It’s funny how you don’t notice how much you use something until it's gone. Or it’s broken. For the Catholic Sisters at the Apopa Youth Center, that thing is a printer. A printer is an incredibly useful tool to the Sisters. But it’s not only useful – sometimes, it can mean keeping kids safe. “When we print things, we have to search for different places in town,” said Sister Conchi, lamenting the fact that their office printer is currently defunct. “And we can’t send our youth coordinators to go print because it could be dangerous for them.” Apopa sits at the center of three rival gangs, making it treacherous for people to walk around freely. We saw an easy way we could help everyone stay out of the violence. We went out and purchased a printer for the Sisters, and voila! They could get printed materials safely again. “This is also going to be helpful for them to do homework,” said Sister Conchi. “They won’t have to go anywhere else.” Having access to things like a … [Read more...] about Under One Roof
Archives for May 2018
Learning and Growing
Like many Catholic Nuns around the world, the Sisters at the Youth Center in Apopa believe in the power of education to transform. They know that a love of learning instilled early can blossom into opportunities, can be the spark to transform generations. That’s why it’s so important that in the Sister's kindergarten classes, they have the right tools to help kids learn and achieve. And according to Sister Conchi, education can also help them escape the cycles of poverty and violence. "Everyone is thinking about how they can be happy and grow,” she said. “If those guys don't become gang members, we have improved a lot." Because they’re limited on resources, reaching as many kids as they’d like to can be tough. But we wanted to give them the tools to be the best possible teachers for these little ones as they can be. And for Day 150, that came in the form of more educational materials! Yanira, one of the kindergarten teachers, went out to buy the supplies. She got … [Read more...] about Learning and Growing
Different Ways to Learn
All teachers know that different kids learn in different ways. And at the Youth Center in Apopa, El Salvador, the Catholic Sisters know that as many different kinds of lessons they can offer, the better. That’s why they really wanted a TV and DVD player for their kindergarten classes. “We’d use educational movies to help teach them the ABCs, numbers, and colors,” said Dorita, one of the youth coordinators. “We would take the best possible advantage of it.” For Day 149, the fix was an easy one – we bought the TV and DVD player and brought it over to the center! “This is so great,” said Dorita. “I’m grateful because you’ve brought many smiles and motivation for youth.” These kids don’t have a lot of access to educational resources, so watching DVDs is a way to bring the outside world to them. “It may seem small,” said Sister Conchi, “but for them it’s a lot.” … [Read more...] about Different Ways to Learn
A Little Rest
Little kids have so much energy. But sometimes, they wear themselves out. Those times call for a nap. The Catholic Sisters who run the preschool and kindergarten programs at their Youth Center really wanted a space where the kids could take a break. A comfy spot where, if they needed to, the little ones could wind down and dream for just a few minutes. “Sometimes the teachers bring towels for the kids to use during naptimes,” said Dorita, a coordinator at the center who works with the littlest kids. We thought we could help them do better than that. Today, we created a nap area for the kids at the Youth Center, complete with pillows, light blankets, and kid-sized mattresses. Right away, the kids hugged their pillows tight and laid on the mattresses to practice napping. There was a bit more squirming and laughing than what normally happens during naptime, but the teachers were thrilled. “I felt really happy when I found out about this!” said Dorita. “I saw the … [Read more...] about A Little Rest
A Spot to Land
As one of the only places where young people can relax and be free of worry from the gang violence that surrounds them, the Youth Center run by the Sisters in Apopa, El Savlador is vital to inspiring hope and joy in their community. The Sisters try to offer a variety of activities at the center – they’re always looking for ways to keep kids interested and having fun. And one of those ways is through breakdancing and Tae Kwon Do! Javier, now a coordinator at the center, stuck around at first because he discovered a love of breakdancing. “I started here when I was 15 years old,” he said. “It’s been three years. First, I came for computer classes but then I saw some kids dancing…and that’s what motivated me.” The problem is, the floors of the youth center are all tile and cement. Which, as you can imagine, make for a pretty tough surface for things like breakdancing and Tae Kwon Do. So the kids and the Sisters had a request – and we had an easy fix. “With some soft … [Read more...] about A Spot to Land
Welcome to El Salvador!
Today, we’re heading across the ocean from our Youth Center in Za’atari Refugee Camp to another center, a safe space just as full of joy, healing, and friendship. Welcome to El Salvador. The Youth Center - run by Catholic Nuns - is in the town of Apopa. It's an oasis of comfort in an otherwise difficult neighborhood. At the crossroads of three violent and rival gangs, the center is that rare spot where young people and their families can go to simply be themselves. One of the programs run by the Sisters is a kindergarten. Every single morning, young ones from town come to learn and socialize. And their mothers can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that even for only a few hours, their kids are safe with the Sisters. If they could, the Sisters would have every child in the community at the Youth Center’s kindergarten class. But they simply don’t have enough resources to go around. But one of the things they’re lacking was so simple – more tables and chairs. “Our dream … [Read more...] about Welcome to El Salvador!
An Inspiration to All
When we met Ahlam yesterday, we knew she was special. Not only because she was succeeding in her business, but she has also found a way to empower women to open their own businesses in the camp. For Day 145, we wanted to do something for Ahlam that might help her continue to lift up others by sharing her craft...with even more supplies! Ahlam has already trained nearly 200 women in soap-making and perfumes. But she's not just teaching skills on how to make soap - she also works with the women on concepts like presentation and marketing. "This helps women build their inner confidence and be strong," she says. "As women, we have to stay strong and assert ourselves." Now the sales of the soaps all goes back to the women in the training program, to help them grow their businesses. Ahlam herself didn't have formal training, and much of her business was trial and error. She says it took a lot of grit and determination to make it where she is. “When I meet with the … [Read more...] about An Inspiration to All
Meet Ahlam
There are not many women-owned businesses in Zaatari camp. So we knew when we met Ahlam today, that she was special. Ahlam started making medicinal and perfumed soaps as a hobby two years ago. Initially, she was just looking for something to keep her busy and provide a little pocket money. Now, she is one of the most sought-after soap-makers, selling her soaps in markets in Amman, and even teaching others her craft. She used to receive supplies from a community organization, but they stopped distributing supplies in January. She needed the supplies to begin her business over again. Today, we surprised Ahlam with new soap making supplies and molds! "She had tears in her eyes – she was so touched," said Manar from our team. And Ahlam herself was screaming in excitement when she saw one particular item. "I've been looking for these soap molds!" she said. Being a business owner has its challenges, especially as a woman in Za'atari. But Ahlam meets those challenges … [Read more...] about Meet Ahlam
A New Uniform
Mohamad Al Shami is one of a true Changemaker in Zaatari Camp. He's the sports facilitator and plans outreach to help refugee youth stay active and involved. Mohamad said that most kids can’t afford clothes or shoes for sports. They typically come to the youth center with the same clothes every day and play barefoot. But, they're very dedicated in training, and love to play in tournaments! “I see these boys almost every day, usually in the same clothes," said Mohamad. "I realized that giving them a sports uniform will have a huge effect on how they feel and how they see themselves.” Mohamad had an idea - he suggested getting shorts, t-shirts, and shoes for 20 youth who play soccer at the center. “These youth received something without feeling like they need to achieve something specific to deserve a nice set of clothes," he said. "It’s not a prize. It’s something for you, because you are human and you love to play soccer!” The boys were so happy! They kept … [Read more...] about A New Uniform
A Place to Sleep
Living with cancer is difficult and exhausting, and as a refugee it's even harder. Today we wanted to make life just a little easier for Yamen, a seven year old living in Za'atari who is taking chemotherapy for his cancer treatments. When we met with his family, we asked how we could help support Yamen. "It would be lovely if he has a bed, because he is laying down most of the time," said his mother, "I don’t like that he is on the ground." A simple thing like a bed for a boy that was already dealing with so much? We knew we had to act. We went to work to find a carpenter in the community who could help make a bed for Yamen on short notice. "This would help make life for Yamen more comfortable," said teammate Georgie, "but would also support someone in the community with some extra income." The amazing part is that the carpenter built a beautiful bed in about one hour! We loaded the bed on a donkey cart and moved it about ½ mile across camp to Yamen's home. His … [Read more...] about A Place to Sleep