Comments on: El Salvador, Day 4 – CIPI (and a great dinner!) http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/el-salvador-day-4-cipi-and-a-great-dinner/ "Gringa" by birth | Latina by adoption | La Vida "Spangles" Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:19:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Lisa Courtney http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/el-salvador-day-4-cipi-and-a-great-dinner/comment-page-1/#comment-1456 Lisa Courtney Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:17:45 +0000 http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/?p=732#comment-1456 Kim, I was talking to one of my co-workers, telling her what you were doing in El Salvador. She was really interested. So I gave her your blog address and she logged on. Just glancing though quickly, she was amazed. I'm sure when she had a chance to really sit and read, so would. Just seeing the pictures of the children, just makes you want to reach through the computer and grab the to hold and play with. I'm sure you're leaving a tiny impression on each of the children you have interacted with. Take care. Can't wait to hear the stories and see pictures when you get back. Kim,
I was talking to one of my co-workers, telling her what you were doing in El Salvador. She was really interested. So I gave her your blog address and she logged on. Just glancing though quickly, she was amazed. I’m sure when she had a chance to really sit and read, so would. Just seeing the pictures of the children, just makes you want to reach through the computer and grab the to hold and play with. I’m sure you’re leaving a tiny impression on each of the children you have interacted with. Take care. Can’t wait to hear the stories and see pictures when you get back.

]]> By: Kim http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/el-salvador-day-4-cipi-and-a-great-dinner/comment-page-1/#comment-1454 Kim Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:44:36 +0000 http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/?p=732#comment-1454 Oh, and @Aimee - call me when I get back - lots to say! :) Oh, and @Aimee – call me when I get back – lots to say! :)

]]> By: Kim http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/el-salvador-day-4-cipi-and-a-great-dinner/comment-page-1/#comment-1453 Kim Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:43:29 +0000 http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/?p=732#comment-1453 @Kathryn - me? tan? never... I may have a little pinkness when I get back home, but then again, that may fade just during the flying time. :) @Chris - that little girl is one of the "Gemelas" and she did periodically just cry for no apparent reason. Today I got to play with them some more and she was all smiles and running around. So I'm sure with her, and with all of them, they have their lonely moments and then they have their good ones. They DON'T really get one-on-one time ever with an adult. There's never a time when the "Tia" present doesn't also have a dozen other kids to watch. She does TALK to them individually during the day, but that's one of the things that get institutionalized kids institutionalized. They adapt to this environment and learn how to work within the system, but it doesn't meet their need for parents... although they DO act like siblings quite a bit. Some of them DO have families "on the outside" who either can't take care of them or were abusing them. So some of them will be reunited with them. Others won't. Very, very, very few get adopted because there isn't an efficient system for it, and El Salvador is very reticent about adoption, as a culture. I think if the folks working in the system saw successful families, they'd be more proactive. But the fact is, most families get their kids and never come back. @Kathryn – me? tan? never… I may have a little pinkness when I get back home, but then again, that may fade just during the flying time. :)

@Chris – that little girl is one of the “Gemelas” and she did periodically just cry for no apparent reason. Today I got to play with them some more and she was all smiles and running around. So I’m sure with her, and with all of them, they have their lonely moments and then they have their good ones.

They DON’T really get one-on-one time ever with an adult. There’s never a time when the “Tia” present doesn’t also have a dozen other kids to watch. She does TALK to them individually during the day, but that’s one of the things that get institutionalized kids institutionalized. They adapt to this environment and learn how to work within the system, but it doesn’t meet their need for parents… although they DO act like siblings quite a bit.

Some of them DO have families “on the outside” who either can’t take care of them or were abusing them. So some of them will be reunited with them. Others won’t. Very, very, very few get adopted because there isn’t an efficient system for it, and El Salvador is very reticent about adoption, as a culture. I think if the folks working in the system saw successful families, they’d be more proactive. But the fact is, most families get their kids and never come back.

]]> By: Tio Chris http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/el-salvador-day-4-cipi-and-a-great-dinner/comment-page-1/#comment-1451 Tio Chris Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:56:21 +0000 http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/?p=732#comment-1451 Ooops, just wanted to clarify my question, I didn't mean to type "non-special-children" - that should say "non-special-needs-children". Obviously they are all special children... :-) Ooops, just wanted to clarify my question, I didn’t mean to type “non-special-children” – that should say “non-special-needs-children”. Obviously they are all special children… :-)

]]> By: Tio Chris http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/el-salvador-day-4-cipi-and-a-great-dinner/comment-page-1/#comment-1450 Tio Chris Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:54:31 +0000 http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/?p=732#comment-1450 It's so easy to just look at these pictures and assume this is just a school or a public day-care or playground. When you put together the notion that these children will not go home to a "family" at the end of the day where they are loved and enjoyed more individually, it really makes me sad. I keep looking at the picture with the little girl in the beautiful white dress. She's in a play yard, on a toy, looking like a little princess, but even though you can't really make out her face (on purpose of course), you just have the sense that her eyes may be a little lost and sad. I guess this is my own "North American" mentality creeping in here... but, do you know how often these children get any kind of one-on-one attention / affirmation from adults as compared to the "special needs" children? Do non-special-children get less attention? And yet, praise God that they have a place like this to live at all! I guess I shouldn't forget that - but it just breaks my heart to know there are little ones out there all over the world being "institutionalized" without even knowing any other way. And even worse, there are others out there who don't even get a chance to have even this kind of environment. Sigh. :-( It’s so easy to just look at these pictures and assume this is just a school or a public day-care or playground. When you put together the notion that these children will not go home to a “family” at the end of the day where they are loved and enjoyed more individually, it really makes me sad. I keep looking at the picture with the little girl in the beautiful white dress. She’s in a play yard, on a toy, looking like a little princess, but even though you can’t really make out her face (on purpose of course), you just have the sense that her eyes may be a little lost and sad.

I guess this is my own “North American” mentality creeping in here… but, do you know how often these children get any kind of one-on-one attention / affirmation from adults as compared to the “special needs” children? Do non-special-children get less attention?

And yet, praise God that they have a place like this to live at all! I guess I shouldn’t forget that – but it just breaks my heart to know there are little ones out there all over the world being “institutionalized” without even knowing any other way. And even worse, there are others out there who don’t even get a chance to have even this kind of environment. Sigh. :-(

]]> By: kathryn http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/el-salvador-day-4-cipi-and-a-great-dinner/comment-page-1/#comment-1449 kathryn Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:11:36 +0000 http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/?p=732#comment-1449 I am so glad you have gotten to be with the children and not just paint, etc..like you thought. I love hearing the stories and seeing the pics. BTW- It was sunny all day today here. Do you have a tan yet? Take care! I am so glad you have gotten to be with the children and not just paint, etc..like you thought. I love hearing the stories and seeing the pics. BTW- It was sunny all day today here. Do you have a tan yet?

Take care!

]]> By: Aimee http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/el-salvador-day-4-cipi-and-a-great-dinner/comment-page-1/#comment-1447 Aimee Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:10:47 +0000 http://www.americanmamacita.com/blog/?p=732#comment-1447 Wow....these are amazing posts. I can't wait to talk to you at some point when you get back. It must be so hard to see those little sweethearts and have to leave them each day. Wow….these are amazing posts. I can’t wait to talk to you at some point when you get back. It must be so hard to see those little sweethearts and have to leave them each day.

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