Nueva Vida

Nueva Vida Helps Children Get Off Drugs

Nueva Vida is located on a quiet piece of land donated by Chiquita Brand International. By design, Nueva Vida is located a few miles out of town – thus providing physical and psychological distance from the trauma of street life. It is a dormitory style residential center with a 30-child capacity. Mentors are on-site 24 hours a day providing constant guidance and support. Educators provide instruction at appropriate levels. Using group discussion and individual counseling, psychologist and social workers assist the children through the rehabilitation process. They also work with the staff to identify, develop and implement effective strategies for interactions with the children.
 
Nueva Vida is where children learn to play, work and interact constructively and to adhere to discipline and structure. Virtually all the children coming to Nueva Vida are addicted to glue, so detox is accomplished with the support of a doctor, psychologist and other staff members and in some cases the use of a sauna. The children are places on a diet rich in nutrients and vitamins to help build the strength need to beat the addiction. Withdrawal varies, in some children it is barely evident while others become angry or violent and must be under 24 hour supervision.

Occupational therapy a schedules are key to life at Nueva Vida and are aimed at providing the children with activities they enjoy and the structure they need. Children are provided the opportunity to use their bodies and minds in productive ways. Art, sports, raising animals, gardening and music are some of the new activities the children learn. Street children enter Nueva Vida lacking the most basic of life skills. How to brush your teeth, make a bed, address a person by their name – these fundamental skills are learned at Nueva Vida. As a child masters new skills and adopts more healthy patterns, the grip of addiction is broken. The child begins to see himself in a new light and he begins to see new possibilities for his future.