Joining the ABC Project with Suenos y Huellas

This week, I had the most thought-provoking experience of joining Suenos y Huellas’s ABC project, which aims to provide free education to children living in the mountains. These children face limited educational access due to economic challenges or physical disabilities. The encounters prompted deep reflection, especially when I compared them to the living conditions people in China used to have. China has been striving to eradicate poverty, and we have faced similar situations in the past. The contrast made me feel grateful for the progress my country has made but also reminded me of the ongoing struggles in different parts of the world, and the shared destiny of humankind.

Just Not Everyone is Blessed with a Smooth Path

As part of the team, we visited two kids' homes, and the conditions we encountered were quite heart-wrenching. The first child we met had scars on her neck from a fall while trying to reach the road. Her home is situated on a steep slope, making even basic movements treacherous. It took considerable effort for us to climb up to her home, underscoring the daily struggles she faces. The scar on her neck is a stark reminder of the safety concerns posed by basic transportation and poorly constructed paths that children in this neighbourhood face every day.

The second child we visited has mental issues resulting from a brain injury caused by a motorbike accident when she was very small. Her family situation is particularly dire, with an irresponsible father and a single mother who works far away and can only return home once every two months. I thought about a lot of “what-ifs” that could lead to a very different result: what if she could have lived in a safer area with more attentive parental care, what if she could have received timely neurorehabilitation…

The lack of government support and infrastructure makes it hard to build neighbourhood schools. Given the varied ages and conditions of these kids, Suenos y Huellas adopted a more tailored approach of home visits. While modern technology like Zoom can potentially increase access to education, it is actually difficult for these kids to concentrate their attention on a plain screen.

The experiences with the ABC project have been both challenging and enlightening. They have reinforced the importance of tailored, on-the-ground support for education, the need for improved infrastructure and safety, the critical role of parental presence, and the necessity of medical and psychological care for children with special needs. So far, what Suenos y Huellas can do is still limited given financial constraints - they could only provide each kid with two tutorials per week, each lasting around half an hour. As we continue our work with Suenos y Huellas, these reflections will guide our efforts to make a meaningful impact on the lives of these children.