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Hello everyone
We are writing to offer you Season's Greetings, and also to
thank you very much for your interest and/or donation to the project
- it is very much appreciated.
Here is some news to bring you up to date with events at Colonia
Ecologica. We are intending to send out this newsletter several times a
year to give you an update with what is happening there and
where your money is being spent. At present, we are unable
to access precise details of donations due to some unforeseen complications
with the bank account. This unfortunately means that we
cannot send an individual email to people who have donated to say
thank you - we hope to be able to do this in the near future. However,
we have received a bank balance, and have been overwhelmed
at the generosity people have shown - so thanks to all who
have donated.
The building work is progressing very well, thanks to your generosity.
Enough money has been raised for the roof, which is now complete.
Due to a large donation from a group of American chiropractic
students who came to visit, we were also able to begin the construction
of the walls in the top half of the building. There is not
yet enough money to finish them off and put in windows etc.
However, the architects have kindly agreed to complete the building
of all upstairs walls, and will accept payment later. This
means that in a few weeks the children will be able to move
into the building. Visit the updated website, www.charity-bolivia.org
to see the building progress - click on the button "ORPHANAGE".
Claire has visited the project several times with some of the children
from her school, Cochabamba Cooperative School - a very interesting
contrast between rich and poor. The visits have been a big
success, and the children from both places are keen to continue
with them next year. During term time the students have been
reading with the Colonia children, and at the end of term we organised
a sports day with tug of war, sack races, egg and potato races,
four legged races as well as games such as pass the balloon between
neck and chin etc. The day was enjoyed by all. Some
of the students are also visiting over the Christmas holidays to
donate some food and small gifts for the children.
Nancy, one of the resident children at Colonia, has just had an
operation on her leg to straighten it out. Kiko applied to a US
organisation to pay for this - her leg has been crooked for many
years due to a childhood accident, meaning that she has difficulty
walking and running. The organisation paid for the entire
operation and follow up treatment. She had 5 days in hospital,
and is now back at Colonia recovering - she cannot walk at the moment,
but will be able to start walking with crutches next week, and after
3 months should be all healed and fully mobile once again.
It is school holiday time in Bolivia, so the children have two
and a half months off. Kiko and Carmen have arranged different
activities each day, including some novel sports and games.
We have been making toys and jigsaw puzzles with the children, as
well as playing clothespeg tag and balloon stamping. Other
games include volleyball, where you have to throw and catch the
ball in a sack held stretched between two players, a tournament
of table football played with bottle caps as players and a ball
bearing for a ball with the pitch drawn on an old sheet, and many
more innovative games and activities.
We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year from us and from Kiko, Carmen and all the children at Colonia
Ecologica, and to thank you for your continued interest and support.
(Newsletter No.1 - Dec 2004)
If you want more information please write to Charity Bolivia via the
contact
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