The charity

At the time I was working at the charity I had just graduated from university. Looking back at myself and what I was like at the time I realise that I was still very naive about the world and about other people. I probably still am. I had no idea about women and I foolishly fell for the caprices of another volunteer at the centre. It was easily done I suppose because we were all working, socialising and living with each other pretty much 24 hours a day. Her name was Diana, very pretty and good fun of Peruvian Japanese decent and about my own age. Apparently many Japanese emigrated to Latin America at the start of the last century and there are sizable Japanese communities in places like Lima and Sao Paulo. All the Peruvian Japanese girls I have ever met have been utterly stunning, its a good racial mix I think. Her skin was a rich choclatey brown, like most Japanese girls she was svelt and slim. She always had a smile on her face and was unfailingly kind to all the kids at the centre and to all the other volunteers. She still is, I think, one of the most genuinely kind generous people I have ever met. She was also coquettish, which I think was a bit lost to me at the time. So I became infatuated with her and I was pretty devasted at the time when she left the centre. So were the kids, most of them broke down wailing on her last day and all the other volunteers and staff had tears in their eyes. The kids felt loved by her and attracted towards her and perhaps felt a bit rejected and lost when she left.

Although I know that the children really enjoyed going to the centre. They were well fed which they needed to supplement their diet at home, and they received some education and help with homework etc. Most of all I think they enjoyed the attention of volunteers who cared for them, I suspect many of them werent cared for too well or loved too much at home. Volunteers came to work there for a few short months only so they usually gave their all into helping the kids and making them feel special. The volunteers were often idealistic and very passionate about helping poor street children. As a result the kids received a lot of love and attention, but perhaps not too much actual help. Volunteers were constantly coming and going, each with their own new ideas about how to change and improve the organisation of the centre. So much so that good ideas and projects were often lost when a new group of volunteers arrived and initiated their own ideas. Also, unfairly in my view, volunteers often developed strong relationships with the kids (i.e Diana and others) only for the volunteer to leave after a few months and the child to feel very down about that and perhaps subsequently leave the centre. Those kids are vulnerable and perhaps need a relationship with an adult who will always be there for them.