Hogar El Alba

After months of fundraising for Hogar El Alba ( Home of the Dawn), we finally were able to meet the children and adults at this Argentinian orphanage. Many of us were looking forward to this visit, as we wanted to help out the children as much as possible. Driving into the orphanage, stray dogs greeted us and ran along side our bus. They received a lot of attention during our visit!

The first half of our visit consisted of completing our assigned tasks designated to us by the orphanage, ranging from designing and painting a mural to painting a dining room. My team and I chose the task of painting the bedroom of Martín, a boy who recently received a liver transplant and had complications. Helping out the orphanage was a rewarding experience. Knowing we were helping Martín made my group and I happy as we made one less complication for him. 

After completing our tasks, we were informed what we completed in two hours would have taken the hogar at least ten days on their own. After completion and a lunch of empanadas,  we were able to meet and play with the kids! 

The children only spoke Spanish, but this did not matter for those who only spoke English. Everyone played Baloncesto y fútbol (basketball and soccer) with the children. Later, we all were going to swim in la piscina (pool). Everybody was forming close bonds with the children. 

I spent most of the afternoon with a four year old boy named Jano. Since he didn’t know how to swim, he was upset he couldn’t go in the pool. I carried him in and took him swimming. The joy on his face was priceless. Everyone was swimming, laughing, and jumping. Today was about the kids, and I’m sure everyone would agree the fundraising and hard work we put into the orphanage was worth seeing the excited children. 

Before we left, some students began to cry, as it is hard to see young kids living in an orphanage. One young girl who I was talking to kept repeating she wanted her mother in Spanish. This was heartbreaking, and hearing some of the children’s stories made us so grateful we were able to help at all. 

Before our departure, lots of tears were shed from many of my classmates. We are so grateful to take part in Helping Hogar El Alba. This is a memory we will have for a lifetime.