Integral Care for 120 Children and Youth, Caracas

At Hogar Bambi, attending children and adolescents is a daily commitment and work that is done with dedication, so that these children, victims of poverty, social deterioration and family abandonment, manage to overcome their adversities.

As a result of the support of their caregivers and the specialized attention of pediatricians, nurses, psychologists, teachers, social workers, occupational therapists, speech therapists and others, it has been possible to improve the living conditions of the 120 children and adolescents sheltered at Hogar Bambi.

For this trimester we achieved the following goals:

• 69 children and adolescents are attending school, receiving online classes due to the Covid19 pandemic. In the Bambi homes, all of them receive pedagogical reinforcement, showing progress in reading, writing and basic notions of mathematics. Adolescents also receive tutoring in subjects such as mathematics, chemistry and physics.
• 6 children are being assisted by psychopedagogy to improve their school performance.
• 101 children and adolescents receive psychological and psychiatric care, family counseling and legal advice, according to their needs.
• 89 children participate in recreational, sports and trade activities, such as: swimming, music classes, bakery course, preschool assistant course, make-up course, necessary to develop their skills and abilities.

During these 25 years of work for Venezuelan children, we have had the support of different allies, without them it would be unsustainable to care for so many homeless children. Therefore, once again we are grateful for your contributions to ensure the welfare of this child population, whose opportunities and quality of life depend on our solidarity.

• Reporte_GG_Atencion_integral_may_2021_1.pdf (PDF)
  

At Hogar Bambi we continue to work for the integral well-being of children and adolescents, developing prevention and health care actions, which are necessary to avoid risks due to the pandemic  (COVID19). In this respect, in the last quarter of 2020, we continued monitoring and controlling healthy children, special medical exams were performed in the cases needed and we were also able to give immunizations to the children and staff.

Giving numbers to this achievements we may say:

17 initial clinical examinations and medical histories for children who recently moved to Hogar Bambi.

32 medical consultations to control healthy children.

31 lab tests to monitor and control infections or diseases.

137 external appointments (dermatology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, among

others).

164 vaccine doses, following the vaccination schedule depending on the age of the child, specifically: pneumococcus, Hepatitis A, chickenpox, Influenza, Adacel, Menactra, Twinrix, Rotavirus).

It is important to mention that by the end of 2020 Hogar Bambi housed 101 children and teens.  They have improved their health conditions, have received better nutrition and overall have favored their normal development.  All of the above have been accomplished thanks to all the support received and in Venezuela where the living conditions are very precarious it is very important to keep our youth healthy and wise.

The year 2020 has been one of the most challenging in terms of providing comprehensive care for the kids and adolescents of Hogar Bambi. Since the second week of March, Quarantine protocols were implemented due to the current coronavirus pandemic. This situation created a new reality that required many changes. Among them where changes to the protocols for assistance, care and protection of the children in our care, new measures to manage contact between children and adults, and shift adjustments for all personnel.

Concerning their education, the children shifted to an online model of learning. They continued their schooling in this way from March to July with the help of the staff. The 2020-2021 school year began in September with 69 children and adolescents enrolled. They receive support in completing their schoolwork and reaching academic requirements. To compliment this and reinforce fine and gross motor skills, occupational therapy sessions have been increased. This has served to optimize skills such as writing (e.g. holding a pencil properly), daily routines (e.g. getting dressed and eating), and sports performance.

Most importantly, concerning health, preventative health consults have increased (98 consults of healthy children) thanks to the incorporations of a pediatrician to our medical unit. In the month of April all children and staff tested negative for coronavirus, maintaining health and safety protocols. In June and July approximately 411 health consults were made as well as 49 laboratory exams as follow-ups to chronic conditions.

The month of September 2020 concludes with 94 children and adolescents in our care. Hogar Bambi continues to manage the resources needed to provide our care of this at-risk population. We thank you once again for all the contributions we have received.

2020 has been one of the most complex and challenging years for Hogar Bambi, because to the social and economic crisis that the country is already carrying, a globally public health alarm for COVID-19 was added in March, affecting the normal living of the people, organizations, and industries.

Aware of this reality, the institution is taking all the social distancing measures, and hygienic and security precautions to protect all the 104 boys and girls that are sheltered at this time in our four houses, as well as protecting the health of our staff, who comes to the facilities to honor daily activities of child care, medical assistance, nutrition, pedagogical reinforcement, cleaning and maintenance of the houses.

Despite the circumstances main programs and projects have been executed to protect the children, especially the monitoring and attention of the health of 94 children (medical consultation, pediatric evaluations, and laboratory tests), psychotherapy sessions and crisis interventions were held, one adolescent and a boy attended psychiatric consultation to follow up and control of their mental health. Also, pedagogical accompaniment was carried out to 62 schooled children who progressed with their studies online. It is worth saying that although the order of social quarantine (in force since March) has changed the dynamics of the institution, operations in Hogar Bambi have been running on behalf of the children, whose only support comes from the institution.

We reaffirm our gratitude for your contribution that makes possible the comprehensive care for all the boys, girls and adolescents sheltered in Hogar Bambi.

Aware of the family situation of the children that frequently come to Hogar Bambi Venezuela, institutional efforts remain focused on generating appropriate conditions and familiar and healthy spaces that make easy the adaptation and well-being of the children and adolescents that we attend at the four (4) houses, among immediate actions that were developed are:

­   Timely medical attention from their entering and during their stay

­   Pedagogical reinforcement and educational follow up to children that go to school

­   Developing of training workshops for adolescents and caregivers

­   Group intervention for protected adolescents

­   Development of afterschool activities (sports and music) that promote their development and social interaction

2019 closed with 99 sheltered children and adolescents, currently protected, of whom 60 are enrolled in 15 schools, receiving pedagogical support to improve their performance in classroom, smaller ones have reinforcement and initial preparation in the houses, to facilitate their future integration to the school.

In the middle of the Venezuelan panorama, Hogar Bambi continues to manage and administering resources in a rational way in order to meet the different needs of a growing population and personal development, thanking again for the contributions received.