We have been in Mexico for over 10 days now and at the orphanage for over a week.
Hogar De Amor (the orphanage) was started by Dennis & Diane Unrau who reside in West Kelowna. They started it over 30 years ago, and it's incredible to see what it has become today and the amount of children they now serve.
In Casa Cuna, the main floor is for the kids 0-4. There are currently 18 kids staying here from 3 months old to 4 years old, some with special needs and other issues. The main floor has a large commercial kitchen, and bathrooms for both girls/boys, 5 bedrooms for the kids with bunkbeds and cribs ( Ninos & Ninas separated), along with 2 rooms for some of the workers to stay. They have a common area, play area and TV room. It's a beautiful space for the children. The outside area really is fantastic (will share a video) with a large open courtyard that has a playground, a little trampoline, toddler bikes, and a variety of outside toys.
The upstairs of Casa Cuna is where we stay, along with other volunteers or when teams stay. There is also a room for the caretakers and their family, and 3 of the workers as well. The workers in Casa Cuna are with the kids all day from 7-8:30 providing meals, laundry plus caring for those crying ones at night...they are long days for these workers.
Our room has 3 bunk beds so we all have our own single bed with a common area bathroom which we are the only ones who use (all the other rooms have their own bathroom). There is a good-sized kitchen with a refrigerator/freezer and stovetop, so we can cook our meals here. There is also a family room area with couches to hang out with as well.
It feels like home so far. The days are long, they go by so fast, but we are surrounded by some amazing people.
In our next blog post, we can share some of the things we are doing and what a normal day looks like, and a tour of some of the other buildings.
Casa Cuna Tour Part 1:
Casa Cuna Tour Part 2:
