El Bichito (Dan)

So everyday during the week, I take a short combi (mini bus) ride up to the small town of
Puylucana which is 5 minutes away.  When I arrive, I usually meet with
Feliciana and/or Melchora her sister.  They run the comedor called ¨El
Bichito¨ which literally translated means little bug.  It is basically
a lunch cafeteria for kids in the area to have a free meal when they
finish school.  In order to receive food, they must go to school, so
it is not a complete giveaway.  My job is to help as much as possible.
This usually entails sorting through the rice and beans in the
morning.  We dump a big pile on the counter and then sort through the
little pieces that aren´t quite edible.  It´s a great time to talk to
Melchora and Feliciana or just meditate to myself.  I´m still pretty
slow at sorting (faster than when I started) but Melchora especially
is miles ahead of me.  She says I just need to practice... :)

I then try to get ready for the kids coming, taking down benches,
basic clean up, and trying to figure out how I´ll engage the kids that
day.  I usually eat before the kids arrive at around 1 pm, so I can
talk and have fun with the kids while they eat, and try to get the
faster kids to start doing homework.  Not all the kids stick around to
do homework, and it´s tough to try and motivate them.  One technique
I´ve been using lately, is blocking the doorway, and requiring the
kids to answer a mental math problem for me before they can go in and
eat.  That way they´ve got to earn it, and I get them all thinking.
After eating, I average about 10 kids staying to complete their
homework with me.  Since there are about 45 kids that come to eat,
it´s not great, but it´s hard to get the older ones especially to
stay.  (If you have any suggestions, let me know)  There is chart I
made (copying the plan set up and introduced by Chris and Kimball here
during the summer) that marks when they bring and complete their
homework.  When they finish 5 homework assignments, and the 5
corresponding stars, they receive a small prize out of the prize box.
That´s why it´s hard to get the older kids to stay, because small
prizes aren´t really to their liking.  Doing homework with the kids
which I feel is very important, means that kids finish at different
times and just bolt.  I can occasionally keep a few kids behind for
reading (they loved the Amelia Bedelia book) and as I´m learning to
juggle, some kids had fun throwing around the juggling scarves.
Before I leave I help clean up the place and make sure everything is
ready to go for the next day.

I know that´s a longwinded explanation, but it really is an awesome
experience.  I get to teach a few words in English, I also tease the
kids too (somehow that´s never gotten old) and learn some spanish
myself.  It´s a great way to serve and these kids deserve it, even if
sometimes they are ´traviesos´.