LETTER FROM AN INTERN

DEAR FRIENDS AT PREDA FOUNDATION.,
March 14 2017
This is my report about my time at Preda.

At first I need to thank you and the Preda team for everything I could experience there. I learned so much about human beings and their minds, about the Philippines, the indigenous people, about me and a lot more.

To be nearly everyday with the kids gave me so much and you get so close to them, that you not only see them as clients, but as your siblings or friends and it was very hard to leave them. To see the therapies, for example the play therapy or the counseling was very interesting and the staff members made it through translations possible to understand what is going on. Especially the Primal Therapy was very impressive, but also shocking, to see how much anger, frustration and sadness these little kids hide inside themselves. I was even more impressed that they can leave the Primalroom after the therapy with a smile. I think I learned at Preda once more, how strong and beautiful children are and how much they need to be protected, so they can live the childhood they deserve.

The time for activities, but also the time for just talking, hanging around and laughing, made it very easy to connect with the kids and with the staff. I felt very welcomed. The Boys showed me so many things, like roasting cashew nuts, drawing and magic tricks and I had a lot of fun being with them and laughing all the time. And I never got as much cuddled and kissed as in the Girls home and I feel like I could never give them back all the love I received from the kids.

The visits to the Jails were shocking, but also interesting (as far as they can be). To see how much hope these kids inside there still have was making it a bit easier for me, but it is still very hard to understand how people can treat other people, children, like this. It shows one more time, how important the work of Preda is.

At the homevisits I saw the families and conditions in which the children live. So often there was no smile, no hug, not even a ‘Hello’ from the parents and as you said to me, these kids need to find the love somewhere else, if they can’t find it in their homes. And as far as I can say, I think they are very happy to receive some of it at Preda.

Also my trips to the Aeta Communities were very interesting. To listen to the chiefs and the farmers, learning about the mango trees and about the life they live that is so different from the life I know, was always worth it.

Preda gave me so much, I feel like it’s more than I gave in return, and I’m more than thankful to experienced all of this and that I was, only for a short time, part of this work.So again, thank you and Preda for everything! It felt like home to me for this 10 weeks. You inspired me in many ways and I hope I can bring that out to other people. You and your team are doing great work!

With friendly regards,
KAREN.