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  May 2015 Newsletter  
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Step by
Step

Good Morning NCV family!

It is tempting to race forward, to try and get where we hope to be in the future while neglecting the present. Each step, however, is an opportunity to appreciate the wonders of the world around us, to build relationships with our friends and family, and it is through patience and perseverance that we lay the firm foundations to build futures that are stable and enduring.

Peace and Blessings,
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Becoming a
Young Woman
The quinceañera celebration is like no other. Sure, the party itself can cost families thousands of dollars, and can be even more elaborate than many wedding ceremonies. However, what sets it apart is what it means for the girl—it is considered the moment when a girl becomes a young woman. Many of our teens long for the day they will turn 15, then when they will turn 18 and be able to move into the Sendero de Esperanza transition home. We work to strike a balance, encouraging our teens to enjoy childhood while it lasts, while providing them with skills and opporunities to become more independent.

This month, we celebrated two 15th birthdays! Paulina chose to have a special day of pampering, starting at a spa, then going to watch her first movie in a theatre (Avengers: Age of Ultron in 3D!), and finally a fancy dinner with her CDP family. Evelyn hosted a celebration in the home, where we had more friends packed into the house than we have ever had since moving in in 2016! She wore the dress she made herself in her extracurricular sewing classes, and was happy to share the evening with both friends and family.
15 image Paulina was so happy after her day at the spa and theater. 15 image Everyone digging into a great meal out at Casa Campestre. 15 image Singing "Happy Birthday"! 15 image Paola cutting the cake as Paulina looks on. 15 image Tío Tyson and Evelyn dancing the waltz. 15 image Evelyn was so grateful to have her father participate in her special evening. 15 image Evelyn, along with a group of her close school friends. 15 image Evelyn, along with her "damas" - Jhoselin, Paty, Bryssa, Adriana, Laura and Johana. 15 image Evelyn's father and sisters were all proud to be a part of her quinceaños.
 
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Working Towards
a Better Future
As an organization working towards promoting an integrated care model, where children living with special needs, including HIV, can receive nurturing care in a discrimination-free atmosphere, our work expands beyond the walls of our residential homes. One of the networks we are a part of, is made up of organizations who coordinator our efforts to both provide quality and efficient care to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), as well as advocate in private and publical forums to demands that rights are guaranteed, and that the government and society as a whole understand the obstacles facing the community of PLHA.

On May 21 the children and staff of Niños con Valor gathered in the main plaza downtown to express our solidarity with this community, and to demand improved healthcare, and share about the discrimination our children have suffered. Our executive director, Paola Navarro, shared about the final days of Alvaro, and how after being refused care in one of the top clinics in Cochabamba, spent 3 days in the emergency ward due to lack of beds. There is a lot of work to do, but each step taken brings us closer to a more just Bolivia for children living with special needs.
vigil image "We need resources for infrastructure, doctors, testing equipment and medication." vigil image Handing out 53 balloons in memory of those who passed away in 2014 due to AIDS-related causes. vigil image Our kids helped hold and then release the balloons. vigil image Tío Carlos along with Alarico and Manolo. vigil image The whole NCV family representing children living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS. vigil image The balloons being released. vigil image Our executive director, Paola Navarro, sharing alongside Willan Montaño, secretary for RedBol+, the national network of people living with HIV/AIDS. vigil image Fabián giving Tía Sofia a great big kiss.
 
 
Stepping into the Future
We have shared on our website and in conversation our goal to see our model of residential care expand. Since 2007 when we first began talking about expansion, we have had ample opportunity to learn so much about our strengths and weaknesses, about the gaps that exist in the Bolivian childcare system, and what NCV's role should be in the future. Our vision for growth has evolved significantly, and we are excited to be taking first steps towards its realization. In this an upcoming newsletters, we are going to highlight specific aspects of our future vision, and share ways that you can get involved. This month, we want to give you a general picture of this vision.

Having established a nurturing, family-style, integrated model of care, we are now faced with regular requests to receive new children from around the country, and the need for scaling our model is clear. In a recent survey we asked various governmental and nongovernmental agencies what the most vulnerable sector of children requiring residential care is, and all replied that children living with special physical and health needs, and teens are at the greatest risk.

OK, so our model is needed, but how do we expand? One way is to simply get bigger. However, the very core of our model is quality over quantity. There are also realistic considerations of cost and of maintaining the model over a much wider geographical area. Our vision, then, is to continue to improve our model through moderate internal scaling, while establishing partnerships with already existing residential programs to scale externally.

Internally, we are looking to purchase land, where we will construct fully-accessible homes to care for up to 80 children, with on-site support in all areas of childhood development. We have tentatively given this project the name Comunidad Niños con Valor (CNCV). Externally, we will launch a training program aimed at supporting the staff of other organizations, to help them contextualize our model into their own residential homes.
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Next month, we will share more in depth about the residential portion of Comunidad Niños con Valor. For those children who have no alternative to residential care, how can we ensure that the homes we are providing them with not only meet all of their needs, but also create a truly family-style atmosphere?
 
   
 
 
Sponsorship Spotlight
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Diego
Diego, who turns 9 next month, is one of our top athletes in Pedacito de Cielo. Recently, he started taking taekwondo classes, and in his first competition won first place for his weight group! Diego is a dedicated student, and in his free time prefers to be outside. With no family willing to care for him, we are hopeful that soon his papers will be processed, so that he can be welcomed into a loving, adoptive family.

If you would like to sponsor one of our children, please visit our sponsorship page to learn how you can do so!
 
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Clara
From the moment 6-year-old Clara arrived in Corazón del Pastor last year, she lit up the home with her smile. Having lived a very unstable life in her formative years, it has required a lot of hard work for her to catch up to her peers in her studies - but she loves doing homework, and is making incredible progress. In the future, she hopes to live in the Sendero de Esperanza transition home like Sofia and Ana.

If you would like to sponsor one of our children, please visit our sponsorship page to learn how you can do so!
 
  Our Programs  
 
All of our programs seek to provide holistic care, as well as integrate children and families living with various physical and mental health issues, including HIV/AIDS.
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Our home that provides care for up to 24 girls who have been orphaned, abandoned or removed from high-risk situations.
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Our home that provides care for up to 14 boys who have been orphaned, abandoned or removed from high-risk situations.
 
 
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We also host volunteers, who fulfill important roles within our programs. Click here to learn more.
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Our transitional program, helping prepare teens for independent living once they leave our residential homes.
 
 
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© Copyright 2015 - All Rights Reserved
Ninos con Valor Inc
NE Novelty Hill Rd SteB221-#301
Redmond, WA 98053
info@ninosconvalor.org
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