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 "I met the boys first. They were digging into the packed dirt to make a parking lot. They paused to greet me and continued their work. As they worked, we chatted. I understand little of what they said due to the unfamiliar Spanish dialect. Even so, I managed to communicate my desire to try this shoveling dirt thing for myself. One of the boys handed me a shovel. It was more difficult than I expected. I could hardly break ground! The boys laughed, took my shovel, and continued to work. Even the smallest boys were putting me to shame.
I met the girls shortly thereafter. They had clearly just showered as their hair was wet and smelling quite fruity. They were a cheerful lot, asking me questions, and giving me a tour of their home. One half of the dorm rooms were complete. There was no running water or electricity at that time, yet it was clean and every child had a bed, clean bedding, clothes, and a place to put personal belongings.
I went to bed that night wanting to adopt all of those smiling faces. They had a clean home and hot food, but I didn't see them with all of the things I had growing up. They didn't have two biological parents who loved them unconditionally. They didn't have shopping trips with Mom and ice cream treats with Dad. I noticed their lack of hide-and-seek with neighbors, a room full of toys, and visits to grandparents. That first night, I went to bed feeling sorry for the children of El Girasol.
It didn't take me long to see how much these children do have. After eating with the kids, learning with them, laughing with them, and working beside them, I began to understand. That December, Maria and Profeta arrived for the first time, smiling like they had just won the lottery. It was then that I realized that this home is magical. In a country where hopelessness reigns and poverty abounds, these children have hope, hot meals, a warm bed, school uniforms, and more than they ever dared to dream of. They are free from the tragedies that defined their younger years. They have more supportive brothers and sisters than anyone else I know. They have parents in Juan, Delia, Leo, Eunice, and Laura. They are surrounded with aunties and uncles. They are educated, cared for, and loved. El Girasol houses some of the luckiest kids in all of Peru and perhaps even in the United States. After all, the children of El Girasol can find joy in a game of marbles. They'll use rocks if they can't find the marbles.
I hope that these children find a way to bring more hope and smiles to Peru and the world beyond. I believe someday they will."
-Colleen Burns (Intern Nov-March 2006 & summer school intern Feb. 2007.)
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"I have never been so physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged in my entire life. In the 4 months I lived in Peru I grew more as an individual and learned more about what really matters in life, than I learned or gained in getting my 4 year degree. Before I left I told everyone at home I was going to be an intern with Southern Cross, but when I got down there I became an aunt and a sister and a daughter and at one point a mother. There is nothing more gratifying than knowing that you can make a difference to those children; not just be a student studying in a third world country but becoming a family to kids whose families have been torn apart. A day still doesn't go by that I don't think of my kids, pray for them and look forward to the next time I will get to be with them."
-Linsey Gleed
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