by Donna Tabor
Nine year old Omar had never held a crayon before. His teacher, a Canadian volunteer, was surprised to learn that he didn’t know the color red. Nor did he know blue, green, or the other hues in his Crayola box.
Moises, 16, was only a few steps ahead. He knew colors, but he didn’t know how to read. That wasn’t surprising. He had lived on the streets for five years, estranged from his family that was ruled by an abusive grandfather. Following an all-too-common path, Moises became an addicted glue sniffer while on the streets, and his school years passed him by.
Omar and Moises now are students at Quinta Los Chavalos, a day school for 21 boys from surrounding barrios, and a residence for five others.
A steady stream of volunteers and professional teachers has started to make subtle changes in the lives of the boys. Moises can now sound out words syllable by syllable. Omar loves to color, paint, and create anything from nothing.
