de los Niños: Daniela

(UPDATED: 6/17/07)

This is my first "de los Niños" bio. In these posts, I'll be taking a look at individual kids and relating their personalities, personal experiences and stories with them, and brief pieces of their history. Read other ones here, in the archives.

Today I have Daniela. Excuse me for now, as I don't know her full name. I'll try to get it as soon as possible. But you can tell which one she is from the picture.

Daniela is a girl that's about...nine years old, I think. The first time I saw her was during my stay during the summer of 2006. She had actually just arrived right before that week, so I could say that I know her from the beginning. As of typing this post, she is still at the orphanage today.

Her general personality? It has certainly changed over time, but even still you can never predict her. She ranges from shy to playful to mischievous.

When I first met her, she stood out because of her hair. I found out that she was really shy (at least, to visitors). I can't be certain, but it might have been because, then, her head was almost completely shaven off, and she was bald. I never got the full details of the story (I asked her once, but I didn't know enough Spanish then to understand her), but her hair (or lack of) made her stand out and she probably was a bit self-conscious.

Daniela, as she first arrived at Casa Hogar Sion, Summer 2006

But our group stayed over past the weekend and into the weekday grind, it appeared that she began to look at us as family and started to open up to us a bit. She started being a bit vocal and playful, as most of the girls her age at the orphanage were.

She didn't really stand out much, personality-wise, for the rest of that trip. It wa spossibly because she was still new to the whole thing. However, when I came back a couple of months later, it was clear that she had grown more accustomed to her environments. She was one of the first to greet me when I came, and she clearly remembered me.
She lead me on a bunch of wild adventures and escapades, and over the next few months I saw that she was slowly changing.

Which brings us to now (Or, my last trip in February). Until recently, Jasmine had filled the role of rambunctious preteen girl who ran up to the guests and always wanted to play. Jasmine was the most active and playful of all of the girls (at least when I was there)...the social butterfly. She was one of the first kids at the orphanage whom I truly started to develop a bond with and got to know.
However, Jasmine has recently left Casa Hogar Sion. That story (of which the exact details I am still not clear on) is for a later time.

With Jasmine gone, there was a void to fill. Daniela, as I see it, filled that void. On my last trip down, she was everywhere. She quickly started games with some of the newcomers on our boat, and was their main "guide"...almost in the same way that Jasmine was to me on my first visit.

You could never predict her, though. Sometimes in the day she'd play the quiet shy kid, as well. And then at other times, she would steal my camera and hide it (much to my initial chagrin). Sometimes she'd sit back and watch a movie on the community TV...and at others, she'd start drumming wildly on a bucket with a wooden stick and ask me to join.

Like I said, she was everywhere, and that day she was by far the most active. It's what makes her so wonderful.

I don't really know much about her family and her history before the orphanage, because I haven't as of yet had a chance to ask. But it seems to me that she is happy where she is now.

(Have a story about Daniela? Something to contribute? Leave a comment or E-mail me.)

UPDATE: During my 6/16/07 trip to the orphanage, I found out that Daniella is no longer a child of Casa Hogar Sion. In learning this, I also gleamed insight onto her history and past.
Daniella was put into Casa Hogar Sion by her parents about a year ago. Whether it was willingly, out of neglect or lack of money, I do not know. However, she had a very loving grandmother who would always visit her at the orphanage. I recall seeing her grandmother at the orphanage more times than not during my one-day trips.
It was clear that her grandmother wanted to be with her in more permanent situations, but didn't have the resources or the means...yet. However, just this past month she finally reached them. And she adopted Daniella.
Today we can only assume that Daniella lives happily with her grandmother. It's a bittersweet parting, but at least we know she is with her family now.

There is so much to be learned from these partings...and not all of them are for the better. I'll discuss this more in a future post. But for now, consider Daniella adopted.