Project #2: REMAR children's refuge

On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, we spend a few hours at a children's refuge based in Mallasa.

The children have often had extraordinarily difficult starts in life, with parents who suffer with drink and drug related issues, and have in some cases been abandoned. REMAR offers them residential care, a place with a community and other children who can understand what they have been through. At the centre they have a secure home which they can share with their vulnerable parents and the centre provides them with a source of stable income, in the form of a fully equipped bakery. The children often help their parents sell the bread and pastries produced to local shops and residents, which they do on top of attending school.

As volunteers, our job is to provide some light afternoon entertainment, through crafts and games, aimed at giving them some confidence and a little bit of rest bite from their ordinary routines. We plan activities in advance which are suitable for all ages (the kids range from 3-15 years old).

In our time in Bolivia we have:
- Made traditional European Christmas crafts (including advent calendars and Christingles)
- Made and decorated salt dough figures and decorations
- Played various games (including pictionary and a favourite called 007 - complete with forfeits for the losers!)
- Attempted to make moving movies using cardboard and a roll of paper 'film'

With our two weeks left we have planned some really exciting stuff that hasn't been done before. Next week is 'experiment week', during which we're going to make and explode some volcanoes, test out a non-Newtonian fluid using cornflour and water, and made some soda rockets using good old fashioned mentos mints and coke. We also have planned a special team quiz, with bonus rounds which include pictures, music, a blind taste test and some physical challenges, as well as some general knowledge

At the start we found REMAR to be quite challenging, as the kids were older and wanted more meaningful conversation which we were unable to provide with our limited Spanish. However, as time has gone on, the kids have opened up to us and have even given Joe a nickname (based on an unfortunate pronunciation of the Spanish for knife, cuchillo). We actually now count REMAR as one of our favourite projects, and one we look forward to planning activities for. It's great being able to just have pure fun for a few hours and see the kids engrossed in some craft or project, the results of which they often treasure.