Report 2 August

Report 2 August
Report Karin en Simon

The month of August is a special month in which Bolivians, according to the Inca culture, bring offering to Mother Earth and may express wishes for a good future. This morning the ceremony is held in our SOSVillage and also the Model T Ford is subject of the ceremony to wish it a safe journey. The car is richly decorated with garlands and confetti.

decorated 

Also the wheels of the Model T Ford are doused, by Claudia, with wine.

bless 

Than everyone may express his wishes, there is a plate with little leaves and two cups with wine, the one who is expressing a wish is supposed to dip some leaves in wine and put them on the plate. The wishes are not expressed aloud.

wish 

After everyone is finished, the plate with leaves is placed on a small fire of wooden branches and put into fire.

fire 

We are all happy and Trudy and Dirk are again covered with confetti.

happy 

In every SOS Village the children are asked to bring a video greeting seated on the Model T Ford to all the other SOS Village children around the world. They enjoy sitting in the car and can hardly stop blowing the old horn.

Model T 

After the ceremony we are invited to visit two family houses in the village. In every house between 6 to 8 children live together with a “mother” and sometimes assisted by an “aunt” (mother in training). These mothers have had a training of the SOSVillage organisation and are permanently assisted by experts of the team.
The families consist of children of various ages, the stay together until they reach the moment that they can stand on their own. The children are happy to show us their books and Dirk is asked to read from one. The children look very happy.

book 

At three o’clock we leave for La Paz where the yearly parade of the university students takes place. Every group is dressed in traditional clothes and dance a particular Inca dance on the music played by bands with trumpets and drums. It is an impressive event and we enjoy every minute. It is a colourful happening.

parade