Peru and Bolivia!

Peru and Bolivia!

The trip to Peru and Bolivia was absolutely amazing! We first travelled to NPH Peru, which was very modest but we were impressed with the amount of work that had been done for the 99 children that call it home. We found ourselves desperately needed from the moment we arrived. From the very first day, there was plenty for us to get involved in – from clearing land to planting trees, painting children’s houses and caring for the toddlers.

We met children who were sold by their own parents, forced to work and living in unimaginable situations, yet they are so grateful for what they do have and looking forward to having fulfilling lives ahead of them. The children cried with happiness when I gave them their gifts from New Zealand sponsors. Simple gifts, like a set of colouring pencils, had an enormous impact on these children. One young Peruvian boy, Evaristo had run away from home after being abandoned by his parents, and was taken to the desert to work as a child slave. For him, coming to NPH was a salvation. Receiving a personal letter from his Godmother in Auckland, New Zealand was an overwhelming experience, letting him know that he was loved and cherished from someone outside the realm of his home.

Two highly successful kiwi filmmakers whose work has included projects on Lord Of The Rings, Zorro and Spartacus, accompanied us on the trip. They filmed this moment with Evaristo, along with many others and are working on putting together an incredible documentary of our October volunteer trip!

While in Peru we experienced some harsh realities. I was quite shocked at the lack of resources in the homes. Due to an unexpected lack of donations the kids only eat one piece of fruit per week and a limited amount of meat. The homes are having to lay off child psychologists and even the armed security guards, which is a frightening thought. The donations from you generous New Zealander’s truly went a long way, and as you can imagine, the children were extremely thankful to receive them.

A few days later we visited a local slum in a desert with a few of the older boys and girls to see where they came from. It was a eye opening experience for the kiwi volunteers. We also visited a humble older man who lived in the jungle. We learnt that he was the father of 4 young girls who lived in the NPH orphanage. He began to cry when he told us how he could not care for his daughters and left them alone every day to search for work. They were at risk of being raped and had to protect themselves. He felt ashamed for not being able to care for his girls, but was immensely grateful that they are now in a safe place and attend school.

In Bolivia, I met my beautiful 5 year old Goddaughter, Lisbeth for the first time. I had been writing letters with her for one year. Lisbeth and her siblings were neglected and lived in very unsanitary conditions after her Father died some time ago and her mother abandoned her. It was incredible to see that the $40 a month I had been sending NPH Bolivia had gone directly to buying Lisbeth all of her clothes, food and schoolbooks. When I asked Lisbeth what she wants for Christmas, she asked just for some more bread! I cannot wait to go back and visit Lisbeth and take another kiwi volunteer work team back to NPH Peru and Bolivia in July 2013.

I had time to reflect on the privileged life we have in New Zealand in comparison to the children that live in Peru and Bolivia. We are so lucky our own children will never face starvation. If a child is sick or their parents cannot provide food, our Government will help. In Bolivia, if a child is sick or starving, there is no government support. I made a promise to the man in the jungle and the children at the NPH homes that we would spread the word to the people in our country to give his children the future and the education they deserve.

Enjoy the photos and until next time, adios!

And We're Back!

Things have been going unbelievably well here. We have been busy with events, prepping for our trip to Peru & Bolivia (if you haven't signed up yet, it's a trip you're not going to want to miss), and we have really set sail on helping the children of NPH. Thank you for all of the amazing support. We wouldn't be where we are today without you. The constant drive and motivation to help the children of NPH is absolutely incredible. Thank you!!!

This month's blog is from Avriel Burlot, communications volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Avriel has been at the home for over a year now and is planning on completing a second year as well. She is one of the best volunteers the NPH DR home has- from her smile, ability to get many things done at once, her motivation and drive, and her love for the kids is 100% contagious.

Paradox

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” -Mother Teresa

I’m sorry I’ve started to fall of the face of the blog planet lately but it’s been quite a crazy ride.  Since I last updated everyone, I was about to have a blast of a weekend off with a bunch of my batey kiddos.  I suppose I could start us off from there. 

Hey Adonis!

That weekend Kristen, Madelon and I went to Batey Monte Cristi, La Varsa and Nuevo to play with the kids there.  These are all areas I’m sure sound familiar because I mention them a fair amount on the blog but over the year I have gotten to know some of these kids and families very well.  We played with bubbles, read Dr. Seuss and colored.  These kids define the idea of enjoying the simplest things. That was pretty much the highlight of the weekend and the rest was just some relaxing, girls night and prepping for Haiti. 

Batey Monte Cristi

To preface this next part though, one of my kiddos in Santa Maria just recently passed away.  His last few weeks were hard and I haven’t really been able to process it all, let alone write about it, until ahorita (nowish).  Two weeks ago Berhman was in the hospital again and the doctor in Santo Domingo said that there was nothing more we could do and he was reaching his last days.  Normally when our Santa Maria children leave back to Haiti they take the bus but Berhman wouldn’t have been able to make that trip so we got him on the next flight out. My last hour with my little man was spent him resting on my lap and the two of us singing to Justin Bieber (a common pass time of ours when he was in the hospital too).  This is how I want to remember him, his genuine smile and overall strength to go through what no one should ever have to go through.  The good byes at the airport were rough but he made it on the flight safely and was soon after in the loving arms of his father.  This was two Tuesday’s ago. 

That following Monday I was off to Haiti again.  We arrived after a long ride and complications at the border and the first piece of news I was given was that Berhman had passed away that morning at 6AM.  He was surrounded by his family and loved ones and thanks to the doctors, he was able to pass peacefully and I hope painless.  He’ll always be my little man and I miss him so much already but at the same time I know he is in a better place. 

RIP cheri mwen

I let this information saturate but I had to keep moving along with what I needed to do in Haiti.  The week was good.  Productive meetings with the doctors and social workers, playing cards with my kids in the hospital and at FWAL, soccer and even a few hours up at Kenscoff. Also, we had a Santa Maria reunion and nearly ten of my kids who have passed through the program were all together, with their mothers, at the same time.  All happy and healthy.  I was so happy that I nearly cried.  Pause, I did cry.  This program, Casa Santa Maria, is fuerte but I love it with all of my heart.  It does embody the quote that I mentioned above. 

FERNANDO!

FWAL

Leonelson and his brothers

LURDI!!!!

Kenscoff

Sup Marie Lucie

FWAL

Mango kiddos!

So Haiti came and went and then I was back in the DR.  Everyone is doing well here.  One of the older boys in my house moved up to an older boys house and we got a new kiddo, SANTOS! We went to the beach on Saturday which was a blast but sadly cut short due to a big storm.  Also, Nicki, an ex volunteer, is back to visit and we are going to hopefully do some fun house activities with her. 

Welcome to Santa Teresa Santos

Yesterday we had a volunteer dinner at Pate Palo in Santo Domingo. Seriously, the BEST FOOD EVER!  It was also nice to have a volunteer bonding night and away from NPH.  

Staying for more than a year!

Volunteers September 2012

Sending tons of love home and it has been decided that I will be home for a little vaca in late winter! WOO!

Avriel Burlot

Everybody Wants a Thrill 

http://avrieldr.blogspot.com/ 

Mt. Hobson School is AWESOME

Article on children at Mt. Hobson School in Auckland who have agreed to run for the children of NPH. We more than appreciate their love and support!!! They are ROCKSTARS!!! Good luck to all the participants!!! Run Hard! We are cheering for you!! 

Sandy & Brito sending their support! 

Smerlin (NPH DR) shows his excitement! Look at that smile! 

Students at Mt Hobson School in Auckland have started a 6 week personal running challenge to raise money for orphaned and abandoned children in Latin America and the Caribbean.  

The students run 1km every Friday and record their best times, adding these together until they have their best 10km time. 

Mt Hobson’s principal, Alwyn Poole, needs to beat the fastest time at the 10km Barry Kurtis fun run in November, or treat the students to lunch.The students have been given an individual fundraising goal of $100 each; which will go to helping the children of NPH.

NPH New Zealand was established in 2012 to help provide education, healthcare, and a loving family home to orphaned, abandoned and abused children around Latin America and the Caribbean.

NPH’s first home was established in Mexico in 1954 by Father William Wasson. NPH has since expanded to have homes in 9 countries across the region and has helped save and raise over 25,000 children in its homes and hospitals. NPH’s mission is to give hope to these homeless and abandoned children, and provide them with the training, resources and support to become valued members of the community and end this cycle of poverty and abandonment.

NPH New Zealand is constantly looking for volunteers, sponsorship and assistance with fundraising initiatives like that of Mt Hobson School. Current projects include schooling and medical assistance in Peru and Bolivia, health education in the Dominican Republic and and continuous care and education of the children.

NPH New Zealand’s director, Kristina Cavit, and her mother, Debbie Cavit of interior design store, Cavit&Co are leading a volunteer trip to the Peru and Bolivia homes this October 2012.

This trip is an invaluable opportunity to see the work of NPH in action, and to see what a difference your support makes. To find out more about our trip to the home or about the work NPH New Zealand does, please email info@nph-newzealand.org

Contact:

Amiria Britton

PR Coordinator

NPH New Zealand

 HYPERLINK "mailto:amiria.britton@nph-newzealand.org" amiria.britton@nph-newzealand.org

027 3350 481

Come with us to Peru and Bolivia!

In October, 2012 we will be visiting the NPH homes in Peru and Bolivia for a two-week immersion. Join us for the full experience and meet the incredible children we are supporting. 19 July 2012 - New Zealand On this two-week trip, October 19- November 2, we will visit NPH Peru and Bolivia. We will experience first hand how NPH saves orphaned and abandoned children’s lives. We will meet the amazing children, staff and volunteers and learn the ins and outs of their daily lives. If you are new to NPH, visiting the home is the best way to see this amazing project. If you are a sponsor, you will meet your Godchildren. Travelers of all ages and with all different skills are welcome. We will work in the children’s homes on whatever tasks need to be completed most urgently at the time. If you have a specific skill set, please let us know. We will either stay in the homes with the children or in hotel accommodation close to the home. The trip is flexible and although the main goal is to volunteer in the children’s homes, we will take some down time to visit the handicraft markets, mix with the local people and see some of the local sights. PERU: While in Peru, volunteering with the children at NPH might include building, gardening, maintenance, cooking, sewing, helping in the baby house or school or helping or teaching arts and crafts.We have set aside the last day in Peru to sight see and relax in Lima and to embrace even more of the Peruvian culture. You will also have the option of visiting archeolgical sites such as Machu Pichu prior to spending a week at the home,NPH can recommend a excellent Tour company that has worked with them for years. BOLIVIA: In Bolivia, we will do similar work with the children. On our final day we will visit either the local eco lodge or spend time sight seeing. There will be the options to visit the handicraft markets, sight see & perhaps spend time with the street children in the slum village. The work of NPH is possibly Latin America’s best-kept secret. When you meet the kids who once struggled to survive and see how much their lives have transformed you will feel part of the family. Come and see where the children live, experience their daily lives and lend a helping hand. The children can’t wait to meet you! Please contact the NPH New Zealand team with any questions about the trip, we are more than happy to help. Volunteer registration deadline: 30 August  The estimated costs are based on the lowest available fares at present, until tickets are booked, they are subject to change. The earlier volunteers book, the better the deal. Flight Auckland-Santiago: $1,700-$2,300 (highest current quote and costs are subject to change) Peru transport to and from Lima: $300 Hotel accommodation: $300 Week trip to Bolivia (Including flight to Bolivia, accommodation and travel to the home):$750 Most volunteer groups who visit the homes donate NZD1,000 personally, it would be great to leave some support for the children in need, so we ask each volunteer to donate NZD500 to be shared between the two homes. Volunteers are welcome to bring school supplies or other physical donations; we will organize these donations together before departing. Current anticipated tour costs, plus personal spending money (as of July 17): $4,150 If you are worried about these fundraising costs, starting a fundraising campaign is easy and there are many ways to do this. Approach local schools and churches and run clothes/food drives, mufti days, contacting family and friends, hosting an event, coffee breaks and starting an online campaign at www.givealittle.co.nz. Please ask us for more information, we are more than happy to help. Please book as soon as possible. Trip registration deadline is August 30, these airfares are not guaranteed. We hope you join on us on this incredible adventure to meet our NPH children. Kristina Cavit    Director NPH-New Zealand

Saludos and Testimony from fellow kiwi, Laura Wilson

These past couple of weeks have been busy, busy, busy working to
support our children of NPH. The turnout of volunteers, donors, and
support is rapidly increasing and we could not be more grateful for
our supporters.

The harsh realities of the economic crisis are affecting the lives of
children around the world - the NPH Honduras home was hit with an
unexpected government mandated minimum wage increase of 69%. Food,
clothes, educational materials–everything from beans to batteries have
gone up in price but NPH will not close it's doors to children in
need.  This crisis situation meant we needed to spring into action and

this past week, we held an event, Talking Trends, and the turnout was
absolutely fabulous.

Over 100 people came and listened to inspiring guest speakers Jeremy
Hansen, Editor of HOME NZ magazine and Debbie Cavit, interior designer
and owner of Cavit&Co. Guests learned all about the latest trends in
fashion, interior design and architecture over a glass of wine.

The very entertaining Stephen from Harcourts gave the crowd the chance
to put their bidding hands into action on a number of auction items
including jewellery from Wunderkammer, boutique accommodation in
Arrowtown and Terrace Down's Resort,make up from Glamorpuss and a
tango dinner show at Besos Latinos restaurant.

NPH New Zealand would not be where we are today without the love and
support from our donors. We want to thank to everyone who attended our
event! It was a very successful evening & a lot was learnt about

emerging trends. We also want to thank Suzanne, a gracious donor and

supporter of our children who donated $1,000 to improve the lives of

the children at NPH. A very special thanks to guest speakers Jeremy
Hansen, Debbie Cavit,  Glengarry for sponsoring the delicious wine,
Besos Latinos for catering & the amazing NPH volunteers!

With that, I want to share a testimonial from the inspiring kiwi,
Laura Wilson, who spent her summer months at NPH Dominican Republic

giving back to the children of NPH. Laura left her mark at NPH

Dominican Republic through her summer course of dance, especially when
the songs “Waka Waka” or “Boom Boom Pow” are played. To this day, the

children continue to do the dances Laura taught them the summer she

was here, which was 2 years ago.


Below she shares her thoughts on NPH DR.

Enjoy!

My name is Laura Wilson from New Zealand. I first heard about Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos when I was living in Chile, teaching English. I had already spent a year in Brazil on exchange when I was 17 so I had seen some of the harsh realities of Latin American poverty, which was unlike anything I had ever seen in New Zealand. I had volunteered in an after-school childcare centre for children living in poverty and had loved it, so when I a good friend told me about NPH and then another friend, Krisitna Cavit actually went to the Dominican Republic and lived at one of the homes, I knew it was something I wanted to be apart of.

I applied to work over the Dominican Summer, which starts late June, as a dance/aerobics instructor. When I walked onto the grounds of NPH I was instantly taken aback. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was and how happy and healthy the children were. I think a lot of people envisage that an orphanage will be a terribly sad and depressing place, just as I had, but it was the complete opposite! The children were so full of life and energy, and I was amazed at how organized and beautiful the grounds were.

I spent around two months working and living with the children. During the week I taught dance and on the weekends we did different activities, such as sports, treasure hunts and movie nights. I loved every second of it and definitely plan to go back to either visit or work in the near future. Their lives were very simple by comparison, but they had everything they needed from education to dental care. I was blown away by the support from individuals around the world, at NPH I really learnt that a little can go a long way.

I was also impressed by how much responsibility the children were given. They were taught to help serve dinners, wash their clothes and clean the bathrooms. From the get go they are taught to be responsible for their actions and be independent young men and women. The other volunteers were also of a high standard. The application process is very professional so volunteers must be very passionate and hard working to get accepted, which is really comforting. All the people I worked with were incredibly dedicated and loving people.

I have found that some people I talk to in recent years have lost faith in NGO’s saying that they can’t trust where their money goes and that too much of it just gets spent on marketing and salaries. However, after having experienced NPH first-hand, I can truly say that every penny is well spent and these children are so incredibly grateful to get the financial help they need from the more fortunate. Anybody who gets the opportunity to work at one of the NPH homes or support a NPH child will not regret it. It was an incredible experience and I learned just as much from these beautiful children, if not more, than they did from me.

Laura Wilson

Summer Volunteer at NPH-DR in 2010

Talking Trends

Join Us! We would love to have you!!! 

Concrete Playground- Check it out!

The Beginning

Kia Ora,

My name is Kristina Cavit and I have just started a fundraising office
for the children of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), Spanish for Our
Little Brothers and Sisters. I want to share with You my story, my experience
volunteering for NPH Dominican Republic, and how the New Zealand office came
to be. Enjoy!

In 2009, I was travelling through South America and I had a chance
to spend a day at a notorious Bolivian slum known for it’s gangs, underage
prostitution and poverty. After that day I knew I wanted to do something,
I wanted to help, and I began searching for a long-term way to help these
children.

A friend told me about an organization called NPH, Nuestros Pequeños
Hermanos. What intrigued me about this organization is that it’s helping children
to get off the streets by empowering them through education. NPH provides
shelter, medicine and education to abandoned, abused, and orphaned children
throughout Latin America. There are nine homes within Latin America and the
Caribbean giving over 3,500 children a place to call home.

I liked the NPH philosophy that insures these children have a loving
family and a future; the children are taught trades so they can find jobs and
become productive members of society breaking the cycle of poverty. NPH
caught my attention because they do not put the children up for adoption, but
keep all siblings together so they can become part of a safe and stable family at
NPH. The concept of family is the focal point of this organization and why there
is such a strong sense of connectivity throughout the home and it’s relationships
with one another, godparents, donors, and volunteers.

When I arrived at the home in the Dominican Republic, I had no idea what to
expect and I found myself simply in awe of the home. I asked myself many questions,
including “How did this group of local staff and volunteers from around the world
come together to create this loving environment for these children?”
The children are simply so happy and to the eye, it is not easy for one to
imagine the pain they have suffered in the past. They arrive at NPH from situations
that we cannot imagine; many have been victims of extreme physical and emotional
abuse and have often been left to raise themselves without access to clean water,
electricity, medicine, or food.

During my time, I was fortunate to wear many hats which in turn, gave
me the opportunity to get to know all of the children. I was not only the Project
and Communications coordinator, but I also helped the children to plant yucca,
taught them to swim in the ocean, managed medical projects, sung songs of grief at
Dominican and Haitian funerals, laughed, wiped tears, and every day I was able to
spend time with over 200 generous and loving children. I was in awe in how these
children have few material things but they have this unique ability to give and love
endlessly. This simply taught me to appreciate every day for what it is.
I am so grateful to these children for welcoming me into their family and

leaving me with memories of the daily in’s and out’s at NPH; Daysi’s never ending
giggling, Angel’s stopping me in the road for a big bear hug, finding little notes in my
bag every night and Rosita slipping her little hand into mine on the walk home.

Volunteering in a developing country, you never know what to expect and
when the Haiti earthquake hit the whole island was in devastation. We helped with
the relief effort and sent urgent medical supplies, food, water and volunteers and then
one-day cholera hit the Dominican Republic. Thanks to the help of a group of Kiwis,
I was able to raise enough funds to provide cholera & hygiene workshops to the
neighboring Haitian migrant worker camps.

Throughout my time at NPH in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua and
Honduras - I was hit with the same truth – international support, along with the NPH
volunteers and staff, is what saves these children’s lives. Together with everyone
doing their own part, bit by bit, we can help the children of our future to break free
from poverty. I welcome you to become a part of the NPH family and help to give
these children a chance they deserve for the future.

Until Next Time,
Kristina