Arcolris

On Friday night, Alyssa (our new volunteer) and I took four of our girls, Mili, Ana Victoria, Nelcy, and Ermelinda, to a center for kids in the city. This center is similar to Poppy's House in a sense that they bring in kids from poverish-stricken homes, provide them with food, shelter, clothing, and a full education. The difference is that these kids have a family, a home, and a community to go back to whereas at Poppy's House, we are a Crisis-Rescue Center. Most of our girls are here by court order. The kids at Arcolris go home on the weekends and/or the parents come on Saturdays to work with the kids in the garden. Some of our girls aren't even allowed to be in contact with or have visits from their families. Arcolris is more like a boarding school that doesn't cost money to attend. These are kids that just come for the day to go to school and then there are kids that live there full time.

This place was amazing. The set up consists of different "houses" that contain 4-6 girls (ages 3-10), 4-6 boys (ages 3-10), and a house nanna. This house nanna is only in charge of her house. Each house contains one room for the boys, one room for the girls, a room for the nanna, a bathroom, a drying room for clothes, and a common room. Right now, there are three houses full. These houses are spotless. The kids' beds are perfectly made, their uniforms are lined up, their shoes are lined up, and there's nothing on the floor. While our girls "forget" to make their beds or wash their clothes, these kids know their responsibilities and do them. They have a schedule, and they follow it religiously. In the afternoons they have study hall from three to five, and the kids are in the classroom, with the teachers, studying. From five to six is their free time to play outside on the monkey bars or at the soccer field. At exactly six, all the ids go to their houses, change out of their clothes, and line up to take a shower.

There are also teenagers that live at Arcolris and their responsibilities when they're not in school, are to cook and help out the house nannas with the kids. They don't have a punishment system because the kids do what they're supposed to do. I think there is so much we could learn from them but unfortunately there are things we can't control.

For one, Arcolris was founded by a couple from Holland with an organization that had the money to hire workers, teachers, directors, house moms, etc. They had the funding to build this incredible center with houses, classrooms, offices, a kitchen, etc. Also, a major difference is the consistency that this center has with its workers. All of the workers are Peruvian and have been there for the ten or fifteen years that this place has been open. At Poppy's House, directors and volunteers come and go, bringing their different views and opinions, making changes and the girls are never on a consistent schedule or even diet. I think that if were to have that type of consistency, our girls would be so much better off. There may be less "forgetting" of activities, less battles, less punishments, and more learning and success. Our girls would be that much more prepared for their lives outside of Poppy's House.