According
to the children who attend Casa Semear, Fridays are the best. Why? Because it´s playing time!
On Fridays we spend the full two hours of the program just playing with them.
Normally, in the context these children live in there´s not much room or opportunity
for them to play. Most of the time their parents are out all day, working to
provide for their families and they´ve very little quality time with their
children; there isn´t much conversation, interaction or playing around. As this
seems to be the reality they live in, we think that a very effective way of
working with them and building friendships is exactly by playing with these
children.
Card games, table-tennis, cars & dolls, board games, puzzles,
table football, drawing & painting, we use all of these activities to create
a fun program where these children get the chance to really be children and
play around; play together, play with us, the staff of Casa Semear, and develop
positive relationships and friendships.
This
playing time also gives us an excellent opportunity to teach and guide the children
and correct inadequate behavior. During the bible lessons given at Casa Semear
we always try to teach them about the biblical values and principles of life;
how we should behave, how we should relate to other people around us, what our character
should be like etc. On Fridays, during playing time, we clearly get to see the
children´s real behavior, the way they talk to each other, the (lack of)
patience and goodness towards each other, the competition that goes on between
them, the friendships and much more. Whenever they play around, they just are
who they are and that is great, because it gives us the chance to talk with
them and show them very practically where their weaknesses and mistakes are and
teach them how they can change their behavior and treat the people around them
better. And besides that, it´s a good opportunity for us, staff, to be an
example to them in everything we do and model adequate, biblical behavior and character;
so that they will grow and develop themselves into well intentioned, well educated,
stable adults.
The Casa Semear
team
