The children received a giant splash of colour and excitement into their lives last month with the arrival of six Spanish women for a two week stay. Three of the girls came from Asociación para la Solidaridad, while the others worked with Atresmedia and arrived as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility program, Voluntarios Atresmedia. The two teams only met for the first time at Madrid airport prior to their departure but became a very close group of friends almost immediately. They brought great energy and a sense of fun to Sarnelli House and the children loved them for it. The girls’ visit coincided with a six-day holiday to celebrate the beginning of Buddhist Lent so the children were off school for large parts of their stay. Alejandra, Emilia, Paula, Elizabeth, Miriam, and Jimena threw themselves into Sarnelli life with great gusto, running, jumping, dancing, playing on the floor, drawing, teaching, and endless games and activities. The kids can sometimes take a while to get used to new guests but were instantly smitten. The six girls spent most of their time at the Jan & Oscar and St. Patrick’s houses, as well as the nursery, as the smaller ones were more responsive to the activities and there was great energy and laughter at each visit. The six girls had their faces painted and hair braided, while some of the older children learned flamenco dancing on top of all the other exciting activities.
Sarnelli House is always in need of energetic volunteers to play with the children. Kids need to play, to use their imaginations and to be active, physically, socially and mentally, and while our staff are loyal and hardworking, some of them are getting on in years and it is hard for them to get on the floor and play with all the little ones. Our two Thai teachers do a great job educating and playing with the children, but it is always good to have new people with new ideas. While the six Spanish girls were only here for a short time, they made a lasting impact with their selfless energy and instant love for the children. We would like to thank “Las Chicas” for their visit, friendship, and fun, and also Asociación para la Solidaridad and Voluntarios Atresmedia for their support.
