It was a hot and sunny morning in the city of Morelia. The calendar showed that it was Friday, January 25th, 2008, but was that important? I was anxious and a bit nervous. The moment of my second visit to a SOS Children’s Village was near and I was following the instructions that I was given to arrive to my destination. After asking for directions a couple of times and traveling through narrow streets I finally arrived to the place in question. The reception was surprising! The children and the mothers were waiting for me at the main entrance and there were several media outlets covering my visit.
It didn’t take long before the kids would hang all over me, asking questions and when I proposed them to take a ride on the bike the excitement was even greater. The applause made me flush a bit and soon thereafter they were challenging me to race them with their bikes. Together with the kids we did a tour around the Village’s complex. It was the beginning of an emotional and unforgettable day in my trip…

The SOS Children’s Village in Morelia

Morelia is the capital city of the State of Michoacán, in central Mexico, and it’s situated at 300 km (480 miles) west of Mexico City. Michoacán is one of the Country’s States with the most economical hardships, where many children are victims of poverty, violence, abuse or abandonment by their parents.

The SOS Children’s Village in Morelia is the most recent one in Mexico. Its creation was associated to a fundraising campaign called “6 Villages for 2006”, done in cooperation with FIFA during the 2006 FIFA Football World Cup. Mexico aside, Brazil, Vietnam, Nigeria, South Africa and Ukraine were also included in the aforementioned project.  

The government of anthropologist Lázaro Cárdenas Batel ceded the land for the construction and in July 23rd 2005, FIFA and SOS Children’s Villages set the cornerstone of the new home. The official inauguration was in September 2006 and since that moment the new families resided in this new home.

The SOS Children’s Village Morelia is situated in the northeast side of town, in the poor neighborhood of Colonia Primo Tapia. In spite of the hardships that the community suffers, it has a good infrastructure, with shops, mass transportation, a kindergarten and primary and secondary schools nearby.

This village has 14 family homes, the home of the Village’s director, a multi-usage room, an administrative area and a workshop. It also has a football (soccer) field for the children and young adults of the community. In every house there are boys and girls living like siblings under the loving and professional care of the “mothers” or “aunts” of the Village. Currently, there are 9 occupied houses and soon the village will be at full capacity with 126 children.

The 74 children no living in the village have an average age between 5 and 7 years old, with the oldest one at 13 and the youngest at 1 year old. All of them go to nearby schools and also participate of sporting activities taking advantage of the village facilities. On the other hand, they are working on a fundraiser to build a water recycling plant and therefore be able to maintain the wide green areas of the village.

So, how was the visit?

After the “Olympic tour” around the Village we got together at the kiosk, away from the hot sun, so I could tell them about my trip. I gave them a short summary of my expedition pointing out on a map the places that I had already visited and afterwards I let them ask me some questions. Slowly the kids were getting more confident and the high point was when a girl got closer to me and asked me if I took showers… while laughing I told her that indeed I did shower every time it was possible, but that there were times that a few days would pass in between showers. She frowned and run away even tough I swore to her that I took a shower that same morning.

Once the round of questions was over, it was time for the reporters, who had gone to the Village to promote their work. Meanwhile, the kids never ceased to climb all over me, touching everything that was on the bike (Oliver was a complete success) and asking me for more rides on Maira.

It was lunch time and the mothers offered such a wide arrange of regional delicacies to entertain me that I just wanted to stay there forever and ask for asylum in one of the homes. Everything was delicious.

In the afternoon and after talking with the director, Adrián Romero Ramos, I received an unexpected surprise. The mothers started to arrive one by one and I was ready to leave thinking that they were having a meeting, when Mary, Adrián’s wife came in with a cake and candles. “Mmm, whose birthday is it?” I asked. “Well, yours of course” they responded. As they heard me talk about spending my birthday on the road, they decided to celebrate it once more, among family. I couldn’t believe it. They made me cry with their heartfelt and genuine gesture.

Another “Olympic tour” was due. This time I had to visit every home to say goodbye to the children. I never thought that I would spend three hours doing it! Because of their relationship to the World Cup, the houses were named after each of the countries that were finalists during that event. Then, I had the pleasure to visit the Argentina house among others…

Every home was a world apart. But something was the same in every one of my visits: there was always a kid with a smile jumping out of his/her face that would leap on me asking me to hold him/her. The tour showing me their rooms was also a classic war of tugging and pushing towards their beds to show me their toys or drawings.

In one of the homes, I had to lift and hold in the air at each and everyone of them before they would let me continue; in another, the little siblings sung songs taking turns while one of the girls approached with passion and skill the task of combing my curls and making some pigtails. In one home I was directly adopted as “uncle” and in another one there were dancing exhibitions. It was like a magnet that didn’t let me go. The smiles and joy that emanated from those kids was contagious and my heart was touched by the amount of affection received.

As I have been told,one does not adopt the children, they adopt us.Nothing could be more accurate than that!!

Smile Messenger

While staying with the people of the Village, an interesting idea evolved. Because in Mar del Plata there’s an SOS Village and I’ll be visiting some of them on my way back to my hometown, why not take a message form the kids of every Village that I visit to the kids of Mar del Plata?

This is how, with the help of the mothers and the affection of the children, this first gift was made and I will take on my bike until I get back home. Thanks for the effort and dedication!!

Epilogue

To describe the emotions and sensations experienced that day I spent with the children is very hard to do. Conveying those experiences through images or words is beyond my capabilities. But what I can tell you is that these experiences expand the horizons and recharge our hope in spite of how complicated our social reality can be. I invite you to join this great family and collaborate with their work. You can add your shoulder supporting economically with donacionesthat would allow them to continue their labor of love. Many thanks in advance, from my heart!

Good trails,

Damián

Acknowledgements

To Adrián Romero Ramos, director of SOS Children’s Village Morelia and his family: for your enthusiasm and the passion with which you received me and hosted me.

To Jorge Adolfo Reza Maqueo: for arranging the presence of the media and the broadcast of my visit, and for the great job done so the SOS Children’s Village Morelia will keep growing and evolving.

To the mothers of the children: for receiving me as one form the family, with much love and hospitality.

To all and everyone of the children of SOS Children’s Village Morelia: with your arms and shows of affection you demonstrated me that there’s always hope in this world.