Volunteer Update - Meet Andrew!

Meet our first volunteer of this school year - Andrew.  Andrew is with us doing an internship for Florida Atlantic University's Honors College.  During his time he will be teaching English and helping out with our tutoring program.  Today Andrew shares with us a reflection on his first week in Ecuador.

Andrew & Steve during our tutoring program.

"I have been working with Starfish now for about a week and I can say with confidence that this will be a week that I will never in my life forget.  Many times when you come across the odd gringo here in South America they look like they are running away from something.  For me, I just want to highlight that my experiences in Ecuador have been something very much running toward.  While I didn't know what I was looking for when I decided to come here I have found an extraordinary group of students and families here at Starfish and am amazing host family who were willing to open their doors to me and had the patience to work with my basic knowledge of Spanish to try to explain things.

Andrew teaching his first English lesson in Guasmo.

For the past week I have been helping the students with their English homework and attempting to teach English when we have spare time.  What I value most about my time in Starfish is the free time I have occasionally just to sit and talk to the kids about anything and everything we could possibly talk about. Although much is lost in translation, that exchange of ideas I believe is going to have a lasting impact of my perspective on the world, hopefully I also have some useful perspective to share."

"Aprendamos juntos" or "Let's learn together" is one of Andrew's favorite phrases.  Here he exchanges language & cultural lesson with Cristhian and Eddy.

Congratulations Dayanna!

At Dayanna's "Colegio" (High School) she was invited to be part of a special class filled with all scholarship students from various foundations.  These students, as some of the brightest in their grade, have been given the opportunity to participate in "Practicas" or mini internships/practicals in the various subjects throughout the school year.  Although these classes have an extra cost, it is evident in Dayanna's work ethic and her grades that these classes are worth the extra effort.  Dayanna was even 1 of 3 students in this course to get a special certificate for her business practical for her excellent completion of the project.  Congratulations Dayanna!

Dayanna giving a presentation about youth rights at our November monthly meeting!

Mi Colegio by Dayanna.

Dayanna shares with us a little bit about her high school and her experience as a Starfish scholar.

Yo me llamo Dayanna Zuñiga Salas.  Estudio en el Colegio Dr. Juan Modesto Carbo Noboa del curso 4/2.  Soy una señorita aplicada en mis estudios.  Yo con mis amigos (Espinoza, Maldonado, Davis, Yagual) somos muy aplicados.  Mi colegio es de 2 pisos y pide muchas cosas y cosas que son muy cara.  A veces no pido por el temor de perder la beca y despues digo yo mismo "no, si no pido saco 0" y me decido pedirlo.  Gracias por su ayuda!

My name is Dayanna Zuñiga Salas.  I study in the high school "Dr. Juan Modesto Carbo Noboa" and I am section 4/2.  I am a hard-working young lady.  My friends (Espinoza, Maldonado, Davis, Yagual) and I are very attentive to our studies.  My high school is 2 floors and asks for us to buy a lot of our own materials that are very expensive.  Sometimes I don't want to ask for so much because I don't want to lose my scholarship but then I tell myself "No, if I don't ask, I will get a 0" and I decide to ask for it.  Thanks for your help!

**Note** In many high schools, students in their last 3 years of high school are required to do internships and/or practicals for which they are required to supply their own, sometimes very expensive materials.  Dayanna has done practicals "prácticas" so far in accounting, mechanics and chemistry.  Without the help of her scholarship, she would be forced to sit out these classes and receive a 0 for the assignment as she has done in past years.

Dayanna (above, far left in jeans) with her Starfish friends at one of the monthly meetings.

The most fun yet...

I was wrong last time because today was the most fun I have had in Guasmo. When we arrived at Mi Cometa, we went upstairs and most of the kids were there already. We saw that Solange had brought a basketball so we immediately started dribbling. We went all the way on the roof and were dribbling up there. Anthony and Andres wanted it to be them two against me just trying to steal the ball from me. It was really fun keeping it away from them, but also challenging too. The girls started taking pictures of us playing and finally they all said they wanted to go to a park where they have basketball courts. Martin and I agreed without hesitation because basketball is our favorite sport. 

The park took a while to get there but it was an amazing park. They had giant slides, high monkey bars, rings, a chain to climb, soccer field, jet, train, basketball court, stage and see-saws. We had so much fun at the park with the kids. We took pictures of all the activities we were doing played some games that the kids made up. We played a 5 on 5 basketball game that the kids seemed to love. The kids did really well they all had their own talents that were good for playing. Joel is an all around athlete and excels in every sport he plays. He is really quick and learns things fast. Andres and Anthony were doing really good at shooting the ball. Solange was able to dribble and pass the ball well and Maria was very aggressive it surprised us. Esteve was all over the place so when we played it was a good match up. We took more photos of the kids on the jet plane and on the train. 

In the afternoon, William, Marlon, Bebzebeth, Dianna, Eric and Carlos came. We all were upstairs and we asked them what they wanted to do. They said they wanted to go to the park we went to earlier to check it out. We didn’t do as much stuff but still had a blast playing basketball. It was Martin and William versus Marlon, Eric and I. The girls were just going around taking pictures of each other posing for them. They got very into taking pictures so fast and the quality of their photos keeps increasing. The thing that I think is most important is to have a variety of pictures, but not just in numbers; by making sure they take pictures different ways from different angles. We just want them to be creative and express themselves. 

--July 23, 2012

We left early to Mi Cometa today. It was a great success this morning because we were able to get there only taking two buses. When we got there Betzabeth called Martin and so we went to walk her from her house. We played some of the games upstairs until Maria and Esteve had to leave at 11. The kids have gotten pretty good at Uno and know the tricks to the game. I don’t think I will ever be able to play Uno again without thinking of all the amazing kids here. They have truly impacted my life for the better. 

It was only Genesis and Betzabeth left at Mi Cometa with us so we went to grab some food. We went to this sit down little restaurant that Martin and I had been to before. Martin and I shared a plate and the girls shared a plate. The food was really good! Betzabeth kept telling me I was very bad for not eating the soup, but I didn’t care for it much. 

When we got back to Mi Cometa we were showing the girls some magic tricks. Martin started off with the cards and doing a few card tricks and then I started doing a trick with paper. I hold the paper to my thumb for a while so it stays then eventually I pretend to suck it into my mouth, but what really happens is that I put my thumb back so it isn’t visible. I finish the trick by coughing and pretending to catch the paper in my hand. The girls were so amazed by my trick it was so cool to see the looks on their faces.

--July 30, 2012

Michael, Ryan and Martin with Guasmo Starfish Scholars!

Continuing the Photo Projects

Today was a very interesting day. Walking outside the gate from our friends house I realized with Martin how I used to waste dimes like they weren’t any value at all. Don’t get me wrong- I used to collect coins, but I would also see one on the floor and just kick it or throw it. I never could have imagined someone else desperately needing that money to get to work or to school. It is just way different. 

We took the 2 bus all the way to Flor de Bastion and then took a motor taxi up to the houses. We got there a little early so we just hung out discussing what we should do today. Lily and Christian were the first to arrive and they were so excited to see us. We showed them the new Uno spin game so they could read the instructions and explain to all the other kids for us. I asked Lily how she had done on our test and she said she got 18/20. We started to play the new Uno game while everyone else was getting there. 

We asked if anyone wanted to take photos and Arelisa was the first to start. She had gone back inside for a while and me and Christian were playing when I realized that Martin and Argenisis were taking pictures. I grabbed Christian and took him with me to go find them. It was a good thing I did because that is when they both fed off each other’s energies and were really excited. While I watched them take photos I asked Martin if we should be taking pictures of them using cameras for the first time. We agreed that it would be a good idea and people would like to see the excitement in their faces. 

--July  17, 2012

It was probably the most fun I have had at Mi Cometa today. When we got there no kids were waiting for us so I was thinking that the kids weren’t coming again today. Martin started calling the families and Esteve was the first to show up. I was glad he showed up because he started helping Martin with calling all the other kids. They worked together and got through pretty much everyone. 

We let Joel, Marlon and Melany roam free to take pictures. The kids seemed to like the project and were very energetic. We even had them doing some poses in a circle and I took the photo of them to show them examples of being out of the ordinary with pictures. They definitely got the idea so I hope they will be able to excel in the program. Martin took a picture of Dianna with her friends because she lives so far it is hard for her to get to Mi Cometa. The girls and Geovanny showed up after so we were playing with all the kids. We gave Dianna one of the disposable cameras and told her to take around 15 pictures. We played soccer with the kids, taught the girls games and were all hanging out having an awesome time. This was the best time at Mi Cometa so far- it was great. 

--July  18, 2012

Today when we got to Flor de Bastion, Martin gave Samantha a camera so she could take some pictures of the kids and family. She took a lot of photos of the new born baby and the younger girls. While she did that we met Christian’s mom for the first time. She was very nice, inviting us into her home like if we were family. 

Martin, Lily, and Christian were all thinking of ideas to put on small pieces of paper so we could all play charades. We filled up a whole bowl of papers front and back. Martin explained to the kids and parents how to play and he went first. Everyone understood the game after Martin went with the occasional reminder that you can’t talk. Samantha has picked “Godzilla” but she wasn’t sure what it was so acted something else out. She asked me what it was after so I did my best to explain to her. I asked if she knew what a lizard was but she didn’t understand me so I started acting it out a little. Finally I said a dragon and she understood that so I kept going with it. I just said to her in Spanish a green dragon but with no wings. The whole family participated in playing and mostly everyone acted. The family had a lot of fun playing charades with us I was glad. 

Afterwards we went outside and we were playing volleyball with Christian’s soccer ball. Eventually a bunch of the local kids just walked up so we asked all of them if they wanted to play. We had a whole game going with about six players just keeping the ball up. All the kids had a lot of fun and the girls got some pretty good pictures of us. After a while of playing volleyball, Christian called us to his aunt’s house where his mother and aunt had made us some food. They gave us a mountain of rice that filled me up so much. The food was really good and we appreciated them cooking for us. They had just got a new motorcycle so we took pictures of the kids on the motorcycle. We had to leave after taking a few more photos and bid everyone a farewell.

 --July  19, 2012

Martin with some Starfish Scholars in Guasmo.

Photo Project in Guasmo: Day 1

Today we had to wake up really early because we had to get to Mi Cometa by 9 a.m. When we got there 4 kids were upstairs working on their homework. We asked if they needed any help with the homework, but they all said they knew how to do it. Maria was done with her homework already so Martin gave her the camera and let her roam free while he created a guideline list of what they could take pictures of. We had a list of 15 things and were able to get the kids really interested in the camera. 

When all the kids finished we went to the roof and took pictures of stuff there.  We told the kids to use their imagination and take whatever type of photos they wanted. We took some silly photos, too. The kids got really creative! Then we went down the street. Esteve took a really good photo of a tree that might have been my favorite photo of the day. They also took photos of caterpillars, hearts, shoes, the street, and of the organization. 

After we were done in the streets we went up to the roof and the kids wanted to play the ninja game again. Then they taught us some of the games that the kids play. It was interesting to learn the games that the children play. One we had to slap hands then the person it ended on called out a person and they would have to try to step on someones foot and if they missed the person they went after calls out another name. The other game was like hot potato playing with a scrunchie and someone else behind calling out something. The only difference was that if you do get caught with the scrunchie then you have to do a dare. I had lost so they took a picture of me acting like a monkey. 

After we took a lot of photos and played games we went back downstairs and worked on a puzzle with the kids. We had started the puzzle when the kids had to go back to get ready for school. We sent them off then went to go eat because we had time to kill before the other kids were going to get there. We waited and waited and waited but no other kids showed up. Finally toward the end of the time we had Martin called Genesis to come to the building. We explained to her the functions of our disposable camera and sent her on a mission to take at least 10 photos using her imagination. With that we asked if she had any work, but she said she didn’t so we dismissed her. We learned from the experience because in Flor de Bastion usually the kids show up without having to tell them, but here in Guasmo we would have to send out reminders to the families. 

Michael with some Starfish Scholars from Guasmo.

Introducing the Photo Project in Flor

Today we were working in Flor de Bastion. When we arrived at the house we took down all the chairs and tables. All the children came down and we set up the chairs in a circle so no one would feel left out. Martin then had them write their names down and asked if they had any questions for me. He then explained the photo project to the kids as best he could and I think they understand. 

We then broke the kids up into groups to brainstorm ideas for what to do and not to do with the cameras. The kids had a harder time coming up with ideas then the kids at Mi Cometa. I think it may have been the way Martin explained it or because the kids at Mi Cometa have a much larger group. We added stuff to the group we were helping, giving them ideas so they could get moving with other ideas. The group was definitely not as rowdy as the Mi Cometa group. We came together to share our notes and all the kids spoke, behaved well, and listened. 

The whole time we were split into groups Lily was using the camera to take pictures of everything that was happening. We finished explaining the photo project and had the kids make a pledge to take care of the cameras. I then got out the crackers and peanut butter and right away some of the girls knew what it was. Only Evelyn and Argenis preferred the crackers without the peanut butter, the rest of the kids seemed to love it. We then played the ninja game with the kids, I think they understood the game well because Martin was one of the first out. We then played a game where we had our hands on the table and one slap meant keep going the same direction, while two slaps reverses the flow. It took a while, but the kids understood. After that we played some Uno with all the kids and Melina won way before everyone else, she keeps winning it is ridiculous. The kids were packing up to leave already so we put the tables and chairs away. 

Lily’s mom then invited us in to eat some rice with lentils and tomatoes. She had already served us so I couldn’t say no to her, especially since they don’t have much. It was heartwarming to see someone with so little offer you things out of the kindness of your heart. I was very humbled by the mother. I normally can’t stand the taste of tomatoes, but for the first time I ate a full cut up tomato. Lily had a test the next day so we asked her if she needed help studying. We helped her a little with her math and English. These students are so engaged in learning that they are willing to learn a new language instead of just relaxing at home. I don’t know many kids these days that even do their homework, let alone go off by themselves to work on other things.

Martin and Michael in Flor de Bastion.

Meetings galore! from Michael & Martin

7/13/12

It was our first day back in Guayaquil after a trip to Quito and I needed a haircut. The unique thing about the haircut was the lady that cut my hair came to the house we are staying at. It was a different experience getting my haircut where I am staying; it shows me how different our cultures can be. After we were ready we went to Mi Cometa for a meeting with the kids. The meeting was to introduce the photography project to the kids. My mother came with us so that she could explain the project to the kids. Arriving at Mi Cometa we had to get the keys from Andres to open the upstairs room. The kids arrived around 1:30 and started to come in one by one. Martin went with a few of the girls to get drinks and snacks while my mom and I waited for the rest of the kids to get there. Finally, pretty much everyone showed up and we were able to begin. We started the meeting with a name game where we had to say our name then followed by our favorite fruit. I couldn’t think of anything so I just said “Melon”.  Then Martin asked the kids if they had any questions for my mother or I. They had asked our favorite color, what I study, and where I go to school. We started the meeting by telling them about the cameras. We explained the two types of cameras and how they work. We then explained the type of work we were going to be doing with the camera and followed up with the main goal of the project. We then broke off into groups to make a list of rules for the camera. We sort of made it into a contest making it girls versus boys. We sat at the boys circle and they were saying some pretty crazy stuff that would make all of us laugh. One of the boys said, “Don’t take the camera into the bathroom”, which was pretty much implied but I told them they could write it just in case. We finished with that little game and then shared our rules with the whole group. Most of the girls answers were nice and a few basic rules. They said things like, “take pictures of flowers, people, and other beautiful things”. The boys were more focused on the actual rules of the cameras; it was interesting to see the comparison in the thinking of the kids. We then passed out snacks for the kids and while I did that Martin had the kids take a picture, with the digital camera, of the person to the right of them. My mom demonstrated first and the kids learned quickly.  Our meeting was pretty much done after that so we did a few icebreakers. We played the “Cow” and “Ninja” game. The Cow game went by pretty fast because it is a trick that is played on one of the kids. During the game I had to take one of the kids outside so my mom could explain they were playing a trick on him. I took Geovanny to the roof and was able to have a conversation with him. I found out that he plays volleyball and soccer. I told him one of the days I come I will play with him. I also asked if he has a girlfriend, but he said no. Then I said, “Tienes dos novias?” he laughed at me and agreed. I was glad I was able to connect with one of the kids because during the meeting I felt so distant because I wasn’t speaking much.  The Ninja game took a little longer, but the kids really enjoyed it. I was one of the winners along with Andres. We then told the kids the schedule for us being able to work with them and had them all write it down. We closed the meeting and the kids roamed free for a while. Some of the girls asked me what my favorite type of music was and I told them I didn’t really have a favorite type. Then a little later two of the girls wanted to take a picture with me so I gladly agreed to. Then, Geovanny came running in so we took a group photo it was pretty cool. I had to bend down a lot though because I tower over all the kids. All in all it was a great day and the kids were super excited to meet us. I look forward to working with all these kids for the next few weeks.

Michael & Martin - day four

7/8/12

Today we were working again in Flor de Bastion. We went straight to the piece of land where we set up and are allowed to play with the kids. Today Martin brought some English books so the kids could get a look at them. Christian, Samantha, and a few more kids were already there while we set up some tables. We played a couple of games of Uno that took forever for us to finish. More kids started to show up as we played and they just jumped in to join the game. After a while Christian, Martin and I started to play soccer with Christian's little cousin. Everyone pretty much started doing their own thing at that point. Samantha joined us so we started playing volleyball with everyone, even one of the other girls, Ana, jumped in to play with us. We were having a blast then we all sat down and the kids were talking to me. They asked me questions about how to say things in English, and then they asked if I could sing for them. I wasn’t prepared to sing anything so I got kind of embarrassed. The kids started chanting, but usually when I am asked to sing I forget all the songs that I know. I told Christian that if he went first I would follow. Christian didn’t end up singing, but one of the older guys named Jordan sang and he sings really well. The girls sang next and at that point we were all just hanging out. Then they asked if we could dance and what type of music we liked to dance to. Samantha offered to dance with me, but it was getting late and we had to pack up so we promised them to do it next week. These are all such great kids that were put into difficult situations but if they keep on the path they are on they should have no problem becoming what they aspire to be. 

Michael & Martin visit Flor de Bastion!

7/7/12

Today was our first day in Flor de la Bastion. First, the whole family went to the apartment that Martin and I are staying in. We got a ride to Flor de Bastion.  He dropped us off where the motor taxis are and we were able to take that most of the way to where the scholars are. The cost of the motor taxi was only a quarter each, which I thought was awesome. When we arrived to the houses the kids were overjoyed to see Martin and meet our family. We were invited inside by Samantha’s aunt; she offered us watermelon and something to drink. The house was not built to the same standards I am used to. It didn’t have a roof or shower, but did have a little fridge and stove in the living room, cardboard for cover, and one bed. This reminded me of all that I should be thankful for. Although these people live in small homes and don't have much money, but they find a way to be happy, thrive, and prosper. We rounded up all the kids then went to the place where we are able to play with them since it is a weekend and they didn’t have school. I may not know the language, but there is a universal language that worked to my advantage: playing. My brothers and I were kicking the ball around with Christian while my mom showed the rest of the kids how to play the games we brought. We took Connect 4 and Uno with us to give to the kids.  They loved the games and by the end of the day they were already proficient in playing both games. They were all shouting with my mom “Comé! Comé! Comé!” when they had to pick up cards from the deck. It reminded me of what we used to do as kids which was heartwarming. I can’t wait to see the kids again! The mother of Lily lives across from the lot we were using so she invited us inside to eat, but I didn’t want to impose. We had already had a close relationship with Lily, her mother and Christian because they were there when we landed to see Martin. They made us feel at home and gave what they had to feed us. Only my mother, father and brother ate because I truly wasn’t that hungry at the time. My family wasn’t going to eat there but the mother insisted and had already prepared the food. She did pour me and my other brother a glass of homemade orange juice which is probably the best I have ever tasted. We said our goodbyes, but they surprised us further by walking us all the way back to the main street to catch the motor taxi. The smallest boy, lily’s little brother, was running to try to beat us but tired himself out so I picked him up and put him on my shoulder. The little rascal then started calling me “Caballo”, which is a horse, and whipped my shoulder to make me go faster so I pretended to trot then he was saying crazy horse. All in all a great day with the kids and I can’t believe how awesome some of these families are. 

Summer Interns Michael & Martin continue...

7/6/12

Today we went to Mi Cometa and it took around an hour. On the way Martin showed me the buses we would be taking and we passed by Flor De Bastion. When we arrived to Mi Cometa I wasn’t sure what to expect, but our hosts were always looking out for us. I was a little surprised to see it looked very similar to some of the places I have visited in Mexico. We went inside the establishment and found Janet. Our mom went with us and they made small talk while we got a tour of the building. My mom was quick to make friends with the workers there and they seemed to like my mom. We finally got into the meeting with the parents and a couple of students. The room was bare with no chairs and no air conditioning but I don’t mind the change much because I can adapt to my surroundings very well. Starting the meeting Janet introduced who we are and what we were going to be doing with the organization. I believe they had already met Martin, but I wasn’t sure. Janet introduced me as Martin’s little brother, then my name.  It was really funny to see all the reactions of the parents because they immediately lifted their hands motioning how much taller I am then him. Janet had us grab some chairs to sit down while she began presenting the agenda for the meeting. We started off with an ice breaker which was introducing our names, naming our favorite animals, and having to move like the animals we said. I chose a tiger so got down on all fours and growled, embarrassing myself in front of the parents. I remember Maria was a turtle, my mom was a tortoise, Martin was a lion, Fernando was a horse, but was reluctant to get on all fours so he pretended to ride the horse. We then broke off into couples where we had to describe each of our parents and tell how that has affected the person we are today. I was paired with a woman named Maria. She only spoke Spanish so I had to explain to her I didn’t speak much, but was able to understand most of it, so I thought. I found out later that the woman I was speaking to husband died around 2 years ago; she had two children in the program now and 5 children in all. The oldest is 20 years old, but she described him as not being her son anymore. Another man, Fernando, just lost his job and is taking care of one boy in the program that isn’t his biological son, but he considers the young man to be his son. One of the most heartfelt stories came from a grandmother of the child; I couldn’t understand her but my mom translated it after the meeting. She is an older woman taking care of her grandchild because the parents forgot about the child. She has to go out and find work every day just to provide food on the table; she described the situation as just trying to survive day by day putting bread on the table. These stories touched my heart because I was able to see all the excess I live in. I don’t really ask for much from my parents anymore, but still go out with friends and use more money then I should. I wish I could take back all that I have asked for in my life and put the money to help people in these situations.

Update #1 from Summer Intern Michael

7/6/12

It is my first day in Ecuador. The flight was very long because we had three layovers. We went from LAX to San Salvador then proceeded to Costa Rica. From there we went to Quito, then to Ecuador, and finally one more short flight to Guayaquil. I am so excited to be able to have this opportunity. A year ago I never would have imagined being on a different continent. I am still unsure of what I want to do in the future. Currently, I am a business student at St John’s University. My father told me it was the most practical major because there is business in every aspect of life; this is why I choose Business. I am learning new things while studying in college, but the one thing I never want to let go of is helping others. If I can do one thing in my life it is to make a difference in other people’s lives for the better. Most of the times I prefer to work with kids because they are not at fault for the situations they have been put in, so if they are willing to work hard and strive they should be eligible for the same opportunities other children have. This internship is the perfect opportunity for me to reach out past my boundaries and discover myself while helping people in the process. I am also very nervous for the internship because unfortunately I don’t speak Spanish. I have been around Spanish all my life, most of my family and my parents speak the language fluently but I didn’t learn it. Right now I have a basic understanding of Spanish, I am confident I can understand most of it but I am not that good at speaking it. I feel this will be the greatest challenge for me because without knowing the language I won’t really be able to connect to the kids as much as I want to. Fortunately my brother is fluent in Spanish and he will be able to translate. I am sure at first it will be a challenge but along with these amazing kids my brother has told me so much about we will bypass this obstacle. Since I don’t know Spanish I have been questioning the way I am going to help the program. I am really good at interacting with children so that should work to my advantage. We are also going to implement a Photography program that I am excited for. I believe this is where I can contribute the most because I have been reading up on photography and although I am a beginner I am sure we can get this program off the ground with these kids.