Ilori Workshop – 4 September 2009

Today is a big day for the kids.  We are taking them to the Theme Park (El Parque de Diversions) of San Jose.  They have been looking forward to it for a long time.  Ercy worked out a deal and as September is the month of the child, we can take two children for the price of one.  Some money we pool ourselves and we managed to get some donations as well.
Ercy, Angelica and I arrive and see an ocean of anxious faces waiting for us.  They run up to us and give us a hug.  They are so excited!  We put them in two rows and start counting, there are 58 kids.  Some mothers came as well as they will help us look after them once we are inside the park and take them on the rides. Ercy goes to buy the tickets and we take photos of the kids.  They always get so excited when we take photos and want to see them over and over again.  Fabiola, a girl of about 13 that I had met on one of the previous workshops, comes over and gives me a hug.  I gave her a present for her birthday last year, and as it was the only present she got, she says that I am like her older sister.  Ercy comes back and we get ready to go in. 
We go to the picnic area and give them some fruit to eat.  They play for a while and we take some more pictures.  Thank God for digital cameras!  Time to go on the rides.  Some mothers are still sitting around and eating, and I feel like telling them “Come on, go, your kids are waiting impatiently!”  but I restrain myself.  Some of the kids have climbed on the little train and wave and scream excitedly.  Angelica and I go to see if we can find any kids so we can take more photos and maybe go on a few rides ourselves.   While we are sitting there waiting for some kids to go on a ride, two of the mothers sit with us.  They did not have money to pay to go on the rides so we end up giving them our bracelets so they can go with their kids.  They are really happy as they have never been before and go off. 
Time for lunch, so we go to the picnic area.  They will have pasta and juice full of fruits.  Usually we do a few yoga and visualization exercises but no chance of this today as they are too hungry and excited to settle down.  Angelica will be taking even more photos and I am in charge of dishing out the juice, not an easy task as they keep coming back for more.  I am surrounded by little hands holding a glass and I try to be as fast as I can.  Fortunately we have a big container so there is enough for everyone.  Most of them come back for seconds of the food and we give the mothers food as well.  After eating we sing some songs with them and they goof around while we pack up everything.  For us the workshop is officially finished but some will stay and go on more rides.  They help us carry our things and we say goodbye.  Another day well spent!
So, even though sometimes we are tired or want to do something else, we make sure that we do not miss any of the workshops.  Giving these children, and through them their mothers, a few hours of happiness makes it all worthwhile.  Thank you to the people that donated, you helped us to make this possible!