the course of Education Mother, and three others are in this process. All the families have a family budget which is managed by the mother and she is also responsible for the development of her family.
We have 32 young people that are receiving complementary technical knowledge. Among them, 4 are doing working practice and on April 11, 2007, 5 young people graduated as Computer Center Operators. Guidance to the young people is given by their mother, to develop skills, abilities and specific knowledge for an autonomous type of living. They take part in English courses to work on areas like; Call Centers, Computer Operator, Institutional Cooking, Automotive Mechanics, Industrial Welding and Land and Cattle.
Children can take part is in cheerleading courses, in soccer, in athletics, art, drawing, dance, swimming, scout, taekwondo, ballet, fine arts, musical bands and special encouragement programs.
High degree of follow-up to and formative results from mothers at elementary and high schools. All children older than 15 years old are taken formative courses. There are 5 girls attending university courses. There are 4 young people studying in Colegios del Mundo Unido high schools with excellent results and they manage to be bilingual. This year, 9 children will graduate from elementary schools. Other 9 children are attending other schools for nursery school children. Participation in recreational, cultural and sportive activities helps to obtain the academic results, in agreement with high degree of stimulation and the strength of self esteem in children.
Last year the Children Village in Tres Ríos received an award because o its participation and support in the welfare of la Unión Area. We helped to form a sport group among Anafa (a sportive group) and children and young people that are in charge to organize soccer championships. We participated in the Ecological Program Blue Flag (bandera azul) from Zinder School in San José and also organised the taekondo team in the taekondo team in the community where children from the village and community take part. During the Holy Week, 5 families from the Village visited cultural sites.
We have advanced a long road and we have a great deal of dreams because of the goals we have. We are very grateful to your support and confidence that you have given to us. God bless you for your share of responsibility and social solidarity. God give you and your family a lot of success.
Sincerely,
Ximena V. Naranjo Gálvez
Director of SOS Children Village in Tres Ríos
Relevant Countries: Costa Rica.