Viernes/Friday

Fridays I begin my day at school. I do therapy with Marguerita, who a five-year-old in Montessori. She is actually not a pequena. She is in the process of being adopted by a volunteer here named Monica. The short story is that Monica, a few years back, was working at an AIDS center for children born with the virus. Marguerita was one of the patients, but as she grew older the virus disappeared and the center would no longer take care of her. Marguerita's mother was a drug addict and also had AIDS, so Monica did not want her to return to the mother. The mother eventually died. Monica decided to adopt Marguerita (who suffers from some form of fetal alcohol/drug syndrome). Being in Honduras, the process is not an easy one. She has now been trying to adopt Marguerita for five years, I believe. Anyways, Marguerita presents with some serious speech-language delays. Next, I do therapy with Pablo and Carlos from "especiales"/special ed. Then it's time for "recreo"/recess where I take care of Joel, another one of the especiales. Joel has been severely abused; he's about 16-years-old, doesn't talk, uses some signs to communicate, drools on everything, and is always hungry! During recreo we get a "merienda"/snack. It is my responsibility to keep Joel from stealing all the other kids' snacks and eat his own. Not an easy job! After recreo I have therapy with Luis, another Montessori student who has HIV and then I head up to Santa Maria Reina, which is the "hogar"/home for the female "especiales". I help out during lunch time. There are three girls (two of them sisters) who all have cerebral palsy: Glenda, Isaura, and Doris. Originally they were brought to the ranch from Casa Angeles thinking that they were higher functioning and would be able to attend school. However, all they do is sit in their wheelchairs and watch telenovelas/Spanish soap operas. I come in around noon, get caught up on the telenovela plot and help them with feeding. Then it's time for me to head to the "cocina", eat lunch, and then I'm off for the weekend!! Fun times :)

**Picture of Marguerita