Second activity: October 15th

October 15th, 2012

El Talon was visited for the second time this year in order to complete some activities with the children. These activities included playing "Twister," doing some exercises, speaking with the children, and coloring. The purpose of this visit was to get to know the children a little better and to obviously provide a special day for them. Art was mixed with healthy activities that they can do during any free time that they have. The children realized that people can have fun without having to resort to bad habits such as alcohol and drugs.

Something that particularly caught my attention was when I was speaking to them. Over a period of about 45 minutes, we spoke about interesting topics, such as racism and their plans for the future; I noticed that they truly have very good communication skills when it comes to maintaining a conversation. A particular child named Daniel told me about the racism that exists in Cartagena; he said that racism against afro-Colombians is very obvious to the public eye and that "whites treat them very badly." He mentioned that he did not agree with the mistreatment of afro-Colombians and that he believed that everyone deserved to be respected. Other children told me about the careers that grabbed their attention; some want to be veterinarians, others want to engage in the military life, a girl named Maye wants to be a doctor, and there are many who like social communication.

To be honest, I noticed that the children of El Talon have many aspirations and I know that they want to prosper. The task of one as an adult is to try to maintain that enthusiasm among young people so they can succeed in the future and so they can also provide their parents with the necessary support. I would like to implement the strategy that my parents have used with my sister and me: require us to go to school, remind us not to be conformists, and repeatedly speak to us of success to keep us motivated about life. My sister and I have grown up in an environment that is exemplary in the aspect that my parents instilled us with a lot of motivation in all aspects, especially with our educational and career aspirations, which I think is excellent and a very good method to use in El Talon. Poverty is not something that is solved overnight, it is a long process because you have to change and maintain a positive and healthy mindset among a whole generation. The goal of Beyond the Wall is to provide positive support, not necessarily with clothes, toys, and shoes each time I visit, but with chats to make the new generation think and reflect on their lives and the future that awaits them...as my parents did (and still do) with my sister and me.

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