Andrielis' Education Fund

New Blog

2011-08-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Click HERE to go to the new blog. I have created a new blog so I can update on all three kids together. Now that they are at a new school, I figured this would be a perfect time to switch.

http://dreducationfund.blogspot.com/

Justin Bieber

2011-08-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

Andrielis loves Justin Bieber, as you can see from her choice of notebooks!

Lessons

2011-08-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Andrielis' lessons for the month of September will be cancelled. I really need this money to go towards paying off her book fees, and in addition her tutor will be having a baby so this will give her a bit of a break once the baby is born that month. Funds donated towards her lessons for September will be re-directed to her books (I had to take this money out of her brothers' tuition fund), and tutoring will resume the first week of October.

However, she is still having lessons for all of August. School starts on Monday (only a few more days!) and she is super excited. She texted me yesterday about the science lab she will get to use, and texted me today that she purchased a Justin Bieber notebook :) Sonia purchased all her notebooks and her backpack, and covered the fees needed for the papers to register her (certificate, passport size photo, etc.) I had a mini panic attack yesterday when Sonia texted me about school books. I hadn't budgeted any money for school books and hadn't even thought about that, as I thought the school would provide them. Buying all the books for all three kids was going to be over $700!! I talked to Sonia, told her how much I had left in the account, and we managed to bring the price down significantly by buying them used and by having Sonia visit several different stores to find the cheapest price. In addition, because I am paying all the tuition up front, the school went ahead and gave us a discount, so thankfully I am still on track for funding and don't have too much more left that I owe to the school.

Andrielis' lesson last week went well. She spent a short time writing in her journal about her latest visit to the clinic. She brought her spanish-english dictionary and told Caitlin she didn't know how to use it. They went over that so that Andrielis will be able to use it to look up english words. They went over the alphabet song and she didn't know what "with me" meant (next time won't you sing with me) so they went over with me/you/her/us/them, etc. Lastly they wrote back and forth to each other to work on conversational english (she began putting her dictionary in use for this).

Andrielis has passed her national exams!! Science was her toughest. She was anticipating math being most difficult, but Caitlin prepared her well in their lessons and she did fine. Angles, in particular, was one topic that Andrielis had been confused about, but was able to really grasp before the exams. She hasn't gotten her marks back yet, but will let me know when she does.

I will have photos soon of Andrielis' first day of school in a few days! Wish her luck!

1 Week Countdown

2011-08-06T13:03:00.001-07:00

The first day of school is Monday August 15th. Andrielis is so excited and I am so excited for her. I know I have said it before, but I want to thank every single person who helped to make this possible. You really have no idea how much this will change her future. From the quality of education she is receiving, to the people who are surrounding her, to the way in which she is now talking about her future, her entire mindset and goals have changed and grown. She is going to go so far, and there is no way I could have funded this alone, so THANK YOU!

Money Sent!!

2011-08-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that Andrielis' FULL YEAR of school has been funded and sent! Her total year's tuition including registration fees (with the rise in fees the school had this year) came to 43,250 Dominican pesos which is $1124.52. I had fundraised a total of $1150 so the leftover went to paying the fees that Western Union charges to send money. Thankfully, a friend in the Dominican offered to pay for Andrielis' uniform, so the money that I raised covered everything!

Sonia is going to pick up the money on Monday and go to register Andrielis at her new school. Her uniform has already been purchased and after Monday, her entire year will be paid to the school and we will be sent a receipt.

Now, I need to finish fundraising for her brothers, and begin thinking about next year. I will need about $1400 next year to cover school fees and new school supplies/shoes/possibly a new uniform if she needs it. But for now, I am just THRILLED that this year is covered and that in a few weeks, she will begin at her new school!

Photos

2011-08-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

Andrielis is her new school uniform! I am just so excited to see where this new education path takes her, and seeing her in her beautiful new uniform makes it so real. Note the new shoes as well!

Andrielis and her parents

Andrielis and her stepdad

Sonia and Juan, cutest couple I know

Happy Birthday, Andrielis!

2011-08-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today is Andrielis' birthday. She is turning 15 years old.

Happy Birthday, Andrielis!!

I was talking to her this morning, and she tells me that her math exam went well. She has another tomorrow. She was also crying because she isn't having a birthday party. There isn't enough money. I made the tough decision not to send money for her to have a birthday party. It wasn't easy, as I don't like hearing that she is upset, but it also something I want to stand by. I need to keep my focus on education. I am still several hundred dollars away (about $900) from meeting the boys' tuition needs this year. Once all the tuitions are paid for, I can invest in furthering their education; setting up a fund for future years, increasing their number of tutoring hours each week, etc. I went through something similar at Christmas, where they kept hinting that they wanted me to send money to pay for a Christmas celebration. At the time, this would have meant less money for their lessons, as I am already donating a significant amount myself, and didn't have any more to give. It would mean taking money away from the Education Fund and giving it, instead, to their holidays.

So on one hand, I want to encourage their self sustainability, and not create a reliance on me. But on the other, it is a struggle. I want to support them, but I have to draw the line somewhere. Sending money for Andrielis' birthday today would mean having to send it later for the birthdays of the boys. Or, it would cause hurt feelings because I hadn't send money a few months ago for Andy's birthday. I know Andrielis is upset with me, and disappointed that she is not having a party. I really feel my own privelege in times like this. I never had to worry about whether or not my parents could afford a birthday party. They always could, without a doubt.

Despite me not sending money, I do hope that Andrielis has a happy birthday, and I am sending her my love from up in Canada! I hope she will find a way to have fun and celebrate without needing a lot of money.

Update: Talked to them on the phone this evening (prior communication was through text)- called to wish Andrielis a happy birthday. She said she understood why I couldn't send money all the time, and Sonia agreed when I said the boys would be hurt if I sent money for Andrielis' birthday when I hadn't for thiers. Andrielis seemed very happy and said she is having a great day!

Math Exam Tomorrow

2011-08-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Andrielis' lessons are going well, and her national exam is coming up quickly, starting with her math exam tomorrow morning at 8am. They were learning prepositions at camp, so they went over those, and she knew them well. they also wrote out song lyrics for english songs she was learning, and went over body parts and question phrases. Andrielis told Caitlin that if she had english camp year-round, she would learn English very quickly.

This week they focuses mostly on math, as this is the subject Andrielis struggles most with and that will provide the most problems for her exam. They went over the number line, adding and subtracting negatives, multiplication tables that she still has yet to memorize, and adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions.

Andrielis' uniform has been purchased. I will try to arrange to get a photo soon!

Registration

2011-07-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

The new school is now open for registration! Andrielis' national exam is still 2 weeks away, but there are steps we are going to take during those 2 weeks. We figure that worst case scenario- even if Andrielis' fails her exams, they will accept her to do grade 8 again. Hopefully that won't be the case, and she has been working hard and studying.

First, they are going to buy a uniform. The costs are below, and this has been fully funded. This is in pesos, and it comes to about $65 Canadian. Andrielis' stepdad has offered to pay for her book bag and school supplies. I am so proud of this decision. They know I would have covered it, but they want to be involved too, and they want to take ownership over this, which I think is fantastic.
white dress shirt - 299
red tie - 105
navy blue skirt - 190
black dress shoes and white socks - 895
white t-shirt with school logo for gym class - 270
red skirt with shorts inside - 190
white tennis shoes and red socks - 525

Next up they have to register. Below are the forms they will need, and Sonia is busy trying to prepare this.
1. some sort of form of the solicitation of reservation..the school must give this to be filled out.
2. original birth certificate
3. oficial medical certificate
4. two 2x2 fotos
5. report card from last year
6. letter of conduct from their academic institution last year
7. receipt of the paid registration
8. copy of their vaccination cards
9. passed admission exam (which we think is the evaluation...)

Next, we will pay the registration fee and the tuition. I can either pay monthly (on the 10th of every month), or we just found out it is an option to pay the full year up front and get a 10% discount! I won't be able to do this for the boys, as I am still fundraising for their full tuition, but Andrielis is all funded, so I think I will do this option to make it easier, and cheaper. Prices may have changed slightly from last school year, so I will know the final amount needed for her tuition soon, when Sonia goes to hand in the forms.

After that, Andrielis will be good to go!! She will be able to start at her new private school and receive a much better education that she had been getting before. So exciting!!

Cambia Mis Estrellas

2011-07-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

Caitlin, Andrielis' tutor, has been running a summer camp called Cambia Mis Estrellas (change my stars). It is every weekday morning, and Andrielis and her brothers have been attending. Sonia was also hired on by Caitlin to work at the camp, which she is super excited about. This is an english immersion camp and has been great for Andrielis. Caitlin notes that she is much more comfortable using english that she is learning at camp. They also have signs with the words written around the camp, so she is familiar with spelling the words she is learning there. They did fruits and colours last week and body parts and clothes this week. Next week they are getting more into phrases.

Andrielis was back at Conani clinic volunteering this Thursday and noted that she sat in on a consultation where the nurse did acupuncture, which she had never heard of before. Money has been sent for Andrielis' uniform (thank you Kate!) and they are going uniform shopping tomorrow. I will have a photo soon. A book has also been delivered to her, so hopefully that will help with her literacy skills. It is a Ramona and Beezus book in spanish.

In the photo Andy is not pictured, but Andrielis is in the camo capris, Yoandi is in the grey shirt doing the bunny ears, and Sonia is at the back in the black and white stripes.

English Camp

2011-07-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

Andrielis is doing great! Her exams have been switched to the beginning of August, so we have time to work with her. Caitlin, her tutor, is running an english immersion summer camp and Andrielis and her brothers are able to attend! It started this week and is every weekday morning from 8-12. She is much more motivated to learn english and seems more excited about it, being around the volunteers and being more immersed. It has only been a few days since it started, but I am excited to hear about her progress. Also excited because her mom, Sonia, has been selected by Caitlin to work at the camp! She keeps telling me how excited she is to have this job, and I know that finding work is always a stress for her, so I am thrilled.

This week Andrielis' lesson went great, as she seemed more motivated after the morning of english camp. They went over questions like; what is your name? How old are you? What is your favorite color? What is your favorite fruit? and Andrielis would answer using full answers in english. (They are working on colours and fruits at camp). Caitlin got on her a bit about throwing uppercase letters into the middle of a sentence. They did the same review they have been doing for the past several weeks, but this time focused more on spanish - english translation. Usually, Caitlin writes a given phrase or vocab word in english and Andrielis will say what it is in Spanish- recognizing the english word. Now, they are working more on getting her to use those words, so translating from Spanish to English.

Exam Postponed

2011-06-29T07:57:00.001-07:00

Andrielis' national exam has been postponed! I am still not really clear on why, but I am just relieved at this point as it will give her more time to study. It will be in August.

Andrielis went with her mom to Santa Rose de Lima for her evaluation. She said it was easy. They tested her IQ a variety of questions while Sonia waited in another room. I am not sure whether/when we will get results or when the next step - registration - is but I am going to look into this.

Her lessons are going well and with the exam coming up, they are focusing less on english and more on math, Andrielis' weakest subject. It is a good thing that the exam was postponed because Caitlin let me know that if it was last week, Andrielis likely wouldn't have passed the math portion. Caitlin went through an old exam with her, asking quetions. They did a bit of science, reviewing velocity and then a formula for acceleration. They went over the number line and adding and subtracting negative and positions numbers. They haven't begun working on multiplying and dividing negative and positive numbers yet, although taht will be next. They also did fractions, adding and subtracting fractions, writing coordinates from looking at points, etc. She does well with her times tables when they do them in order, but when tested randomly she forgets.

The following week they went back to English for a lesson and she was a bit rusty but did well. They did 20 minutes of math review and the rest was english. She went over the verbs, then did pronounce/verb phrases in Spanish to be translated to english, then went over question phrases English to Spanish. She doesn't have them all memorized yet. They worked on putting verbs in the negative form using don't/do not. Lastly, she was quizzed on vocab; body parts, time words, etc, which she did well at.

I sent several easy English books a few months ago, so Andrielis is now bringing those to class and they are working on reading through them. Things are definitely progressing slowly but surely!

In other news, a friend is visiting the DR and leaving on Saturday, and will be delivering Spanish chapter books to the kids for me, which I am excited about and which I hope will improve their reading/writing.

Lastly, the full $1200 needed for Andrielis' school year has been raised!! A huge thank you to Kate who donated the final amount needed for her uniform. We did go off the school fees for last year, so there is a small chance they may raise them for the coming year, but if now, Andrielis is fundraised for and now I just need to worry about the boys!

Crunch Time

2011-06-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

The full update on Andrielis is coming soon, but I got a quick email today. Andrielis had a 2 hour lesson today. Her lessons are every tuesday, but since her national exam is next monday, next week's lesson will be held tomorrow, to give her more study time before the big test. I may pay another $20 to squeeze in one more lesson this week as well.

I am worried. It became apparant today that Andrielis doesn't know any of her times tables... she can't add or subtract positive and negative numbers, doesn't know fractions, etc. She told Caitlin not to tell Sonia because she will get hit. She also says math is her worst subject, but still, this is worrisome with her exam less than one week away. This exam will determine whether she can go on to secondary school.

More updates coming later this week after her second lesson, but from my end I know I will be sending Andrielis nightly texts making sure she is studying, and I am hopeful that Caitlin's study sessions with her will be helpful. 6 days until the big test!

Also, thank you to the amazing person who donated $45 towards Andrielis' uniform! I need just $50 to cover school supplies, and then her entire year is funded! Plus, if anyone is interested, I am hoping to pay $20 to squeeze in one more 2-hour cram session this week. Thank you!

HIV Lesson 3

2011-06-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Andrielis’ national exam is quickly approaching on June 20th. This exam will determine whether she can pass into secondary school. Her school has been offering study sessions on Saturday for 500 pesos. She hadn’t been attending, so I sent the money for her to go this weekend. Her study skills are not good and I am nervous for her. I think she needs this extra session in order to pass.

The week before last Andrielis really did a great job in her lesson. She had studied the verbs and knew them well. Her study skills are very weak, so this is a huge triumph for her. They began with Part 3 of the HIV lessons, which took the first hour. It was focused around HIV/AIDS in the Dominican Republic. Some of it went over her head (I need to work on finding more age appropriate materials in Spanish, but it is difficult to find) but it sparked some great conversation. She seems to really look forward to the health lessons and it inspires a different way of thinking. As part of the work, I posed a question: what is the solution? She didn’t know (understandably) but it led to a great conversation between her and Caitlin about sex ed in school, empowerment, vulnerable people, etc. She said she gets about 2 quick sex ed lessons in school each year and how it should be more. She shared stories about teenage female family members who are in relationships with older men and how the families are being torn about by these relationships. So Caitlin made some connections for her and talked about how family values and relationships need to be prioritized to stop the spread of HIV. They also talked about prostitution and vulnerable people/kids at risk. The word “vulnerable” was new to Andrielis and they talked about how poverty is a big thing that makes people vulnerable and with lack of resources and guidance and education, they can become really vulnerable.

The second hour was spent quizzing on the verbs (which she knew) and then making sentences using the verbs to try to get her speaking in full sentences in English. They also began working on question sentences, which had been too difficult for her earlier on, but which she is tackling now. The week after was a repeat of all these things; verbs, verb sentences, question sentences, etc.

This week was review, and she did well. She has the question sentences down better, but still struggles with verb sentences. She knew the body parts but had a hard time writing them down in English (but can say them verbally). She is not very confident and is always embarrassed to make an effort without looking, etc. Funny story- Caitlin wrote “Partes del Cuerpo” (parts of the body) on Andrielis’ page, and Andrielis had to translate it to English. She wrote “Parts of thy Baby”!!

Andrielis showed Caitlin her school shoes with large holes in them, and said they were the fourth pair she has gone through this year and that she is embarrassed to go to school in them. They cost about 300 or 400 pesos, so I guess when they don’t have large amounts of money at a time, they buy the cheap stuff, even though it breaks and they will have to purchase another pair soon after. The last donation I need for Andrielis’ school year is for the cost need for her uniform, school supplies, and new school shoes, so if you are able to help with, please see the Chip In on the sidebar. $95 is needed.

Next week Caitlin will be doing a study session with Andrielis for her national exam, which is on June 20th. I have been texting Andrielis a lot and reminding her to study, but she hasn’t really developed study skills, so I am nervous for her. Hopefully this session with Caitlin will help, and the one with her school on Saturday. Next week Caitlin will also be taking Andrielis and her brothers to the new school for their evaluations.

Preemie Ward

2011-05-31T08:54:00.001-07:00

Andrielis has been doing well, and her interest in the medical field is really growing. She has been volunteering weekly at the Conani Clinic, and a friend of mine recently took her to the local hospital as well, so she could visit the pediatrics ward. They visited the infants, bigger kids, and preemies, giving out juice and visiting. There were 7 preemies including one that was only 2 pounds; Andrielis was in heaven in this room! The nurse was struggling, and said that when more than one is hungry, she can't manage and they simply have to wait. More hands are definitely needed, and Andrielis is eager to learn. The nurse is going to talk to Ana, who is in charge, and see if Andrielis can get permission to help feed, which she was super excited about. They (Andrielis and the nurse, Ydania) exchanged contact information so that Andrielis can contact her directly in case my friend isn't able to go, so that she doesn't have to rely on her and can go independantly. I am so excited for her about this, and grateful to Cathy for facilitating it!

Her lessons are also going well. They spent a lot of time going over the 10 verbs and verb phrases. When she was tested, she only knew 2, so she is having a hard time understanding them. They studied them in different ways; translating spanish to english, english to spanish, using a word bank, etc. She had done her homework (writing in her journal about volunteering) and did well except for continuing with run-on sentences. This time she used some periods, but would start the next sentence with "y" (and) and with no capital.

National Exam Coming Up!

2011-05-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

Next step for Andrielis at school is her national grade 8 exam, which is in July. School ends June 13th and then she will study. If she passes this exam, she can go to high school. After that (crossing my fingers that it goes well) she will register, pay registration fees, purchase uniform and school supplies, and start school August 16th! I admit I am a bit nervous for her exams. She is a smart girl but her school is just so awful. She was telling Caitlin this week how most of the school day the teachers just relax. Her school is a joke. When I visited I didn't see any work getting done. Andrielis' spelling is quite bad and she said that even in school, she never reads. (Thankfully I have gotten my hands on some Spanish chapter books and will be sending those down in the summer). Her school is going to start holding study sessions every Saturday for 500 pesos. I really want to see her pass, so will be pushing hard for her to study a lot leading up to the exam.

Her lesson this week went well. Sonia requested that she start getting homework, so now it is going to be her homework to write in her journal after each time she goes to the clinic, to free up time in the lesson and to have her practice her writing skills. She spent part of the lesson this week writing about last week's clinic experience, and she did fine but it was all one long run-on sentence. She wrote about how she cut gauze, filled in patient information in the book, and watched as a mother brought in her sick 1 month old daughter. Then Caitlin wrote the 10 verbs in english and Andrielis translated them to spanish (which she finds easier than doing the other way around, as they normally do). They did pronouns, and then pronouns plus verbs which she found very difficult, so that took time breaking down. They did review of body parts and food vocab which she did very well on, so she just needs to really work on those verbs. She hadn't studied at all this week, saying her washing machine broke and she was washing clothes a lot this week. She seems to have excuses like this often. I shouldn't say excuses because she isn't making them up... I guess barriers is a better word. She often has barriers like this that prevent her from studying more often; getting sick, having to do chores, etc. She has to learn to work on time management so that she can fit in studying. I know she has the time, it is just a matter of training herself to use some of her spare time to study, which is something she isn't used to.

I am going to be in Uganda from May 14-28. I will be somewhat on email, and will be in touch with Caitlin about the kids and how their lessons are going, but likely won't have time to update the blog until I get back. You can read about my trip at www.onetinystarfish.blogspot.com It would be amazing if, by the time I got back, the two current greatest need was filled. It is:

Andrielis' Uniform, Books, and School Supplies:

The Facts of HIV

2011-05-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last week Andrielis' 2 hour lesson got split up with the first hour early in the week and the second hour on Friday. I already wrote about her first hour, and the second hour consisted of finishing up her journal on the clinic and doing the HIV/AIDS Part 2 lesson, which you can read HERE. She handled the parts that could have been uncomfortable (talking about how it is transmitted sexually) maturely and seemed to have a better understanding of it this time around than she did for the first lesson, grasping the difference between HIV and AIDS, etc. In the clinic, she has been learning how to fill in the big book with patient information.

In Andrielis' lesson this week they did two songs about body parts and food, and focused on writing these words down in english. Andrielis is struggling with english phonetics and sounding out english words. Like she will see the word "head" written down and will know it is a body part but will guess "toes" or something quite off. Continuing to work through these lessons slowly and consistently will help with that though.

They also did review of the words she forgets most often- who, what, when, week, year, month, time, etc. The "time" vocabulary. And then continued to study and test on the 10 english verbs they are working on.

Sonia and Juan (stepfather) are both looking for work. Sonia is thinking about making and selling jewelry to tourists. Juan will be headed back to sea soon as he is a fisherman. It is a dangerous job and he is gone for long periods of time. I wish there was a way I could support them without them becoming dependant and reliant on me, but I can't think of a good way to do that that really empowers them, rather than leads them to rely on me, and plus, I still have $1420 to raise for the kids' school, so that is my focus.

There is a Chip In button on the sidebar for $155 to cover Andrielis' uniform and school supplies for the year. The date is quickly approaching in which I will need to purchase this so please consider helping! As you can tell from this post, lots of amazing things are happening in Andrielis' life and her future is looking brighter and brighter!

Thank You St. Louis Community School!

2011-05-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to Brooklyn Potter and all the students at St. Louis Community School. They have been selling necklaces to raise money for Andrielis' tuition. A friend of mine visited Andrielis' house and took this video of Andrielis saying "Thank you Brooklyn and St. Louis Community School". This makes me laugh everytime I watch it, it is just so cute. You can tell how nervous she is and her eyes get so big. She was quite scared to speak on camera to a bunch of Canadians! They had to write down her "script" on the chalkboard so she could read off it. Too cute! Thank you to this school for supporting Andrielis! It continually amazes and inspires me how supportive young people can be. These high school students are giving up their time and money to help someone their age, a world away, go to school. Amazing.

Here she is practicing with her amazing tutor, Caitlin!

New Photos!

2011-04-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a friend, Crystal, I just some new photos of the family this week! I am told some letters are in the mail and video is coming soon. They are looking great! Andrielis has her lesson this week on two separate days (an hour on Wednesday and an hour on Friday). On Friday they focused on the HIV/AIDS lesson, but I haven't gotten an update on how that went yet. On Wednesday they did a review of all the english words she has learned so far, focusing on the 10 verbs. Then they worked on writing skills as she wrote in her journal about her experiences volunteering in the clinic last week.

Working on their new chalkboard, April 2011

The kids, April 2011

Andrielis, April 2011

Andi, April 2011

Yoandi, April 2011

The family, April 2011

The kids with their tutor, Caitlin, and her son

Andrielis being silly!

Sonia

Andrielis

Conani Clinic

2011-04-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Andrielis has had another session of volunteering at the local Conani clinic and she is loving it! I am so proud of her, and think this opportunity can really open doors for her. Again, she was able to help find medications, and helped to check out 6 patients with giving them their medications and vitamins. The doctor said that Andrielis is a huge help for her!

Another friend of mine who lives in the Dominican will be taking Andrielis to the local hospital after the holidays to volunteer in the pediatrics wing. There are lots of more severe health cases here (malnutrition, many preemie babies, etc.) that she will see and get to learn about.

What is most interesting to me is the way that she has been talking about it. She talks about trying to go to her cousins' house more often to use their computer to study, and she has taken it upon herself to spend more hours at the clinic on a day that she didn't have school.

Between this volunteering opportunity, going to a better school in the fall, and having the tutoring sessions, Andrielis is already on such a better track educationally, and by volunteering her time, it is a way for her to 'work' for the tutoring that is being given to her; hand up rather than hand out. I can't wait to see where she takes this and what she learns from it!

Andrielis won't have a lesson this Tuesday, as she will be in Santiago visiting her aunt for the holidays.

Santa Rosa De Lima

2011-04-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

The family had a talk and decided that it would be best for all 3 kids to go to the same school. Since Andy wasn't accepted at San Jose, but was accepted at a different private school, Santa Rosa de Lima, Sonia felt it will be best to send all three kids here. It is not as good of a school as San Jose, but I want to respect her wishes and so that is where the kids will go. It is still a very good school, and I am told it is the oldest school in the city.

This school is $90/month plus $145 registration for high school (updated* previous costs had been for the boys' primary school). At ten months of school, this costs $1045, plus books and uniforms, so I will aim to raise $1200 for Andrielis. They said to bring them in after Semana Santa and they will talk more about what documents they need, etc. This is considerably less expensive than San Jose, so I will have less to fundraise (big sigh of relief there).

In other news, Andrielis started volunteering at the clinic last week! She goes every Thursday and was so proud to tell me how she was allowed to find medications and how they are teaching her how to fill out patient information. I am SO thrilled and SO proud of her! I think this opportunity will change her future and put her in a really good atmosphere for learning.

In her latest lesson, Andrielis wasn't feeling good and pushed through the lesson without leaving early, although she did have to make a few bathroom trips, poor girl. Caitlin taught her a song in english, which teaches the names of some foods, and then they worked in her journal. Every week after Andrielis goes to the clinic, it will be her homework to journal about it. Since this was the first week, Caitlin helped Andrielis set it up and helped her work through the first entry. This will be a good way for her to track what she learns and at the same time, work on her writing and spelling.

World Health Day

2011-04-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Today, April 7, is World Health Day.

Imagine living on a beach that is covered in garbage. Sewage from the outhouses of neighbouring communities washes up right in front of your house, and as your kids play outside (often barefoot) they risk infection from all the filth and bacteria. Twice in the past two years your kids have been hospitalized with infection from the unsanitary conditions. You are unemployed, and your husband works as a fisherman, not bringing in much money, so these hospital visits are pricy and always a struggle. The kids, aside from emergencies, never have health or dental checkups.

This is the life of Sonia, the mother of Andi, Andrielis, and Yoandi. Andrielis, at age 14, wants to be a nurse when she grows up. Through the private tutoring we have sponsored her to do, she is learning about health. Right now she is studying HIV/AIDS; reading a case study on treatment in Mozambique, and learning the facts (and myths) about the disease.

Andrielis, thankfully, is in good health. But the threat of illness is always a scare for her family. When she and her siblings were young, Sonia left on a short trip to visit her mother, leaving the kids with their father (who later split from their mother and has now passed away). When Sonia came back, all three young kids were very ill. Sonia wanted to take them to the hospital, but the kids’ father became abusive and wouldn’t allow it, threatening Sonia with a knife. Aside from the high costs of medical treatment, there are so many barriers to health that prevent families like Andrielis’ from seeking treatment.

Ironically, with it being World Health Day, today is also the day that Andrielis begins volunteering in the local health clinic, run by Conani. She went last Thursday to meet the doctor, who she said was very nice, and the doctor confirmed that Andrielis can come every Thursday from 2-4 to observe, help with minor things, etc. Andrielis is very excited, and so am I! I think this will be a great connection for her, and a good atmosphere for her to be in.

I need $1680 for Andrielis to go to private school next year. I have raised $680 so far, so $1000 more is needed. If you are inspired by World Health Day, and want to empower a young girl to become a nurse in her future, considering donating to Andrielis’ Education Fund.

Also, THURS - SUNDAY only... 100% of proceeds from Blogs For A Cause are going to Andrielis! If you have been thinking about getting a blog design, now is the time! Go to http://madebynikki.blogspot.com/and email me!

English Test: 68%

2011-04-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

On Monday Andrielis went to tour Colegio San Jose, the private school she will hopefully start at in the fall. She will have an evaluation soon, but all seems good for her to start and she loves the school. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as if they will accept Andi, due to his age, and they are not sure about Yoandi. I inquired about the grades that Andrielis gets in school, and her mom confirmed that it is usually between 70-90%.

During her lesson, Andrielis first went through some verbs in english; to go, to know, to do, to make, to be, to be able to, to need, to want, to like. Caitlin then made a list of all the words Andrielis has learned so far. She wrote them in spanish, and gave Andrielis a test by writing the english translation. Andrielis scored 68%.

First Health Lesson

2011-04-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

Andrielis has been studying hard and has almost all of the vocab down. She will have a test next week on everything so far to confirm how much she remembers. Last week Caitlin did the first lesson on HIV/AIDS with her (Mozambique article). Andrielis was hesitant reading, which Caitlin thought was strange as she reads quite well. The article touches on statistics, percentages, geography, etc. She wasn't very familiar with decimals or percentages and knew nothing about georgraphy. She had never heard of continents before and couldn't point out which direction was north. Her school had never taught any of this, which is sad. She knew what HIV/AIDS and knew it is an STD but didn't know much about it. She was very interested in Mozambique, Doctors Without Borders, etc.

We have been working for months trying to organize a volunteer placement for Andrielis. We tried the nursing home, which she enjoyed, but I didn't feel like it gave her the experience she really needed. A good friend who lives in the DR connected us with a doctor at the Conani clinic, who was thrilled that Andrielis wanted to volunteer. She will get to learn from the doctor, watch what is going on, help with minor things, etc. She will go every Thursday from 2-4, starting next week, and she is VERY excited!

Lastly, Caitlin went to Colegio San Jose, the school we have decided to enroll Andrielis in. It is a very good private school with a strong reputation. Andrielis is going to visit on Monday and then will have an evaluation. The tuition is higher than I had expected: registration fee of $187 and $149 monthly. At ten months of school, this will come to about $1680 for the year. I am going to have Caitlin confirm that it is 10 months I will need to pay for, and how often payment is made. I only have $280 raised so far, so I am quite desperate for donations!

Nursing Home

2011-03-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

Andrielis told Caitlin in a home visit that she wants to be a nurse when she grows up. I was really pleased to hear that and want to begin encouraging this interest, both in her classes with Caitlin and outside of class. I have been working on developing lesson plans for Caitlin to incorporate into their classes that teach Andrielis about health on a global scale. Using information from Medicos Sin Fronteras (Doctors Without Borders' Spanish program) I have been creating material that will allow her to read (in Spanish) about different health crises, and learn new health vocabulary in English.

Andrielis also has begun volunteering at a local nursing home. She went today for the first time, with her mother, and enjoyed it. When I asked her what she did, she said she played with the elderly, combed their hair, and was happy. I told her how proud of her I am and how I bet the women she spent time with are very happy because of her. I hope that this helps to instill compassion, and as she continues to go, more knowledge of what a nurse's roles are.

Home Visit

2011-02-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

Andrielis and her mother were in a motoconcho accident this weekend. After a short time in the hospital they are fine, aside from some gashes and bruises. It is Andrielis' leg that was hurt.

Last week Caitlin went to have a home visit with Andrielis, her mother, and brothers. She brought a chalkboard and chalk that I had paid for so the family can use it to study at home, which they liked. Caitlin is starting lessons with the boys now too, as I found a sponsor for them, so they were all excited to sit down and talk about their education. You can read about the boys HERE. Andrielis told Caitlin she wants to be either a nurse or a flight attendant. We are going to encourage her interest in nursing by having her volunteer, likely at a local nursing home but we are still discussing the details. Caitlin talked with Sonia and gave her ideas of ways she can help Andrielis study, as Andrielis has been struggling with studying on her own and her mom didn't know how to help, given that she doesn't speak english. They worked on some tools so that Sonia will be able to help her.

Andrielis' lessons are going much better and it was clear that she had been using the chalkboard and her mom to help her study. They reviewed everything in her book that they have worked on so far and she had a much better grasp of it. She still forgets punctuation and instead of capitalizing correct letters, she will stick capitals randomly through a sentence, so they worked on that, and looked through some books to show Andrielis the proper way of punctuation. They also talked about conjugating verbs, as Andrielis didn't realize she did this in Spanish as it came naturally to her, so she now has a better grasp of how to conjugate "to be" in english, as that is the verb they are currently working on.

Yo Puedo

2011-02-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

The public school system in the DR is very weak and kids like Andrielis get passed through the grades lazily. As an example, Andrielis is in grade 8 and when she writes, she doesn't use punctuation or capitalize the first word in a sentence. Caitlin is working with her on erasing these habits. She also struggles with studying. Being in the environment that she is in, studying her english every day is a challenge, and we are working on ways to mitigate this and for Andrielis to learn ways that will make this easier- like having her mom help her, saying a word in Spanish and getting her to translate it to English.

She is now doing very well with numbers and is able to translate large numbers in the thousands. When she struggles, she says aloud "Yo puedo" (I can) to encourage herself. She is now working through the lyrics of Coolio's Gangasta's Paradise. She is learning new vocab having to do with time (yesterday, tomorrow, week, weekend, month, year, what time is it, it is 5:00, etc.)

Education Through Music

2011-01-20T07:22:00.000-08:00

I was able to write a guest post on Baby Blog Addict about Andrielis; hopefully this helps to spread the word. Click HERE to read it.

Andrielis has been sick the past week, but was feeling better by Tuesday to go to her lesson. The last half hour of the lesson Caitlin is not dedicating to teaching through music, something that Andrielis initiated. Her current favourite song is Justin Bieber's "Baby", so they went over what the lyrics mean, and Andrielis loved learning this way!

2011-01-14T07:22:00.000-08:00

Andrielis spent a lot of time studying for her lesson this week, and has been doing well. In addition to what they already learned, they have added question words (who, what, where, when why, how, which, how much, how many). She is working on learning how to write them as well, as her writing skills are far behind her oral skills.

A friend of mine was in the DR for 2 weeks and went to visit the family for me with a package of english books for the kids. They are doing well, studying hard, and were very excited to get the books and a letter, and hear about how many people are coming together in Canada to support Andrielis' education.

2011-01-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

Andrielis has had 2 english classes so far and is progressing. Her english level at the beginning was very minimal with only a few phrases (Good morning, good night, good afternoon, hello, how are you, I am fine, what's up, what's your name, my name is, come on, please, thank you, thank you very much, 1-29). She learned a few new phrases in the first class including What time is it, I am here, come here, and you're welcome. She also worked on pronouns, pronunciation, and writing as she did not know how to write any of these phrases. In the second lesson they did review, and the verbs ser/estar. Caitlin spoke with Andrielis about studying hard so that the lessons will be less review and more about learning new phrases and words.

2010-12-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

Made arrangements with Caitlin to tutor Andrielis in english. Made payment for the first week. This will be $20/week and will include a 2 hour private english session with Caitlin. This fee also covers Andrielis' transportation cost to the school where she will meet Caitlin.

2010-12-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

Caitlin, a NGO worker from the USA living in the DR, took Andrielis and her mother Sonia to the private school for a tour. The staff said they will evaluate Andrielis in June to see if her english levels are good enough to be accepted to this school. If they are, she can go.

Caitlin said: "They seemed really up to the challenge of preparing for the school. Andrielis seems so confident. The woman who gave us the tour showed her a math book and said, see it's a book from the U.S., everything is in English, all of the commands, everything. I might be reading too much into the way Andrielis looked when she heard this but I felt like she was a little intimidated at first but then looked back up like, okay, bring it on. Sonia said that one always has to say, "I can". I got to introduce her to some teachers that she'll have too if she does go there."

2010-11-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

Home evaluation with Andrielis and her family. Her brothers are quite behind educationally, but Andrielis is on track and eager to learn more. Her mother, Sonia, said it would help to have a home library for Andrielis and her brothers to have reading material. Brought up the idea of sending Andrielis to a private school next year, and the idea was very well received.

HIV/AIDS in Mozambique

2010-03-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

The first lesson for Andrielis, taken from THIS POST on MSF's website. It focuses on HIV/AIDS in Mozambique. Its purpose with Andrielis is to introduce her to MSF, HIV/AIDS, and the work of Doctors Without Borders.

27.09.2010
MSF implementa un nuevo modelo comunitario de tratamiento del VIH en Mozambique
En el país hay menos de cinco médicos por cada 100.000 habitantes y un 11,5% de la población adulta tiene VIH/Sida

© Niklas Bergstrand

En las áreas rurales de Mozambique, los centros de salud son escasos y están lejos unos de otros. Estas terribles circunstancias hicieron que MSF considerara la necesidad de optimizar los escasos recursos que existen y empoderar a los pacientes para que entre ellos se den apoyo.

En el proyecto de VIH/Sida de MSF en el distrito de Tete, al norte de Mozambique, los pacientes están divididos en grupos de unas seis personas que viven cerca unas de otras. Cada mes, el grupo elige una persona para que vaya al centro de salud y recoja las hojas de control del tratamiento. A su regreso, el representante distribuye los medicamentos antirretrovirales a los otros miembros del grupo y confirma que hayan estado tomando sus medicinas correctamente, de modo que esa información pueda ser reenviada al centro de salud.

“Este modelo ha reducido considerablemente la carga de trabajo de los servicios de salud, ya que menos pacientes necesitan hacer cola para recoger sus medicamentos”, explica Tom Decroo, referente médico de MSF en Tete. “Este sistema tiene el potencial de facilitar la ampliación del tratamiento con antirretrovirales, que se requiere de forma urgente en un lugar como Mozambique, dónde sólo una de cada tres personas que necesita tratamiento lo recibe”.

El modelo también ha sido simplificado para los pacientes en áreas remotas, ya que sólo tienen que pagar por el transporte del líder elegido por el grupo y no necesitan sacrificar cada uno de ellos un día de trabajo para desplazarse hasta el centro de salud. Una ventaja adicional es que hace posible que los miembros del grupo se apoyen entre ellos para superar los problemas relacionados con el estigma asociado al VIH/Sida.

“El modelo de Grupo Comunitario de Tratamiento Antirretroviral es bueno para todos los pacientes”, dice Margarida Smith, líder de uno de los grupos de pacientes. “Venimos juntos y nos apoyamos mutuamente. Antes muchos pacientes no tenían dinero suficiente para pagar su propio viaje, por lo que algunos dejaron de tomar sus medicinas y murieron”.

Vocabulary in English

Doctors Without Borders: Médicos Sin Fronteras

health: salud

patient: paciente

medicine: medicina

HIV/AIDS: VIH/SIDA

Teaching Points:

What is MSF? Médicos Sin Fronteras, known as Doctors Without Borders in English, is an international medical organization providing help in 60 countries around the world.

What is HIV/AIDS: A sexually transmitted disease that affects the immune system.

Where is Mozambique? Southeast Africa

HIV/AIDS: The Facts

2010-03-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

Lesson #2, and Part 2 of the HIV/AIDS lessons. The original article can be found HERE. Andrielis has already been introduced to HIV/AIDS with a real-life story, now she is going to learn the basic facts.

10 datos básicos sobre el VIH/SIDA

© UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0053/Christine Nesbitt

1) El SIDA es causado por el VIH.

El SIDA es causado por el VIH, el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana, que ataca el sistema inmunológico del organismo. Las personas que tienen SIDA se debilitan progresivamente debido a que sus organismos pierden la capacidad de resistir las enfermedades, y a la larga mueren. El VIH/SIDA es incurable.

2) El período de incubación del SIDA puede durar hasta diez años.

Desde la infección con el VIH hasta la aparición del SIDA pueden transcurrir hasta 10 años. Esto implica que las personas infectadas con el VIH pueden parecer y sentirse saludables durante muchos años, y sin embargo pueden estar contagiándo el virus a otras personas. Aunque los nuevos tratamientos con medicamentos pueden ayudar a que la persona infectada se mantenga en buen estado de salud por períodos más prolongados, el afectado seguirá teniendo el VIH, y seguirá siendo un agente de contagio del VIH.

3) El VIH se contagia mediante los humores orgánicos.

El VIH se contagia debido al contacto con cualquier humor orgánico infectado con el VIH. La transmisión del virus puede ocurrir en cualquiera de las etapas de la infección o la enfermedad. El virus VIH puede estar presente en cualquiera de los siguientes humores: la sangre, el semen (y el fluido emitido antes de la eyaculación), la secreción vaginal, la leche humana.

4) La forma más frecuente de contagio del VIH se debe al contacto sexual.

La forma más frecuente de contagio del VIH es de índole sexual. Eso se debe a que durante el acto sexual se combinan los humores orgánicos de los participantes y el virus puede pasar de un organismo al otro, especialmente cuando existen lesiones en los tejidos vaginales u anales, heridas u otras enfermedades venéreas. Las niñas son especialmente vulnerables al contagio del VIH debido a que sus membranas vaginales son más delgadas que las de las mujeres maduras, y por lo tanto corren un mayor riesgo de infectarse.

5) Las personas con enfermedades venéreas corren más peligro de contraer el VIH/SIDA.

Las personas con enfermedades venéreas corren más riesgo de contagiarse el VIH/SIDA y de contagiar su infección a otros. Esas personas deberían recibir tratamiento médico y evitar los contactos sexuales, o realizar prácticas sexuales sin riesgos (como los contactos sexuales sin penetración o el uso de condones), así como informar a sus parejas de su condición.

6) Es posible reducir el peligro de contagio del VIH/SIDA.

Es posible disminuir el riesgo de transmisión sexual del VIH/SIDA si las personas se abstienen de las relaciones sexuales; si los integrantes de parejas que no están infectadas sólo tienen contactos sexuales entre ellos, o si mantienen relaciones sexuales más seguras, ya sea sin penetración o con la protección de un condón. Pero la única manera de prevenir el contagio del VIH por vía sexual es mediante la abstención absoluta de todo contacto sexual.

7) Las personas que se inoculan drogas corren mayor peligro de contraer el VIH/SIDA.

El contagio del VIH también se puede producir si se corta o perfora la piel con una aguja, jeringa, navaja de afeitar u otro instrumento cortante o punzante que no esté esterilizado. Quienes se inyectan drogas o mantienen relaciones sexuales con consumidores de drogas inyectables corren alto riesgo de contagio del VIH/SIDA. Además, el consumo de drogas altera el criterio de las personas y puede ser causa de comportamientos riesgosos, como las actividades sexuales sin protección.

8) Para obtener orientación y para hacerte la prueba del VIH, acude a un agente sanitario o a un centro especializado en el VIH/SIDA.

Todos los que sospechen que pueden estar contagiados con el VIH deberían ponerse en contacto con un agente sanitario o acudir a un centro de VIH/SIDA para poder recibir orientación y hacerse el examen del VIH con carácter confidencial. Hazlo, porque es tu derecho. (Artículo 24, La Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño).

9) El VIH no se contagia mediante el simple contacto cotidiano.

Los abrazos; los apretones de mano; los contactos físicos casuales y cotidianos; el uso compartido de piscinas, inodoros, ropa de cama, cubiertos de mesa y alimentos, no causan el contagio del VIH. Tampoco se puede contraer la infección debido a picaduras de mosquitos u otros insectos, o porque alguien tosa o estornude cerca.

10) Todas las personas afectadas por el VIH/SIDA merecen compasión y apoyo.

La discriminación de las personas infectadas con el VIH/SIDA o de aquellas que podrían correr peligro de infección constituye una violación de los derechos humanos individuales y una amenaza a la salud pública. Todas las personas infectadas con el VIH/SIDA, o afectadas por esa enfermedad, merecen compasión y apoyo. (Artículo 2, La Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño).

Teaching Points: Cover up the article and test Andrielis verbally on the 5 questions below, acting as a mini pop quiz to see how much she has taken in.

1) Is HIV/AIDS curable?
No, HIV/AIDS is incurable.
No, El VIH/SIDA es incurable.

2) Can you catch HIV from sneezing, sharing drinks, or hugging?
No.

3) How is HIV spread?
Through blood, breast milk, and sexual fluids.
La sangre, el semen (y el fluido emitido antes de la eyaculación), la secreción vaginal, la leche humana.

4) How do you know if you have HIV?
You need to go to the clinic and get a blood test that will come back either positive or negative.
La prueba del VIH en un centro especializado en el VIH/SIDA.

5) How can you protect yourself from HIV?
Have only one sexual partner if you aren’t abstinent, use a condom.
La abstención absoluta de todo contacto sexual o la protección de un condón.

HIV/AIDS Lesson 3

2010-03-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

This lesson is to get Andrielis thinking about HIV/AIDS in the context of her own country. The original article can be found HERE.

25/01/2011
La USAID entrega RD$ 23.8 millones para lucha contra el VIH /SIDA en República Dominicana.

El Ministerio de Salud Pública informó que el país acaba de recibir, de la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID), una donación de RD$23.8 millones, para continuar inpulzando las acciones de la Respuesta Nacional de VIH Sida en la República Dominicana.

La autoridad sanitaria dijo que la donaciòn económica se llevò a cabo a través de la firma de ocho convenios con diferentes Organizaciones no Gubernamentales (ONGs) las cuales trabajan y participan en las labores de prevención y tratamiento de la enfermedad, específicamente en las provincias del Este, Norte y zonas fronterizas.

Entre las organizaciones ejecutoras de los acuerdos figuran la Asociación Dominicana de Planificación Familiar (ADOPLAFAM), Clínica Esperanza y Caridad, Clínica de Familia La Romana, Grupo Este Amor, Centro de Orientación e Investigación Integral (COIN), Red Dominicana de Personas que viven con VIH (REDOVIH), Grupo Clara y el Centro de Promoción y Solidaridad Humana (CEPROSH).

“Estimamos valioso este nuevo aporte económico, en este caso de la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID), ya que viene a reforzar y a impulsar el firme compromiso del Estado en la lucha nacional contra esta terrible padecimiento”, indicò destacó que además de la firma de los convenios de cooperación, la USAID, actualmente ejecuta un importante proyecto de calidad sanitaria en el hospital Antonio Musa, de San Pedro de Macorís, con la finaidad de contribuir con la meta de mejorar permanentemente en calidad y cobertura la oferta de servicios sanitarios a favor de la población.

Informó que esos recursos beneficiarán a un gran número de personas que viven en extrema pobreza y en condiciones de vulnerabilidad en las provincias de San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, La Altagracia, El Seibo y Hato Mayor, en la zona Este, incluyendo los habitantes de los bateyes. También las provincias Dajabón y Montecristi, en la frontera con Haití y Puerto Plata en la zona Norte.

En tanto que el Subadministrador Adjunto para América Latina y el Caribe de la USAID, Paul Weisenfield, en el acto de firma de los acuerdos con las ONGs beneficiarias, reafirmó el compromiso de la referida agencia internacional de ayudar en la prevención con poblaciones en alto riesgo, y cuidado domiciliarios para personas que viven VIH/Sida, y huérfanos y niños vulnerable.

Teaching Points

Approximately 88,000 people in the DR have HIV/AIDS
Aproximadamente 88,000 personas en la RD tienen VIH/SIDA.

Ask Andrielis, what does she think is the solution for lowering rates of HIV/AIDS in the Dominican Republic?

Special Needs: Cerebral Palsy

2010-03-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

Necesidades Especiales
(deshabilitados)

Purpose: For Andrielis to recognize different special needs and to feel compassionate towards disabled people, rather than discriminatory. She should be able to realize that there are different therapies and procedures (done by nurses) to assist people with special needs to live a better quality of life.

Parálisis Cerebral

La parálisis cerebral describe un grupo de trastornos del desarrollo psicomotor, que causan una limitación de la actividad de la persona, atribuida a problemas en el desarrollo cerebral del feto o del niño. Los desórdenes psicomotrices de la parálisis cerebral están a menudo acompañados de problemas sensitivos, cognitivos, de comunicación y percepción, y en algunas ocasiones, de trastornos del comportamiento.

Características: En primer lugar, los trastornos son debidos a una lesión cerebral (encéfalo) que interfiere en el desarrollo normal del niño. Se produce en el primer año de vida, o incluso en el período de gestación, y puede ocurrir hasta los cinco años. Se distingue por el daño dominante de las funciones motrices, el cual afecta al tono, a la postura y al movimiento.

Vocabulary in English

cerebral palsy (CP): la parálisis cerebral

special needs: necesidades especiales

walk: caminar (I walk, you walk, he walks, she walks, we walk, they walk... walking)

Teaching Points

1. Physiotherapy can be used to enhance the lives of people with cerebral palsy. It can help them sit up, stand, and walk on their own. Physiotherapy for a little girl named Elena with cerebral palsy:

2. In poor countries, when children are born with CP their parents sometimes are scared and send their child to live in an orphanage. There is an orphanage in Cangrejo that is for children with special needs, including children with CP. It is called Hogar Immanuel and 8 of the 20 children attend physiotherapy every day. See photos below.
Question for Andrielis (role playing, developing compassion): What emotions would you feel being a mother whose child has CP? What would life be like?

3. Last point... people with CP can live full and happy lives, and we should not be scared of or sad for them!

Special Needs: Down's Syndrome

2010-03-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

Necesidades Especiales: Part 2
(deshabilitados)

Purpose: Andrielis had one lesson on special needs where she learned about cerebral palsy and physiotherapy. Now she will learn about Down’s Syndrome and speech therapy. Again, with the purpose to show her that there is hope and therapies available for people with special needs, and that she shouldn’t show discrimination against them.

El Síndrome de Down

El Síndrome de Down (SD) es un trastorno genético causado por la presencia de una copia extra del cromosoma 21 en vez de los dos habituales, caracterizado por la presencia de un grado variable de retraso mental y unos rasgos físicos peculiares que le dan un aspecto reconocible. Es la causa más frecuente de discapacidad psíquica congenital.

Algunos de los rasgos más importantes son un perfil facial y occipital planos, raíz nasal deprimida, cuello corto y ancho, paladar ojival, clinodactilia del quinto dedo de las manos (crecimiento recurvado hacia el dedo anular), pliegue palmar único, y separación entre el primer y segundo dedo del pie. Las patologías que se asocian con más frecuencia son las cardiopatías congénitas y enfermedades del tracto digestivo. Los únicos rasgos presentes en todos los casos son la atonía muscular generalizada (falta de un tono muscular adecuado, lo que dificulta el aprendizaje motriz) y el retraso mental aunque en grados muy variables.

La logopedia es la disciplina que trata los problemas, disfunciones o retrasos que se presentan en los campos del habla, del lenguaje, de la voz y de la comunicación. Para ello, se trabaja desde el campo cognitivo, físico y fisiológico.

el primo de Nikki, Jeffrey

Vocabulary In English
Down’s Syndrome- El Síndrome de Down

heart- el corazón

Teaching Points
Andrielis has homework, due next class.

She is to write a journal entry pretending to be someone with Down’s Syndrome who has trouble with speech. She should write a ‘dear diary’ type entry putting herself in this person’s shoes and writing about what she thinks life would be like. How does she communicate? Does she feel judgement? Who takes care of her?

The purpose is for Andrielis to role play, work on her Spanish writing skills, and develop compassion and the ability to empathize with others.

Malnutrition Lesson #1: The Facts

2010-03-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

Desnutrición

Cada año, la desnutrición causa la muerte de tres a cinco millones de niños menores de 5 años en todo el mundo. Los altos índices constantes de mortalidad infantil en África subsahariana y en el sur de Asia no se podrán reducir a no ser que se responda a este emergencia médica con más contundencia.

¿Qué es?
La desnutrición se define como un desequilibrio entre el suministro de nutrientes y las demandas de crecimiento, mantenimiento y actividades específicas del cuerpo. Cuando una persona no puede ingerir los nutrientes suficientes para cubrir sus necesidades, el cuerpo empieza a consumirse: primero se pierde grasa y luego músculo.

Al estar en proceso de desarrollo, los niños son más vulnerables a la desnutrición que los adultos. Sus necesidades relativas de nutrientes son mayores, especialmente en la edad de rápido crecimiento, de los 6 meses a los 2 años. Una dieta equilibrada debe incluir proteínas y ácidos grasos esenciales, vitaminas y minerales como calcio, potasio, zinc y hierro. La carencia de estos nutrientes impide que los niños puedan resistir las infecciones y mantener un ritmo normal de crecimiento. Sus defensas se debilitan y aumenta el riesgo de morir de malaria, neumonía, diarrea, sarampión o sida, las cinco enfermedades responsables de la mitad de los casi 10 millones de muertes anuales en niños menores de 5 años.

¿Cómo se diagnostica?
El estado nutricional de un niño puede medirse fácilmente comprobando la relación peso/talla y la relación peso/edad. En situaciones de emergencia, un método de diagnóstico rápido es el uso de un brazalete con el que se mide el perímetro braquial de los niños, llamado MUAC (Middle-Upper Arm Circumference).

¿Cómo se trata?
Los alimentos terapéuticos preparados (ready-to-use therapeutic food o RUTF), ricos en nutrientes y específicamente diseñados para cubrir las necesidades de los niños pequeños, han ampliado considerablemente el potencial de los programas nutricionales. El uso de RUTF en estos programas permite que la gran mayoría de niños con desnutrición severa reciban tratamiento domiciliario bajo la supervisión de su madre o cuidador, en lugar de tener que ser hospitalizados. MSF y otras organizaciones han documentado que con el uso de RUTF se obtienen altas tasas de curación, con una amplia cobertura y bajas tasas de mortalidad.

English Vocabulary:

desnutrición : malnutrition
la comida: food

Malnutrition Lesson 2 (Malawi)

2010-03-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

Maní Contra la Desnutrición
María Elena Navas, BBC Ciencia

Full article can be found here.

Cada año mueren casi 10 millones de niños antes de cumplir los 5 años, y la mitad de estas muertes se debe a la desnutrición. Ahora un nuevo programa basado en mantequilla de maní o cacahuate ha surgido como una poderosa herramienta para combatir el problema. El proyecto, dirigido por investigadores de la Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad de Washington, se lleva a cabo en Malawi, en el África subsahariana, donde 70% de los niños sufre de desnutrición. Pero gracias al uso de la mezcla enriquecida de mantequilla de maní, llamada Alimento Terapéutico Listo para Usarse (o RUTF en sus siglas en inglés), se han logrado recuperar cerca de 90% de los niños desnutridos.

El RUTF se produce localmente y según el experto es muy fácil de preparar. El producto está disponible en centros de salud y se entrega a las madres para que alimenten a sus niños en casa. El tratamiento tradicional para la desnutrición moderada en Malawi, consiste en alimentar a los niños en casa con un alimento a base de harina de maíz. Los niños gravemente desnutridos reciben en el hospital un producto preparado a base de leche.

"Hemos visto que con este tratamiento sólo un 25% de los niños logra recuperarse" afirma el doctor Mark Manary. "Pero con el RUTF hasta 95% se ha recuperado", agrega el científico. El programa no ha sido hasta ahora aplicado en operaciones de gran escala debido a los limitados recursos humanos y materiales. Y otro obstáculo, como explica el doctor Manary, es el costo del producto.

"Es más costoso que el arroz, el maíz u otros productos básicos simples", dice el investigador. "Lleva aceite, que lo hace más caro, pero lo que lo ha hecho muy costoso es la leche en polvo ya que el costo de la leche se ha duplicado en el último año", agrega. "Pero comparado con lo que cuesta tener a un niño en el hospital y darle tratamiento allí, en realidad el RUTF no es costoso".

Una de las principales ventajas del RUTF es que elimina la necesidad de que personal médico supervise el tratamiento, ya que las madres son las encargadas de suministrarlo. Además, una vez que los niños logran recuperarse y nutrirse, dice el experto, a menudo permanecen saludables.

"Las madres saben que la desnutrición es la principal amenaza a la existencia de sus niños", dice el médico. "Y lo que más desean en esta vida es que sus hijos sobrevivan y crezcan, así que están dispuestas a hacer todo lo posible para asegurarse de que nunca les vuelva a ocurrir esto".

El proyecto, que recibe apoyo de UNICEF y el Programa Mundial para la Alimentación, ya ha comenzado a extenderse a otros países africanos. Quizás algún día pueda llevarse a América Latina, si se encuentra un centro adecuado de producción de maní.

"Por el momento estoy dedicado a Malawi, donde desafortunadamente 20% de los niños menores de 5 años mueren", dice el pediatra. "Y la mitad de estas muertes se deben a que los niños no tienen suficiente alimento, así que este programa del RUTF ofrece una solución muy simple y muy poderosa contra ese problema".

2007-12-15T11:58:00.000-08:00

We are wrapping up 2011 and also wrapping up one full year of The Education Fund. In November 2010 home visits began to moniter and track the kids' educational progress. Seeing how far behind the kids were, in December we began touring private schools and in January 2011 the tutoring began for Andrielis, followed in February for Andy and Yoandi.

We have seen great successes this year, including:

All three kids getting accepted into private school, Santa Rosa de Lima

The boys' literacy improving, now able to read and write with greater ease

Andrielis' interest in becoming a nurse growing, and gaining experience volunteering in a local clinic

Home visit:
I hired Caitlin to do a home visit this past Saturday December 17, to report back on a few different areas. The home visit went well and the kids are really happy with their school.

Plans for 2012: