By Daney Ramirez | Program Director
First, THANK YOU for your donations and on-going support for The Las Claras Program. We have been really busy these last couple of months because we LAUNCHED the program after months of planning and organizing.
The LAS CLARAS PROGRAM is now a reality! We launched the program with 25 teen mothers and their babies, JUNE 2015. It’s been amazing to finally start meeting these teens and their babies. Their sense of resilience, perseverance and life story have profoundly moved everyone, igniting us with positive energy to help them achieve those goals that will transform their lives and that of their children.
The girls receive classes in social abilities, life project and self-esteem from our psychologist. They also received one on one psychological therapy, relaxation classes, early childhood development classes, and quality health services from medical providers. All the teen mothers are now on a birth control plan and receive sexual health classes from one of our partners, as well.
It’s amazing the potential these girls have and how quickly they learn. From day one, we started arts and craft classes aimed at proving them with basic skills for the production of items they could sell to generate some income and for relaxation purposes. The girls already started selling their products and are making a profit. They are also super creative and their decorative marshmallows are a hit.
We also started to fall in love with their babies. Our early childhood development coordinator started working with the mothers side by side, teaching them how to stimulate their babies and to take care of them. It’s amazing how the babies’ attitude and movements have changes since we started. Sofia is one of those hard to believe transformative stories. When she entered the program she will cry all day and will only stop crying when her mother will breastfeed her or carry her. Our early childhood coordinator then started to teach Maria, Sofia’s mother, the importance of placing Sofia on the floor and of opening her hands and massaging her constantly to help improve her muscle tone. Sofia is a new baby; we can’t believe she used to be the one that gave us the most trouble. It’s just the most rewarding to see these babies grow healthy and stimulated.
In August, the girls will start their English and Computer Science course and January 2016 their GED courses, along with technical course on logistic management.
Remember you already embarked in this journey, and it’s just the beginning! Thank you for your continuous support in this quest for a better quality of life for teen mothers and their children. Keep donating and invite other to join us in this quest with their donation.
More action, still to come. Stay tuned!
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