Sponsor's update from Chaimavida, Chile

Child sponsorship update from the SOS Children's Village Chaimavida, Chile from Winter 2008.

Dear Sponsors and Friends,

We are already in November, and as well as previous years, there are many things to tell about our SOS Children’s Village Chaimávida; we started with the New Year celebration where children were astonished at the thousands of fireworks fall illuminating the Bio Bio River. In Chile only authorized people can handle fireworks, because of fire dangers.

We mentioned last year, we suffered many floods and it was necessary to reinforce the river side. But this year has been just the opposite; a big drought has affected us. During the first semester our water well got dry and we had to move six families to the city with the purpose to relief the water shortage. After two months and after building new water well, the problem was solved.

We want to emphasise the new children’s arrival. The most surprising is their easy adaptation and the welcome the whole family prepares: each mother and all brothers and sisters do their best decorating their new bedrooms, choosing a nice present and preparing delicious things to eat for this special occasion. Many of them, despite to be very young have already lived in different places. They arrive fearful and distrustful and this welcome makes them easier the first day.

At the moment we care 96 boys and girls. Our mothers, especially worried about children’s integral development, asked CEFORMA for a special course about adolescence issues, since this is an important and at the same time complicated stage. This program has been successful, which means a real benefit for our children and youngsters.
In the two Youth Facilities of Concepción, there are living 17 of our youngsters; most of them studying their last high school years and others are on superior levels. Juanita, for example, is doing her thesis on Computing; Francisca is finishing Kindergarten Assistant and Francisco studies Automotive Mechanics Engineering.

Some of our children, still very young, came back to live with their biological families, after a long process of approaching, which was difficult to assume for their Village’s mothers, with whom they for the first time felt love and received necessary cares for their development. But at the same time we are glad to see how their families are in conditions to assume the responsibility for these children can grow together their biological family.

Natalie and José Manuel’s case was delicate, since they arrived to the Village because their mother suffers from a terminal disease. Today, she lives in a basic house and receives, some weekends and with the help of her neighbours, her children. This helps her to go on besides she is very sure her children are well cared and loved in the children's village.

Children growing up at Chaimavida, Chile

During the 2008 summer, older youngsters found different occupations, above all tourism and supermarkets.

We want to highlight a group of youngsters that during two weeks made solidarity helping the poorest children in Lota, an important coal field that started to suffer a huge unemployment and poverty after closing the total of its mines some years ago. In this place and every year is made a free vacation program for poor children and our youngsters worked as monitors on it. They arrived to the Village, totally surprised, touched and sad for their stories but at the same time very happy with their help and support.

Children and youngsters must count with spaces attending their real cultural and sport development needs and activities out of the school. For that we continue this year with diverse workshops and play groups. Each Saturday, youngsters from a church come to offer different activities and teach catechism in a way to prepare our children for their Holy Communion or Confirmation. Children are always waiting for theirs “Salesian Friends”

In Chile there are programmes searching to eradicate and prepare a better country for our children and since only they are the starring, each November come to Santiago to reunite with our President to let her know their main worries, wishes ideas, doubts and experiences. Karina, who is a leader in our community, represented our Village.

We are close to the end of the year, so we focus in the ending of the school year and the proximity of Christmas, occasion where children and adults decorate their houses with big enthusiasm, from the Christmas tree to the crib, in which, by tradition the youngest boy or girl of the house put the figure of Jesus baby after the midnight of 24th. The youngest children look forward the Santa Claus’ arrival, who never disappoints them and despite the heat (in December is summer) he arrives with his long white beard and warm red suit, bringing a big bag filled with candies and presents.

Dear friends and sponsors, in this moment when the financial crisis is affecting us in one way or another, we thank and value your help and wish you a beautiful celebration together with your family and a good year 2009.

Yours cordially,

Raúl Céspedes Anduze
Director SOS Children’s Village Chaimávida.