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CENIT News
CENIT's volunteers publish a quarterly newsletter with program updates and the latest CENIT news. This is a great way to stay involved with CENIT and to learn about our latest activities and achievements.
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The following section features weekly updates of CENIT's current activities and the progress of our programs. Check back here every week to stay informed on CENIT's students, volunteers and faculty.
April 7, 2011
Instead of classes last Friday, the students of CENIT had something a bit more fun—field day!
All morning, the park echoed with the screams and laughter of children having a wonderful time. Ten teams of students passed the morning rotating through ten different activities, including making their own flags and anthems, untangling “human knots,” singing and guessing songs with water in their mouths, completing three-legged races and more.
It wasn’t all fun and games—the event was a competition between the different grade levels, with points given for participation and creativity. The winners will be announced this Friday.
Report by Matea Wasend
April 3, 2011
Last Monday, CENIT hosted a sexuality workshop for the “colegio” girls in an effort to build upon what they have learned from the sexuality classes they have had once a week for this entire year. In three groups of mixed ages, the girls talked about themes like HIV/AIDS, sexual rights and responsibilities. Two guest doctors came to lead the discussions.
The girls also watched and discussed a play written and performed by volunteers and CENIT students—“I am worth it,” which told the story of a young girl and her experiences with sex, love and family. Danielle, Tina and Christina, the volunteers who co-wrote the play along with 6 high school girls, tried to include themes important to young girls like self-esteem, insecurity, decision-making, family relations, abuse, maltreatment sexual relations and self-protection. And above all, the knowledge that “yes, I do matter.”
“The theater in general is very important for the personal development of young girls, who are often timid and have low self-esteem,” said Christina. “The theater is a space where they can feel valued, where they can increase their self-esteem. It’s important to give them spaces where they can feel that they matter.”
For both the actresses and the audience, the play was a great success. Like many of the girls, for actress Leticia Toaquita (9a) the most relatable aspect of the play was the main character’s relationship with her family—the girl feels ignored and misunderstood by her parents, and her sexual decisions are related to these feelings.
“They don’t pay her any attention,” Leticia said. “She doesn’t feel like part of the family.”
In regards to the sexuality workshop, another actress had only good things to say.
“It was really nice,” said Tatiana Sapalo (9a). “We learned that there are a lot of bad things we should not do. But also that yes, we do matter.”
Report by Matea Wasend
March 22, 2011
But although the kids might not realize it, all of these games also help these child-workers develop important skills which they often lack, like socialization or an understanding their own bodies. RESCATE volunteers try to incorporate a variety of activities—physical games, hand and teeth-brushing, listening to stories and doing crafts—to help these children grow in many different ways and enjoy themselves at the same time. They also hope the kids will walk away from RESCATE every day having learned something new about their world, and so design each day's program fits into an overarching theme that sometimes last weeks at a time.
This week‘s theme—"the wind!" as the kids shouted—is part of a larger focus on Ecuador and its regions, climates, wildlife and cultures. On Tuesday they constructed wind toys out of paper, feathers and sticks; over the past few weeks they have made volcanoes, put together collages of Ecuador's diverse landscapes, and learned about their country's emblematic animals like turtles and jaguars. And all while playing.
March 14th, 2011
March 9th, 2011
"Viva la mujer" ("long live women") was the theme of the day Wednesday as nearly 200 students, relatives, teachers and volunteers from CENIT and neighboring schools Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra and Angel de la Guarda marched through the streets in support of women's rights. The event celebrated International Women's Day, which was Tuesday, one day late but with no less enthusiasm. Students from Colegio Jose Maria Velaso Ibarra led the march with flutes, drums and xylophones, followed by CENIT's dance group, a van decorated for the event and giant cloth woman puppet supported by four volunteers and many more students.
The crowd marched into the Chiriyacu market, where the programming continued with poems, songs and a presentation from a local lawyer about women's rights. He informed the crowd that "we live in a society with a lot of 'machismo', and a lot of violence against women." But he praised the efforts of schools like CENIT, emphasizing that basic education as well as the education at home are important factors in the fight against inequality.
"[Men and women] are the same," said Dayana Bacancho (8-A) as she watched another student perform a girl-power song. "Women just have to compete more."
"Somos mujeres fuertes" (We are strong women)
"No a la violencia" (say no to violence)
"Mujer…no permitas que nadie nunca trate de humilitarte" (women, don´t let anyone humillate you)
February 27th, 2011
Juramento de la Bandera: Honoring the Flag
CENIT Ahora!
