Limes

Limes is an after-school program for some of the underprivileged kids on the island. It's sponsored by the SOs (Significant Others) and runs Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3-5pm. Last Wednesday I joined them for the afternoon and had such a great time! (I wasn't there today because I sat in on one of Ryan's classes - Maternal and Child Health.)

So here's what typically takes place at Limes. We rent out the upstairs of a building not far from one of the schools in the area. I'm told there can be anywhere from 20-60 kids, depending on the day. When I went, we had about 30 children. At the beginning, one of the SOs has the kids sit in a circle and talk about their day - basically just getting them to calm down. Then we usually have some sort of craft or project for them. The day I was there, they were celebrating all the January/February birthdays the next day, so we made party hats. Here's a picture of two sweet little children as they decorate their hats.



After craft time, we get them together in a circle again for snack time - today it was bread and juice. You can tell that most of these kids are in desparate need of attention, love, and good nutrition. I loved the fact that after being there for maybe a minute, the kids instantly love you and want to hug you. It broke my heart to see the little ones that come in bare feet and walk home the same way. But thankfully we have this opportunity to spend time with them, show them love, and provide a safe place for them to spend a couple hours after school. What a privilege!