Working with the kids at Neque Mas Neque was rewarding because it let me feel like I could actually make a difference in someone else's life. I have worked with children before, and that concept has always encouraged me. I want to be able to say that I made the future better than t he past, and working with children is one of the greatest ways to do that. I believe that by volunteering at Neque Mas Neque, not only am I learning intercultural communication, but so are the children.
Communicating with the kids was definitely challenging because almost none of them knew enough English to communicate directly, nor did they seem to understand that they can be very difficult to understand when they speak Spanish. With my host family or a taxi driver, there is always an attempt to find some new way of communicating if a message is not clearly received. There did seem to be any attempt to communicate in new ways on the part of the kids, especially the younger ones. I do not blame them, because it is a difficult and complex concept. However, this meant that pretty much the only way I could communicate with a kid was with two or three words of Spanish and by using a physical motion. These motions included pointing, patting the bench beside myself to get them to sit down, or taking their hand and leading them when I wanted them to move. Thankfully, most of the games were very physical, so it was easy to use physical communication. However, I am not sure how well that will work during the next visit when we work on crafts.
Communicating with the kids was definitely challenging because almost none of them knew enough English to communicate directly, nor did they seem to understand that they can be very difficult to understand when they speak Spanish. With my host family or a taxi driver, there is always an attempt to find some new way of communicating if a message is not clearly received. There did seem to be any attempt to communicate in new ways on the part of the kids, especially the younger ones. I do not blame them, because it is a difficult and complex concept. However, this meant that pretty much the only way I could communicate with a kid was with two or three words of Spanish and by using a physical motion. These motions included pointing, patting the bench beside myself to get them to sit down, or taking their hand and leading them when I wanted them to move. Thankfully, most of the games were very physical, so it was easy to use physical communication. However, I am not sure how well that will work during the next visit when we work on crafts.
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