Inspired by Amanda Soule of SouleMama
{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.
In developing the practical designs from the Vision of Project Somos Children’s Village, we have worked to make every detail amplify the health-giving environment that is favorable to heal the trauma of the abandonment of orphaned and abandoned children. We are aware that architectural designs, gardens, landscaping and an overall atmosphere paying attention to Nature and beauty, will greatly assist the hands on care-giving work. But the positive effect of this curative design will not be only limited to the children, it will become a healing center for all.
Community Hall
Whether physical, psychological, emotional or spiritual challenges, most people have a lengthy journey to harmony and happiness in themselves and many seek out inner and outer assistance, guidance or healing at some point in their life. Our human imperfection is just a fact of being alive and we can chose to deal with it or not – we have the gift of free will. The “self help movement”, as it is called, generated 11 billion dollars in 2008. That’s a lot of people seeking alot of help!
The local visitors, staff, volunteers, and of course the children will all be immersed in the wonderful resonance of the magnificence of Nature. The vista of landscape with the seven volcanoes is awe-inspiring and awe goes along way to healing. The site plan, with colorful gardens, playgrounds, orchards and curved buildings, is being designed to reflect a harmony that will have a positive and penetrating impact upon anyone visiting or living there.
Looking at the world today, it seems obvious in my circle of friends and acquaintances that everyone can use a lift, an encouragement, and affirmation so they can rise to be the person they truly aspire to be. We all can take steps toward realizing our potential and it is our goal and Vision to make that a feasible reality in the real world with Project Somos Children’s Village – for the children and everyone participating. So I say to each and every reader – welcome!
Al the Best,
Greg
Tecpan, Guatemala
Inspired by Amanda Soule of SouleMama
{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.
Inspired by Amanda Soule of SouleMama
{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.
Silence
All is quiet in Tecpán and in the Somos Headquarters/home. I should be relishing this silence. Shouldn’t I? This morning I feel this tinge of sadness. All the volunteers have left. The house and the land were filled with the sounds of young people for those two weeks and now, the silence is deafening.
I’ve written about it before and I am sure I will write about it again. This Project requires a ton of patience. The vision is to provide a loving home and community for vulnerable children. A village isn’t built over night though. It is years of planning, fundraising and constructing. At this time, as we build, it is pretty exciting to observe earth turning to homes, and walls, and gardens but there is still one important facet missing. The children.
Life and Laughter
The young Canadians that populated the land during their Spring Break brought life and laughter to the land. When they welcomed the local children for the activities day, the land came to life. The land is there to embrace children and it is during afternoons like that I am reminded it is coming.
How does that expression go?
Build it and they will come.
-Heather Alicia
Build it and they will come
Lauren laying one of the final bricks in the last section of the wall!
Project Somos recently hosted two high school groups from British Columbia. They assisted us to build a 1/2 kilometer adobe wall which is 4 feet high, using 12,000 blocks. An amazing feat for them and all of the Somos team, but I have come away from the experience realizing that the students may have discovered something which I did not predict or anticipate.
I closely observed the work of these young men and women over the weeks that they stayed with us. Initially there was a burst of energetic enthusiasm which, in a few days was tempered by the strenuous nature of the work. The pace of work leveled off and steadily continued, but an interesting phenomenon happened in the last few days. As the goal of completing the wall came into view, the energetic enthusiasm reappeared.
The last day for each of the schools was jubilant, triumphant, and celebratory. In my observation the students experienced a deep satisfaction and happiness in completing their desired goal. But there was another facet which propelled their happiness and brought them into the field of joy.
Their goal was unselfish, and they would never receive any direct benefit from it. The idea that their work with Project Somos would benefit orphaned and abandoned children here, gave them a happiness only known to those who give from the heart, not expecting anything in return.
Neil happily lays a brick
It is my hope that these intelligent and generous students will seek out other opportunities in their life to experience this quality of engagement – this is a sustainable happiness.
-Greg
Inspired by Amanda Soule of SouleMama
{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.
We are nearing the end of our time with 27 wonderful volunteers, their five teachers and our awesome team of leaders. Many thanks to Southridge School, St. George’s School, Stratosphere International, El Camino VolunTours, Tortilla Productions and to all our amazing workers for a fabulous two weeks. I can’t imagine a more productive time with so many good times! We will soon put together a little slideshow sharing more of the amazing photos captured by many but this evening as we prepare to gather for our goodbye dinner, I’d like to post a few for you to check out.
-Heather Alicia
p.s. Thanks to Kerry Clark and Tanya Tourout for many of these amazing photos! More to come when Word Press isn’t being so difficult!
Saints orientation first day
It's tough competition around here!
Pure Joy!
Down the road on the way to Kids' Day -photo by Kerry Clark
On Friday we held the Kids’ Community Day on the land with our volunteers. We’d put the word out by posting a small poster on our front gate and by handing out little invitations to the kids as they walked by on their way home from school. The kids were thrilled to be invited. To them, it was a big deal. They live in a small and very simple village. Not much happens there and an invitation to anything happens next to never.
About one hundred children arrived on the land over the duration of about an hour. The majority had a wonderful time. There were lots of giggles, screeches of delight and many many smiles. But alas, there were some tears. Tears that wrenched at the hearts of others.
There was one particular little girl who arrived with a group of friends. Rather than taking the roadway off to the edge of the property, they followed the original road which ends at the beginning of our recently plowed field. They made their way through the deep and dusty soil. The little girl tripped and on the way down. lost her flip flop in the soil. She and her friends searched. And they searched some more, with no luck. She arrived at the event, weeping. Some of the volunteers saw the tears, heard the story and went searching for the little sandal.
What’s the big deal about losing a $2 sandal? Don’t we all have closets full of extra shoes? Well, for a little girl, who most likely only has one pair of shoes, this is a big deal. Others got that fact and they headed out searching some more. In the end the flip flop was never found. Her distress waned when we told her that we had some children’s shoes at our home and that on Monday we’d come back with another pair for her.
The Little Sandals
The empathy for that little girl and another little sad boy was huge that day. I watched as everyone did everything they could to fix the situation. I saw tears well up in eyes when they couldn’t make the situation right. Sometimes we can help and sometimes we can’t. Sometimes we just need to be empathetic and “be” there for others that are hurting.
-Heather Alicia
It has been amazing to host the two Canadian high school groups of 27 students for the past week. We are fortunate to have the students of St. George’s of Vancouver, BC and Southridge of Surrey, BC, assisting us for another week. They have been working hard, way outside their comfort zone, on the 1/2 kilometer perimeter wall around the Children’s Village. It has been dirty and heavy work, but they have made great progress.
Kids Day-photo by Kerry Clark
I believe that it is now clear to these two groups that Guatemala is a country with some deep challenges to solve. One of the most apparent is the deep poverty in the rural countryside. Being Canadian myself, I commented to the group that our profound privilege of living in Canada is to have an abundance of opportunities, which, in Guatemala, only exists for the few. When I thanked them for assisting Project Somos and explained that our core mission is to offer children opportunities to have a good life, I believe they understood and really “got it”.
This point of offering opportunities to children was further illustrated when we had the “kids day,” completely organized by the students. The young Canadians saw the beauty and innocence of the 100 Chivarabal children and their ability to be creative and immediately participate in new activities. I observed that everyone was moved – the children, students, teachers, tour leaders and Alicia and I. There was alot of laughter and even some tears of joy.
Activities galore!-photo by Kerry Clark
Many times in my life I have lost my awareness of my privilege in life and consequently lost gratitude, as I believe awareness of privilege precipitates gratitude. I was like a fish in water, losing awareness of that life giving medium that surrounded me. It is my hope that these young, energetic, intelligent young adults will continue to leverage their privilege of opportunities for those who do not have a privileged life and struggle to just survive.
Saludos,
Greg
On Tuesday the rains arrived right on schedule. Antolin had informed us they would begin on the 13th. They started in Tecpán on the 13th and in Chivarabal on the 14th. We all hooted with delight when they arrived. The soil is now happily soaking up the moisture and all the farmers are breathing a »Read More…
When Greg and I were back in Canada in the Fall, we had the opportunity to visit Glenlyon Norfolk Elementary School in Victoria, BC. We met with the Grade 3 class who at the time were studying architecture. We showed some slides and our video and then opened up the floor to questions. What a »Read More…
Lately we have had a few “tastes” of what is inevitably coming as a full course liquid meal. Sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon and then…Bang – thunder, lightning and torrential rains. After an hour of this, the streets are like creeks, running at top speed to find the lowest point. The rainy »Read More…
