First day of work

So we finally started work this week. And lets just say it wasn`t quite what we thought it would be.

We are working for a organization called Fundacion Amanacer, which is basically an orphanage run by Catholic nuns. They have about 7 different houses in total, all for different age groups. The house we are working at, Salomon Klein, is for children 0-7 years of age.

Our first day, we get there, and we finally meet Emma, who is the head person at Salomon Klein (SK for short). Now, neither of us were expecting a big welcome party or anything, but we did hope and expect that at least the head person at SK would know that two canadians would be coming for an internship and working from mid-Oct till end of Feb. But no one seemed to know anything, and it felt like we were just showing up out of no where and wanting to volunteer. Which, maybe that is just how things are run there, because they do seem to have a lot of volunteers, and I guess volunteers are always coming and going, so maybe they don´t really keep track.

Anyhow, so we talked to Emma, and we wrote our name, citizenship, date we start
working, our hours, and when we will finish volunteering. For our hours, she
suggested just afternoons. At first, she suggested 3-6pm, Monday to Friday. But
then we said well, this is what we are here to do, and we are supposed to work
a certain amount of hours per week. But then she kind of said that they don´t
need us in the mornings, and so then suggested, ok why don´t you come in 2-
6:30. And she went on to say that we can fulfill our hours by working on
weekends when we can. It felt like there wasn´t much more we could discuss
about that, and i didn´t feel they should have to accomodate our plans or
expectations, so we left it at that.

Then, she said there is space now to work in the room with the infants. And it
seemed that we would be working there in that room for the whole time we are there, one of the reasons being that they want the children to get used to the volunteers somewhat, instead of seeing new faces everyday.

So we were put in a room with infants, from 0 - 1 year olds. And that day,
we worked from 1-6:30. And basically what we did was take care of the babies,
as in hold them, change their diapers, help change them to put them to bed.

The thing is that beacuse the babies don´t talk...we aren´t talking
either...there are a few other local workers in the room but everyone is busy
taking care of the babies that, other than giving us directions, we don´t really
speak with them. (maybe that will change as we get to know them better, but its
always busy in the room, because there are always diapers to change, babies to
feed, etc etc.) And the other few volunteers are actually from the US and 2 Canadians... so we speak english with them.

After we finished work that day, Tiana and I were a little bit frustrated. I love babies, and the babies are absolutley beautiful, and of course someone has to do this job, but if that`s all we`re doing here.... its just not stimulating enough. I don´t feel we are getting much out of our experience here. Sure, i`ll be able to change a diaper in less than 15 seconds but how is that going to help me get a job in my field? And what was the point of learning Spanish? If we are working in that room every afternoon from monday to friday for the next 4.5 months, I can promise you that i`ll forget more spanish than learn it.

We are considering asking Emma if its possible to work maybe 2 or 3 shifts with
children just a little bit older, but we are not sure if that is possible, or
if that is an inconvinience for them. But since they seem to only need us in the afternoons anyways, i will look for something to do in the mornings, and hopefully enrich my experience that way!