This community was built to serve children who have been sexually or physically abused, and is largely funded by World Emergency Relief, who we will be partnering with in fulfilling their vision.
The services offered are comprehensive. There are the social workers who interact with child, family and courts; therapists who counsel children and families; school teachers; advocates who help the children walk through the criminal proceedings; and a staff that looks after all of the children’s daily needs.
I don’t think I have ever seen such a work in either scope or depth. The breadth of care offered, the detailed attention given to creating an atmosphere conducive to supporting the children’s healing … incredible stuff.
Each child is placed in a home with house-parents whose goal is to serve these children and their families, leading the child to a place where he or she can function in a healthy manner back home or in a foster home. Depending on the degree of abuse, the children can be here at Laguna for as long as two years or only for a matter of weeks. Miraculously, all of this care only costs around $300 per child per month!
Narative Therpay: The counselor has the children periodically draw pictures of what happened at home, how they are feeling "today," and whatever they want to draw, helping the counselor and the child to "see" where the child is psychologically, noting the images that are possibly floating around in the child's psyche. Second Row, First Drawing: Note the black creature with horns placed just outside the child's house.
Given what has happened to these children, the depth of joy we encountered here was stunning
Four of the young ladies being cared for
CJ (Colonel Doner's son) thought this the perfect pose for me: Monte on the Special Bus. The art work you see here is displayed throughout the community in all of the buildings, homes, etc., helping to create a pleasant and enjoyable atmosphere for the children.
The people here are doing an incredible work, helping to give hope to children who were terrified of life and without hope of every being "normal" again. May God continue to bless their work and provide for their every need.
Copyright, Monte E Wilson, 2008
2 comments:
looks like an amazing place.
(I have to say that toothless guy on the special bus is a little over-the-top creepy looking!)
Laura, people in Developing Nations often eat and drink loads of sweets, and have no Dental Care to speak of (not unlike Europe) so being toothless is not all that uncommon! Dad
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