Sinsoluka is a project created by 2 friends, who are psychologists by profession, with the idea of helping children, the youth and adults living on the streets of Quito. The name Sinsoluka means ´without glue´ in English, derived from the fact that a lot of people living on the streets of Quito are addicted to drugs and/or sniff glue because it is so cheap.
This project has been running for many years and as proof that it actually works, it has helped lots of families get off the streets, find somewhere to live and when possible a job and most importantly the project is now in its second phase of working with the children of the original street dwellers. Today the centre helps over 250 children and their families, although they do not all come to the centre at the same time. Many of these children have had a bad start to life such as being born to drug addicted parents, living on the streets, subjected to violence, abuse or neglect, made to work selling sweets in the street etc. so the aim is to stress the importance of education as a way of breaking the circle and ensuring that these children do not fall for the same way of life and temptations that their parents did before them.
With the help of funding and sponsors, the project pays to send the children to school and help out with any costs that the family may not be able to cover like school uniforms, books, materials etc. It also provides help and support to the children’s family who come from poor, vulnerable and often broken backgrounds.
As one of the main problems facing those who have left behind their addictions and life on the street is finding employment due to their lack of education and skills. The project has created a carpentry work shop as well as a bakery that young people and adults can come and receive training and various courses.
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
The project is split into two different schedules.
Volunteers who help in the mornings will work at the local nursery with babies and toddlers. These are vulnerable children and the nursery works a lot with single and/or teenage mothers. The nursery needs help from volunteers in caring and playing with the young children and also enjoy having people with new ideas who take initiatives.
In the afternoon volunteers can work in the centre with the older children who have spent the morning at school. The volunteers are mainly assistants and educators; apart from giving the children many hugs and much attention, these are some of the ‘standard’ tasks:
- Help children with their homework (children are often behind at school and do not have a quiet space to do their homework or have parents who are not capable of helping them at home so volunteers are a great help in this area).
- Help in the kitchen, especially during lunchtime which can be very chaotic and busy and the staff need help to assist the youngest children and make sure they clean up after themselves.
- Help in the carpentry workshop (when necessary).
- School visits (the centre needs to keep a check on the children enrolled at school and regularly visit the local schools to ask about a certain child’s attendance, grades, ability etc.).
- Prepare activities.
- Prepare recreational activities to be carried out when the children finish their homework or during their breaks.
- Assist in hygiene education such as hand washing and brushing teeth.
- Supervise and assist children when they are allowed to use the I.T. room for their homework.
- Anything that may arise, e.g. taking someone to a doctors appointment or dentist.
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