Our Beginning in Cochabamba

Hello All!!! As I'm sure most of you have noticed, I'm a little late on starting my blog. There are just so many things to do in Cochabamba! We arrived early morning on September 10th and we have been going non stop ever since! Cochabamba is a beautiful city surrounded by glourious mountains which can be seen almost no matter where you are in the city. We're are lucky to be here at the beginning of their spring season; the weather is warm during the day and cool at night, a perfect combination for exploring the city. There are endless things to see and do and I wish I could explain absolutely everything but I'm sure you all do not want to sit and read my blog for hours on end :) Cochabamba is definitely a lively city with the streets always busy and the cafes always full. To say the traffic is crazy here is a bit of an understatement. If you happen to be in the middle of the street while a car is coming at you going fifty mph, watch out!! They do not slow down for anything! There aren't any speed limit signs here and stop lights are often ill regarded. Car seats for children are nonexistent and its common to see four to five people crammed onto one motorcycle.
You can tell there is a high indigenous population here. Many women wear traditional indigenous clothing and they are a large part of the informal economy. Street vendors can be found at all times of the day and there are a number of farmers markets open and bustling on the weekends, selling anthing your heart desires.
Kids often roam the streets alone, sometimes with other kids their age. You also often times see kids sleeping on the streets, probably around the age of twelve and up. For money they clean the windows of cars at stop lights but I imagine this hardly enough for them to live off of. Bolivian law states that once orphans turn twelve years old they can no longer live in the same room as the younger children because they are entering a different stage of their life, thus another home must me found for them. This is a very difficult task and often times the orphanages are unsuccessful in finding other homes so many of the kids are forced to live on the streets. This past Monday we as a group went to Hogar de Ninos to work on the construction of a building that will serve as a home for children ages twelve and older. This is only one step towards trying to keep the children off the street and hopefully many more buildings will be built to help solve this tragedy.
Pounds are also nonexistent here, thus dogs roam the streets, sometimes in large packs, and for the Cochabambinos this is just another part of life. On Sundays they also have a large market outside of the stadium, which we all live very close to, where dogs are sold. You can find almost any breed of any age and seeing this really emphasizes the large population of dogs in need of homes in Cochabamba.
We begin our service work this upcoming week and we are all very excited to get started. We have a choice between CEOLI and Millennium, or if we are able to find the time, we can do both. CEOLI is an organization that works with mentally and/or physically challenged people ages 0-25, teaching them basic life skills and often trying to get them into regular schools, depending on their level of capabilities. CEOLI also has a shop downtown where they sell all sorts of objects made by the children and adults of the organization and the money made goes back into the organization to help keep it running. We saw some of the things they have made and it is absolutely remarkable artwork; those who cannot use their hands use their mouths! Millennium is an orphanage that houses twenty three children ages 0 to six, I believe. There are very short staffed and low on numerous supplies, and donations are very warmly accepted. They are very much looking forward to having us for the semester to help care for the kids. I have chosen to do both since I can't seem to choose between the two. I think it is really a great opportunity to be involved with children and adults who are in great need of love and friendship.
Well that is all for now!! Be back next week with updates on how our volunteer work is going! Hugs to you all!!