Project Information

Hola..

It´s been brought to my attentoin that my blog consists of too many sily stories and useless info and not enough details of the work and the projects..sorry mum! So I´ve put together some notes on the projects of Mosoj Yan..

The Centro de Trabajadoras is for high risk young girls of about primary school age whose mothers mostly work on the street selling things. It´s a bit like a homework club. The girls have some lessons. This week a heaslice epidemic broke out so they brought someone in to talk about that and have their heads all showered with chemicals! The girls get breakfast and lunch here. In the afternoons there is a changeover when the younger girls leave and teenage girls arrive. Some of these older girls have come through the other Mosoj Yan centres and now back living with families. They come to get vocational training here. Products they make are sold in the Mosoj Yan shop (bread, cards, bags..). Hannah W and Emma are helping out here now.

The Centro de Motivacion is mostly practical work on the streets. This part of the project provides access to hygiene, life skills and sex education. The aim is to motivate girls to want to change and come off the streets into one of Mosoj Yan´s centres. Due to the full-on ness (no other way to describe haha) of this work none of us will be involved with it.

The Centro de Renovacion is a home for girls who have chosen to change. The girls may have addictions to drugs an alcohol. The staff team includes a psychologist, social worker, educators and a house mother. The girls may have babies which come into the house with them. Currently there are 4 girls and 1 baby in the centre. There were 5 girls, but one was évicted´along with her baby earlier this week. This is not a regular occurance but rule and method must be followed and the girls must have a genuine desire to better themselves. The door will be open if this girl is 14 and her child do wish to return. Katie and Heather are helping at this project now.

The Alberge de Restoracion is where Hannah S-R and I are placed now. It is a home for girls who either have successfully changed through the renovation centre or whose situations were not as severe and could enter straight into this project. This centre aims to prepare the girls to return home or live with some family member. The staff team again includes a psychologist, a social worker, an educator, a practical skills teacher and a house mother. At present there are 7 girls here. There is talk of one girl)and her baby) from the renovation centre moving in shortly but I don´t know much about that situation yet. Three of the girls go to school in the afternoon. The girls learn how to cook, clean, wash clothes, do gardening, and skills such a crochet and knitting. All skills to prepare them for leaving the centre and beginning to look after themselves properly when they mocve back home.

As Mosoj Yan is a Christian organisation, every centre is run by passionate Christians. The main aim of the centres is to provide physical and emotional support, but they manage very well to integrate bible studies and play Christian music etc., and of course the very example of the leaders! At every centre the girls are encouraged to pray - they must say Grace before their meals, etc.. The linking between centres means that although a girl may only stay at one centre for a few months to a year, they are still a part of Mosoj Yan and build strong relationships with the staff.

I hope this gives you a clear picture of the work I´m involved with out here and I´m sorry it´s taken me until now to clarify.(mum!) It´s just that with such bust days and so many things happening I´m bursting with things to share with everybody and get carried away and leave out the facts. But there you go, now back to my stories..