Change is Coming

Observation has been a powerful tool since my arrival here; this past week I learned much through watching the interactions between the staff and children, as well as their daily routines.  In this, it is no wonder the children display poor behaviors with little respect for each other and their things.  Children learn from and adapt to the circumstances and people that surround them.  When constant criticism, yelling, restrictions, and urgency inundates their little world this too is how they learn to respond.  Monkey see, monkey do.  Praise, encouragement, respect, patience, and empathy seem to be distant words from inside the walls of Casa Sperantei.  Caring for 42 children is an undoubtedly challenging task, and I understand the inherent difficulties the staff faces with its limited numbers.  But if the attitudes and actions of the staff and children do not change the problems will be exacerbated as the children move into adolescence.  This is the mountain I stand before.

Due to the busy week and lack of schedule coordination I was unable to meet with the staff.  From now on we will schedule our weekly meetings at the beginning of each month to ensure attendance.  Next week I will be discussing the idea of empathy, how it develops, and minor techniques to increase empathy.  Slowly, slowly begins the process-- I don't want them to become too overwhelmed with new information and ideas.  Small successes will be key to building the confidence of the staff.  But these changes must first become internalized in the staff (especially the sisters, as they tend to deride the children more than the caregivers with little desire to change their strategies).  "We must be the change we want to see...", no matter how difficult that change might be (Ghandi).

Changes with the staff must work in tandem with changes made by the children.  With only a week and a half left of school, Iulia and I will soon begin to work daily with the children to develop skills such as respect, responsibility, listening to instructions, teamwork, sharing, empathy, and social interest.  Currently I am brainstorming myriad activities and games that promote these skills, as well as brief lesson plans to accompany the practical application.  (Ideas and suggestions are welcomed if you have any!)  Again, this will prove to be quite a feat and the changes we observe will be slow.  The majority, if not all, of the childrens' days are spent in groups with little isolated time.  As I'm sure you can affirm we all need our personal quiet time to unwind, relax, and escape.  Not to mention some children perform homework better when the room is devoid of distraction.  Strategizing how to address this issue is another primary need of the children.  I have faith that the combined efforts of both the children and staff will produce positive results.  Iulia has assured me that each time somebody visits Casa Sperantei to improve the situation at least one thing has improved: "We cannot change everything, but I know that we definitely won't make things worse and something will change for the better."  Failure is inevitable; but my grandpa wisely remarked that the only person who never failed is the person who never tried.

When walking around Campina I have made some observations about the physical environment for people with disabilities.  On the positive side the majority of the sidewalks have curb cuts, crosswalks with easy access for persons with wheelchairs/walkers/strollers are clearly marked with signage, and accessible parking spaces are available.  Unfortunately stairs precede many of the entrances to the stores and the aisles tend to be narrow.  I took a public taxi-van to a nearby town that clearly was not accessible.  However, I have yet to take a public bus, so I cannot comment on their accessibility.  Through my brief strolls through town I have not encountered anybody with a visible disability or using an assistive device. 

Within the past several years children with disabilities have just began integration into schools with non-disabled children.  This process includes the parent making a request for integration (based on medical diagnosis), retrieving paperwork that states an aid/therapist will be able to assist the child, and then presenting the paperwork for the teacher for approval.  Unlike the (usual) daily assistance in the US, the aids/therapists might visit the child on a weekly or monthly basis (sometimes never at all).  Travelling from town to town within a province limits the time able to be spent with each child.  Not to mention the shortage of aids/therapists working within this system.  As a recurring theme, change is slow and stepwise.  But it must come otherwise progress will never occur and life will cease to exist.  "If nothing ever changed there would be no butterflies" (Anonymous).