|
Valeira’s Story
Valeira (12) has been a regular visitor to our social center, coming almost daily for the last year. He lives in an abandoned apartment on the outskirts of the city center along with five other boys, all under the age of 14. His mother and father are both alcoholics and have moved to a different part of the country to live. Valeira has been on the streets for two years now. Valiera’s typical day begins with wakening up at around 2 or 3pm and then making his way, along with his friends, to the nearest underground metro station. The boys then sneak onto the tube train (small enough to scramble quickly under the barriers) and arrive in the city center. Valeira arrives usually on time for the social center which begins at 4pm. The center provides him with his main meal of the day– hot soup, two sandwiches, a piece of fruit and a cup of tea or milk. After the 3 hours in the social center are up he walks into the main city streets and begins to beg for money or washes the windscreens of passing cars for money. Whilst begging, he says that mostly Americans and others give him money but rarely local people. The attitude of the local people to the begging children is quite surprising here. Most of the people Valeira encounters treat him with scorn and disgust. Some of the people tell him that he should go and steal while others beat him. Valeira told us that it is quite common for the street children to steal phone cards and then to sell them to people they know for money. A typical day's wages for Valeira can be anything up to 200 rubbles (around $6). Once some money has been collected Valeira and his friends usually go to cheap Internet cafes to play computer games. After this, his group will meet up with other groups to exchange substances for inhaling or injecting. The arms of almost all these children are covered in needle marks. This is quite shocking to see at first, but when you consider their typical living conditions, lack of parental guidance and general daily lifestyle, it is hardly surprising. Bedtime is usually at 2 or 3 in the morning. The nights are becoming colder now and without any glass in the window frames and a general lack of warm blankets, it must be an uncomfortable night for them all. Valeira came to hear about the farm rehabilitation project when he was at the social center. He was encouraged by our team to visit the farm for a few days to experience life there. After two days he was on the farm and he surprised everyone by taking to it like a duck to water! He particularly enjoyed weeding the potato crops, always being at least ten paces ahead of the rest of us as he enthusiastically separated the yellow weeds and sticky stalks from the thicker green plants. Valeira has since visited the farm on a few other occasions and is an obvious candidate for a permanent position on the farm project. The project aims to provide the children with emotional, psychological, physical, social and educational rehabilitation in an environment away from the gripping temptations of street life in the city. With your generous help and continuous support of our missions here we can continue to help more boys, with very similar backgrounds to Valeira, transform their lives from a downward spiral of despair to a life of love and hope. May God continue to fill you with his love and grace. All your intentions continue to be prayed for at each of our daily Masses and community prayers. |
