Little Sparrows - Life At Los Gorriones
Okay.... so those who know me very well know that I am (much to my own sadness) the last person that has pushed people to act for good causes in the past. I have not really ever supported charities directly, or given much of my own free time to help out anyone disadvantaged. I am not proud of this. In fact, I am somewhat ashamed of it. I've come to realise that in my role as a lawyer, I've fought many battles, some of which now seem in the grand scheme of things, are of little significance. As I said in my entry a couple of days ago (about the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women), I have always said that "just to sit and talk about doing some good for those less fortunate is a form of procrastination - you need to get up and do it."
Well yesterday, I stumbled across an entry on www.travelblog.org from a Scottish lady called Lesley. I am sure she will read this at some point, as I have now begun corresponding with her via email (Hi Lesley!). I usually look at the European travel blogs because that is where most of my travel has been centred of late. However, I more or less found this entry by default. I have attached it.
Lesley has opened my eyes in a matter of 24 hours. Here I found out about Los Gorriones, and the wonderful work that is being done by a Belgium couple, Gil and Chantal Van Den Bergh who packed up their life in Europe to do some good. SOME REAL GOOD. Not just the kind that involved talking about it. I mean, they gave up their life, their work, their friends and family, and used all of their savings to begin an orphanage in Ayacucho.
http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ayacucho/blog-29265.html
I have since been in contact with Gil Van Den Bergh, who has given me permission to begin using some content on his website, to place it on this one. What makes the task that Gil and Chantal hard is that a lot of these children have "special needs". For us, that means children with disabilities, including cerebal palsy, autism, down syndrome. So not only do these children have to face life without parents or money (two things I know I take for granted), they have to face it with challenges mentally and physically.
Although Gil and Chantal dont have professional qualifications to assist "special needs" children, Lesley in her travelblog says that Gil and Chantal pay for therapists to come in for an hour or so each day to work with the children.
Simply amazing.
Please see below a picture of the "Little Sparrows" at Halloween, taken only a couple of days ago. I received this picture from Gil earlier this morning, via email.
Puts life into perspective, doesnt it?
Well yesterday, I stumbled across an entry on www.travelblog.org from a Scottish lady called Lesley. I am sure she will read this at some point, as I have now begun corresponding with her via email (Hi Lesley!). I usually look at the European travel blogs because that is where most of my travel has been centred of late. However, I more or less found this entry by default. I have attached it.
Lesley has opened my eyes in a matter of 24 hours. Here I found out about Los Gorriones, and the wonderful work that is being done by a Belgium couple, Gil and Chantal Van Den Bergh who packed up their life in Europe to do some good. SOME REAL GOOD. Not just the kind that involved talking about it. I mean, they gave up their life, their work, their friends and family, and used all of their savings to begin an orphanage in Ayacucho.
http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ayacucho/blog-29265.html
I have since been in contact with Gil Van Den Bergh, who has given me permission to begin using some content on his website, to place it on this one. What makes the task that Gil and Chantal hard is that a lot of these children have "special needs". For us, that means children with disabilities, including cerebal palsy, autism, down syndrome. So not only do these children have to face life without parents or money (two things I know I take for granted), they have to face it with challenges mentally and physically.
Although Gil and Chantal dont have professional qualifications to assist "special needs" children, Lesley in her travelblog says that Gil and Chantal pay for therapists to come in for an hour or so each day to work with the children.
Simply amazing.
Please see below a picture of the "Little Sparrows" at Halloween, taken only a couple of days ago. I received this picture from Gil earlier this morning, via email.
Puts life into perspective, doesnt it?
posted by KateOnTheGo at
8:43 PM
3 Comments:
Speaking out about the world's injustices is the only way of making other people think...
But actions always speak louder than words...
It's inspiring to see that there ARE people who are out there making a difference in other people's lives
What I do is take used clothes and books with me whenever I travel. I hand them out hither and thither and get to feel good about myself coz y'know, life is just me me me me me me me.
Tee hee.
Even helping in small ways is good. If ever I get the boat up and going, I will offer free berths to troubled kids. Nirvana, here I come!
Hello Kate,
Thank you for popping into my blog, even though I don't sell waterfilters, and thank you for your support and encouragement. It really has been a tough weekend and I wonder why I cannot seem to see the light about the guy. I really did give him my all and did things for us that no other woman would have considered at the relative beginning of a relationship[and no, I'm not talking 'swallowing'] I suppose it was silly of me to accept a virtual stranger into my life; and to put all my eggs in the boat basket, for him and I, without considering the fact that he might leave me. Now I have this beautiful boat and a broken dream and this is what is staring me in the face each and every day. Bluh.
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