Dear friends, I would like to share my experience visiting an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico, in hopes that it will inspire you to participate, donate, and show your love. I had the privilege of getting introduced to the Corazon de Vida Foundation by my friend, Veronica, who has been on many trips with them in the past, and came along with me and my friend Dana on our first visit! A bit of background - Corazon de Vida helps bridge the gap between orphaned children in Tijuana, Mexico and loving people who come to volunteer, sponsor children, and provide generous donations that make meals, clothing, and education available for these amazing kids. There are few things that can compare to the warmth, sincerity, and beauty of a child's smile, and when I saw these children's smiles, I could hardly believe how happy they were in that moment, surrounded by the rubble of Tijuana's houses. You will see the beautiful photos of the time we had bonding with the kids, but I'd like to start off by showing a couple of photos of Tijuana's landscape, and telling you about my journey.
I woke up at 4am, got dressed, packed my supplies into the trunk of my car, and drove to the arranged location to board a charter bus to Mexico at 5:30am. The bus makes 3 stops before the Mexican border - Los Angeles 5:30am, Irvine 6:15am, and San Diego 8:15am. My friend Gayane and her sweet children made a shopping trip to help us with supplies that were much-needed at the Casa Hogar Sion orphanage. Some of the things we bought were shampoo, conditioner, dish soap, toilet paper and toothbrushes. Dana brought giant tubs of detergent, and what looked to be a life-time supply of toilet paper. Once we arrived at the border, we cleared the bus, it got x-rayed, and so did our posessions. We went through customs, and were in Tijuana by 10am. Corazon de Vida sponsors and visits 11 orphanages, but this day, we were at the Casa Hogar Sion - the largest, housing 90-100 children. There is a girl's and a boy's house, each has 2 floors with bunk beds. The children don't have personal possessions - there is one great big closet in each house - they wear whatever is clean and fits them. The dorm rooms may be poorly decorated and tight, but they are clean and bright, and so are the little inhabitants who dwell at Casa Sion.
I am a fluent Spanish-speaker, so communicating with the kids in their language was easy for me, but I can tell you without a doubt - there is no language barrier when it comes to love and care. The children are sweet, shy, and talented. Another volunteer brought a conga and you should have heard the great beats all of the kiddos were producing on that drum! Simply tremendous! The beauty in this photo is Rebecca -she's 9 years old and has 10 siblings, all of whom live at the orphanage... This was very hard for me to take in, and was very painful to hear. Some kids here are orphans, with deceased parents, some are left by parents who can't support them financially. Rebecca really touched my heart. She was playing board games with us, and got a fancy pink manicure and glittery makeup that day. I love her smile, I just adore it, she reminded me of myself at that age! There were little babies at the orphanage, barely 3 months old - Veronica held little Luis, who could barely hold his tiny head up, he was so small... It made me sad, but also made me grateful to know that there are good people out there who will adopt him. Hopefully... I met some young ladies who were academic stars! One just got accepted to Dental school, and the other to Veterinary school! I respect their dedication and hard work on the way to triumph over poverty.
Dana and I didn't waste any time, and jumped in the kitchen at 11am, where we peeled and cut up fruit for a giant fruit salad until 1pm, and then served a mountain of hot rice, broccoli, and chicken to 150 people at lunch. It was a great experience, because we were able to physically help out where we were needed! We played, we made food, we ate, we talked, we drew and colored, we
bonded, and at 2pm, we boarded the bus back to Los Angeles. It was hard
saying goodbye, but I have already signed up for my next trip back to Casa Hogar Sion on December 2nd, 2015 - it's a Holiday trip. Please donate to the cause using this link! I am hoping to raise at least $1000 for the kids by Christmas! I am sure that we can raise that amount and much more if we all pitch in a little (or a lot)! The organizer of the trip, George, pointed out how ripped and destroyed the sofas in the boy's dorm were, and said they desperately needed some leather sofas. I couldn't resist but to offer a pair of mine from the office. They were enjoyed here by clients and staff, but now its time to do some good in Mexico :) I am glad to keep the giving spirit, and I know you will fall in love with these kids, as well. I hope to see you all on my next trip, and remember - open your heart - let love out, let love in :)
https://www.classy.org/dashasaian
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