A long day, I started at El Refugio in the morning and then made my way to Timothy's to settle down for an afternoon of administration. I ended up tramping the streets with two of El Refugio's psychologists (Silvia and Sandra), wandering in and out of brothels at four in the afternoon and fending off sugar lows and hyperventilation with Gatorade. OK maybe a slight exaggeration, but there was a lot of nakedness. Such was my first experience of street outreach. Silvia and Sandra were recruiting brothel owners and prostitutes for a meeting next week to discuss the options available to them with regards to official papers and alternative work. Their approach was brilliant; casual, enthusiastic and down to earth. They are fairly well known in the area (Santa Fe) but obviously I wasn't so they flanked me at all times and I will continue to shadow them until I am a bit more of a familiar face.
The visit culminated in one of the sleeping quarters of the young or underage prostitutes. Many were my age and it was good to meet them. I ended up suggesting I come to Santa Fe once a week to teach a group of them some English. They really liked this idea, especially because most of them have such a romantic idea of learning English (often dispelled after a few sessions of Higgins-esque pronunciation bullying) so it looks like I've managed to start my own project, which is exciting.
Being here as an unqualified student is a useful journey of discovery for everyone involved. Timothy has been explaining that it is really all about playing to your own personal strengths, or even just vague interests, and therapy through friendship. As a result, I am going to take on two Fenix girls (the one I mentioned before who broke down the other day and her friend) and begin to create an atmosphere where I can be considered a particular friend. Hannah and Amy do the same sort of thing with two other girls, inviting them to their house and spending time with them, so I will be doing this with Angelica and Alejandra. I have thought of teaching them basic cooking skills so they learn something beyond 'arroz con pollo' and just hanging out, so they feel they have somewhere to go and relax. Like a family environment, which is really what Fenix is all about but it doesn't quite have the resources or space to fulfill this promise for everyone. One of the girls is an orphan and lives with an unpleasant boyfriend whom she hates, and feels trapped because she has nowhere else to go.
The desperately needed sponsorship and donations of individual patrons and those who have given so generously to my father's request at Christmas, means that these girls gain the education to get the economic basis they need to be free. I hadn't realised how much of a direct impact each contribution makes. It is a small organisation and every investment is noted and appreciated so much, even if it is just to buy a calculator or month's bus fair to get to college.
From a personal point of view, I want to thank everyone who has contributed. Timothy puts his life, soul and cash into this project, as do many others, and I genuinely wish I could do more to help monetarily. This is not just giving to some huge charity where money is lost in middlemen and bureaucracy. Where 3000 pesos is about 1 pound, everything goes a long way, and I see the results daily. As I said, many, many thanks.
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