Project #1: Valley of the Moon Children's Centre

On Monday and Tuesday mornings, we help out at The Valley of the Moon Children's Centre in Mallasa.

The nursery is run by a team of dedicated tias (or 'aunties') who between them look after five classes of children ranging from 6 months to 5 years old, sometimes totaling 50

Our main task is to help the centre's resident chef, Doña Maxima ('doña' being an honorific title of respect). Children need nutritious and filling meals to prepare them for learning, and therefore one of the key principles of the centre is to provide healthy, home cooked meals throughout the day, to give each child the nutrients they need to thrive.

A typical day would look like the following:
8:30am - arrive, wash hands and begin chopping vegetables for the day's dishes
9:00am - count the children in each classroom and record this information for Doña Maxima
9:30am - serve breakfast (often a hot drink such as spiced hot chocolate or mild with cinnamon and a bread roll, or a quinoa dish served like porridge)
10:00am - clean and wash all breakfast cups (sometimes quite tricky as quinoa has a habit of setting like concrete!)
11:00am - serve cinnamon juice or a fruit smoothie
12:00pm - serve lunch. This changes everyday, based on the fresh produce available, but typical dishes include fried liver, yucca (also known as cassava) with onions and tomatoes, or lentil, carrot, potato and tomato salad with beef meatballs. Lunch also includes juice and fresh fruit (such a sliced and peeled apples, pears or pineapple).
12:30-1:30pm - collect all dishes, wash and dry app cups cutlery, bowls and plates with Doña Maxima's grease busting technique, which includes double washing to ensure maximum cleanliness.

This routine also includes some time to take part in educational activities with the children. For example, practicing numbers with finger painting or making paper pizzas to teach shape and colour. The these activities are designed and lead by the volunteers, who bring the required materials to the centre.

It is very important to us that we are giving our time in service to the community, reacting only to their needs without projecting any preconceived ideas that might not be what is actually best for the people involved. The centre is great place to truly see the difference volunteer support can make in aiding the smooth running of an operation that is so much at the heart of the Up Close Bolivia ethos and the community at large. Here we get a truly rewarding experience, whilst knowing the assistance we give is appropriate and appreciated in return. And not to mention how fun it is to get messy with crafts and have fun playing games!