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Baby Help Center Inspires Health and Hope in Argentina
Solana is thin, full of energy, and has a permanent smile that lights up her face even as she tears up in appreciation. "I could not celebrate Pesach, nor could I celebrate my son's birthday or Rosh Hashana were it not for the assistance I receive from Baby Help," shares the 24-year-old mom. She is overwhelmed with happiness at being able to share a festive, multi-generational Pesach seder this year with her son Lucio, age 3, and her elderly parents through the JDC-supported Baby Help program. "There is no money to pay for these kinds of experiences."
As a young girl, Solana would not have imagined her family relying on others for basic necessities or to afford a holiday celebration. She was born in the Almagro neighborhood of Buenos Aires, where she was raised in her family's flat. They were well-off and enjoyed a comfortable and active lifestyle-until Solana's father lost his job. Then only 15 years old with a disabled mother, Solana had to start working. She became a delivery girl at a fast food store, but the money was not enough. They began attending a soup kitchen, where the teen also worked helping other people in situations similar to hers - people in need of both food and emotional support. Over time, Solana's parents accrued tremendous debt and were unable to pay for the apartment's maintenance or expenses. They sold their home and used the proceeds to purchase a kiosk and a small house in Lanus, a province of Buenos Aires. However, the kiosk proved a poor investment, bringing about losses and, ultimately, the family's bankruptcy. Thrust suddenly into the role of breadwinner, Solana was unable to complete high school. Today, Solana lives with her parents and her son in a tiny home in Greater Buenos Aires where she shares a room and a bed with Lucio. Each morning, Solana takes two buses to bring the toddler to the JDC-supported Baby Help Center in the middle of the city. "As soon as we arrive at Baby Help, Lucio says goodbye to me and runs to play with his teachers and friends. Before, he would not separate from me even for one minute." Since coming to Baby Help six months ago, Solana and her son's lives have greatly improved. "When Lucio started coming here, he was always fighting; he was an aggressive, violent child," shares the devoted mother, who is raising her son alone as his father recuperates from a substance addiction. "Today he appears to be a different boy; he is calm and friendly." Knowing that Lucio is well looked after at the Baby Help day care, Solana is free to work and improve her family's economic circumstances. She holds a temporary job as a waitress at a hotel and is looking for a permanent position while also attending a course to earn her high school diploma. "I dream about not only changing the reality I am living in, but also the situation of many families who have a hard time and depend on Baby Help," says the introspective young woman. "It makes me sad not to be able to give Lucio the same things my parents gave me as a child," she says, adding that she understands that there are many other families who have similarly experienced a dramatic change in lifestyle in the aftermath of Argentina's economic downturn. Sponsored by JDC in partnership with local Jewish organizations in Argentina, Baby Help provides vulnerable pregnant women and children ages 0-3 years old the material and social support they require to live and develop healthfully. It provides Lucio the clothes and toys that his mom cannot buy for him, and he receives the caring support and the necessary stimuli to develop and grow in a vital, nurturing environment. "Baby Help is marvelous. I cannot believe how Lucio improved!" exclaims Solana in amazement. "He changed his style of speaking, of relating to other persons, of being. Intelligence is fostered here; he is encouraged to think, to act, to develop the sense of solidarity. Lucio gets home and he wants to help me arrange things and to collaborate on the housework. Sometimes he comes home with something he cooked at Baby Help and wants to have it cooked at home!" For both mother and son, the Baby Help program has provided a grounding, supportive network and a source of inspiration for the future. Solana is beginning, once again, to 'dream big'. "If I could choose a job today, it would have to be helping people. I want to do things that leave marks both in time and in people's lives. I want Lucio to be a great person. I want his way of being to fill me with pride." April 2007 |
