The Guadalajara Reporter

Mariposa programs bring joy to shelter children

The three Mariposa projects at the Love in Action Children’s Shelter are bringing much needed identity and human contact to children who live without a family and often see the outside world as uncaring.

“The small size of the classes allow those in charge to work at a personal level with the kids,” says project leader Bernadine Janzen. “We’re able to build trust first, and then skills that many of these kids can use later in life.”

The Seed Program promotes gardening and working outdoors, but also provides one-on-one contact with the kids to tutor them in Spanish and introduce English words into their vocabularies.

The Pet Parenting Program classes help students understand the importance of empathy and compassion, both for pets and other people. The program uses an Ajijic Rotary Dog Assisted Therapy pet.

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