Dulce Refugio (Sweet Refuge)

            Sweet Refuge began in 2009 after seeing the great need to assist children affected by HIV/AIDS. Our main objective is to provide an environment where they can find physical, emotional and spiritual support through which joy and hope may be found during their childhood in spite of the adversities they face. We have a children’s room where there is time for educative and fun activities, a place where they can enjoy being children. We also offer counseling and social assistance where we accompany the families with a holistic approach by also providing clothes, medicine, dental care, powdered milk for babies up to 12 months old, school supplies among other things.

           We see an imminent need to provide integral development to these children affected by HIV/AIDS, being that they face so many challenges such as extreme poverty, desertion, rejection, fear of the death of loved ones, sickness, discrimination and much more. Our goal is not only to be a centre where we help families in the moment by giving the child supplies and attention – but we also seek to provide essential tools which will give them the opportunity to face the future with more security. This is accomplished through educational talks offered monthly on health, hygiene, HIV/AIDS prevention, and other topics, as well as workshops which give them tools to generate income. We also implement projects where they learn skills such as money management, saving, setting goals which they learn to reach through their own effort, among other valuable life skills.

        Sweet Refuge has more than 1,000 children registered and we know there is much work ahead, seeing the government is overloaded in the area of the Protection of Children At Risk, especially of those who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our vision is to expand our services in some specific areas such as social work where we can do a complete follow up of families with children in risk of abandonment or living in extreme poverty. In order to face and accompany these children in the best way possible, we dream of having a team of professionals equipped to assist every child according to his or her psychological, emotional and/or intellectual needs. We seek to provide opportunites such as scholarships through which a child can integrate in society and have the adequate tools to face his or her future. We also need our own building, specifically constructed for children and the activities developed throughout the day.

            We invite you to be a part of this vision and sow into fertile soil as we plant seeds of hope and offer opportunities to our children. They are the future of our country, but their present lives can be touched through our helping hands. 

Where has the time gone??

    Another month has flown by and there is so much going on! Tummy is growing steadily.. although it's still only a small package to carry.

Our Dulce Refugio team.. with those going
and those coming.
Top: Bianca (teacher) and Laura (accountant)
Next 4 starting from left: Claudia, Wendy
Yenny, Noelia.
Bottom 3 starting from left: Evelyn, Ana
Alicia.

    In Dulce Refugio things are picking up pace and there is a never ending list of things to do and changes to deal with. Ana (working with the database) and Evelyn (morning teacher in the children's room) left the team in May. Several new people came on board - Sylvia is helping us in the area of counselling, Claudia is in the area of counselling and also helps with getting donations. Romina is temporarily taking Ana's place on the computer, keeping the database updated. We hope that she will be making a long-term commitment with us and since she is a Social Worker, she'll be moving from the computer to another department in Dulce. =) Yenny started in the month of March, she is our much-needed and long-awaited psychologist. She is doing an amazing job working with the teachers in the children's room, and spending a lot of time with the children, doing counselling and evaluations with some of the more "difficult" children (due to abuse and other problems). Then, end of June we loose 2 more members of our team that have been here since last year.. Alicia who was in charge of the area of counselling and social work and Noelia, who was working in the area of proyects and donations. So, needless to say.. there is a lot of shifting around, evaluating, orientation of new staff, finishing off different proyects and working on improving and stabilizing every area as much as possible. There is always more then enough to do in the "improvement and stabilizing" department... Dulce Refugio is still in construction with so much to learn and get set up yet. But, I thank God everyday for His faithfulness and presence even when the process He takes us through can seem so frustrating, confusing or hurtful a times.
   I ask for your prayers during the month of June as we face the many changes, work on completing proyects, finalize with some workers while orientating new ones, dealing with the daily demands and prepare for a new campaign. The campaign is specifically to ask for donations for the children in Dulce Refugio, we are in desperate need of milk, clothes, shoes, diapers, and toys! Winter is right around the corner and mothers are asking everyday for any one of these items and we are very low in stock. So, we ask for your prayers for this campaign as well, that God would provide in abundance for our little ones in Dulce Refugio! (P.S. There are more than 1,000 children registered in Dulce Refugio)

Our good-bye party for Ana and Evelyn!!