Hogar de los Angeles

Hi, arrived in San Miguel Allende yesterday afternoon. This is my tree room at the Volunteer House - love it: so much light. Has a roof terrace but I haven't been brave enough to make it up the ladder yet. Started in La Guarderia this morning with the Monday morning Flag ceremony. The children, all 100 of them, wear white clothes on a Monday as a sign of respect for the flag and their country. I was supposed to be in the babies' room but ended up giving two of the toddlers their breakfasts. That was the easy bit, think they were breaking me in. Donna, the founder of the project, then took the seven of us on a tour of another of her projects which I'll tell you about in the next post. When we got back I went to the babies' room, all eleven of them, from 3 to 8 months and just the teacher and me. Carrot soup for lunch: four babies at a time, got a bit messy. That WAS the easy bit. After lunch they were laid down in cots, 3 to a cot, so that the chairs could be cleaned.

I had six in 2 cots and the 3 month gorgeous baby girl in her little rocky chair, swaddled the way I was shown to swaddle my first two when they were born. She was as good as gold once she'd got her bottle but the rest, OMG, one started to cry and it was contagious. They all seem to have colds so you can imagine!!! I ended up picking them up, one by one, holding one and giving a bottle to another in the cot: just for my own sanity. Got them more or less settled, Vero the teacher changed them one by one, and they were happy clean wee bunnies when their Mums came to collect them:)

When Donna came to San Miguel twelve years ago she wanted to make a difference but had the sense to talk to the local woman about what they felt was lacking in the community. Over 100 of them said a safe place for their children when they were working. So she set up the Daycare in what is now the Volunteer House for the children of mainly single mother, low income households. The Director, Miguel, visits the home of every one who applies for this free daycare facility, there are many stipulations, one of which is that the mother has to be in work at least 3 days a week.

If they aren't their children are looked after for two weeks to give them the opportunity to find work. The mothers also have to work one hour a day at the Centre before taking their children home with them. Eligible mothers also can have Comida, the afternoon meal, and there are some older children who come after school to wait for younger siblings, etc. I think there are six classes from babies to 4 year olds with two qualified teachers on site who then act as co-ordinators for the other four.

When we arrived back from our tour about 12.15 the place was entirely quiet, except for the babies' room, because ALL of the 100 or so children were having their naps. Carolyn, the Volunteer Co-ordinator, took me around to introduce me to the teachers and it was lovely to see all the wee ones snuggled on mats sound asleep. This wonderful, happy place is funded entirely by donations from individuals and by fundraising events. Anyone can donate via Paypal on the website and even request that the donation is used for vegetables, fruit, nappies, play resources, books, whatever. http://casadelosangeles.org/