86400 moments

Because of many reasons I decided to spend 3 months in Panama instead of Honduras. My current location is in Arraiján, in Hogar San José de Malambo which is the name of the orphanage where I am volunteering.

 Malambo is approximately a 7 hectare-large campus with an orphanage and a school attended also by kids from the surrounding area. Houses are divided into colours dependent on age. I live in one of them together with 9 little boys aged from 5-9 years. I spend lots of time with them in the afternoons when we all come back from school. This time however, I am returning with a teacher’s hat on, fresh from teaching English or dance. No one speaks English here. Well, a part from the English teacher but even she has got trouble understanding sometimes. School starts at 7am so I have to wake up around 6am everyday and I usually get to bed around 11pm. It is a month and 2 weeks now since I’ve been here but it feels like half a year. It’s not that the time doesn’t go fast enough it’s just I definitely forgot how it feels to be bored. On a daily basis, I am in contact with many children of all ages, but also with children that are HIV positive. It is really sad to see them playing outside not fully understanding what they will have to live with.

Nuns run the orphanage and school here, therefore everything has a religious side it it. I have to take care what clothes I wear, as I need to appear conservative, so vest tops and shorts are not allowed, which can be really hard sometimes because it’s very hot.

It’s raining everyday because it’s winter time here at the moment. Summer starts in December and ends in March. Well it definitely doesn’t feel like winter now. It’s still around 30°C. I am enjoying my free time during weekends. Sometimes I go to Panama city or maybe go to the shopping centre and watch a film in the cinema. I have got loads of work to do for my university projects, essays and interviews but most of the times I play with the kids. We draw together, we talk and what’s nice is that they are very interested in how everything works in England and in Czech Republic. We talk about the differences between my orphanage in Pisek, in South bohemia and Malambo. Older kids are trying hard to speak English which makes me really happy to see because as I mentioned before, English is practically not available here. Me, and my friend have started some extra classes in the afternoons for those who really want to learn English. It’s great to see that they’re making such a progress already after a month!

I also was been very ill and needed 5 vaccinations of antibiotics which ironically led to flu. I twisted my ankle 2 weeks ago as well, but I have recovered now, it’s all good.     

I am staying in Malambo till the end of October and then travelling to the South of Panama to Las Tablas where I am going to be working in turtle conservation project. I am very excited; it’s definitely going to be a different experience. But I will tell you about it when I have it. See you later for now!