Every Day Heroes part 1: Alanya

Introduction

I know Alanya for many years now and although contact has faded away over the last years I still consider her an every day hero.



I met Alanya (in that time going by another (Dutch) name) when I was homeless just as she was. At that time she was hanging out with a group of people within the homeless community that was overlapping the group that I was hanging out and through mutual friends we got in contact with each other. I must admit that the moment I saw her I got a little crush on her and it was not difficult to become friends with her. (It too some time but I eventually told her about my crush which she appreciated but didn't return)

During that time, which was one of the best periods in my street life, this group of about 10 people was supporting each other on the streets, we camped together on a camping ground, went to the nearby lake to swim or to the park to relax etc.

Then the time came that the N.O.I.Z was founded and she played a big part in that. She was the one that opened the door of the squatted building, she was one of the people talking to the city council, she arranged a lot inside the shelter and eventually she became a manager for the N.O.I.Z as well. Not a small feat for a girl who was taken from her country (Peru) and adopted at 9 months old and homeless since the age of 15.

(following part is taken from http://www.loscachorros.nl/english/documents/history.html )

Back to Peru

With the foundation of NoiZ, Alanya regained control of her own life. Early 2000 Alanya heard about a “roots trip”. This trip offered adopted adolescents in the Netherlands a trip back to their place of birth in Peru. This was the occasion for Alanya to get back in touch with her adoption family and to together learn about her origin. Alanya left for Peru together with her adoption parents in 2000. Everything came together for Alanya at her motherland. This was her home! Seeing and experiencing the poverty, the beggars and the street children was not easy for Alanya, however. She immediately felt drawn to the street children’s fate. That is when and why she decided to do something for these children in her hometown Ayacucho.

Founding Los Cachorros

Back in the Netherlands, Alanya gathered a few people and founded, with the idea of NoiZ in the back of her head, Los Cachorros on September 28, 2000. The following three years were all about fundraising, sponsoring activities, generating publicity and establish contacts in Ayacucho. It was until May 29, 2003 that the doors of the night shelter finally opened for the street children of Ayacucho. Since 2006, Los Cachorros also offers a 24/7 shelter. Apart from a house above their heads, Los Cachorros pays attention supporting street children in surrounding neighborhoods and offers education and information sessions at schools, police stations and other communities. What once started with sympathy for the fate of the street children in Ayacucho has grown beautifully into a successful shelter which has offered support to hundreds of kids in the past few years. Together with a team of streetworkers, social workers, psychologists, a nurse and teacher, Alanya is fighting for a chance of a better future for the streetkids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LZeD30bEB0

(end of source)

As a foundation Los Cachorros (the cubs) is based in the Netherlands however the work is done in Peru of course. As non profit organisation it always can do with a little more help and fundings (yep here he goes again, asking yall money for poor animals or kids or poor people) but I figure you would like to know more about what her foundation is doing.

I think a worthy opener for my every day heroe section don't you agree?

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="339"] Los Cachorros - A home for street children . click the banner to find out how you can help[/caption]

Homelessness

 

Hi

 

As you might have seen in my first post or my about page, I have been homeless for several years. To be precise... I have been homeless since I was 13 years of age until I was 29. To be honest.... I did not sleep on the streets most of that time and I considered myself more a wanderer then a "regular" homeless.

 

Although I have walked the streets people never could tell I was homeless when they looked and talked to me. Personal hygiene was and is important to me and I never begged for money or food. I have always tried to earn a honest living by working for temp agencys or by creating my own jobs (more on that later)

 

I have seen a lot of changes during my street years. When i became homeless I was the only kid in my town that actualy was homeless. My "compadres" where all at least 30/35 years of age and help organisations like the Salvation Army had no clue on how to handle a 13 year old "hobo". Nowadays when I look at what is roaming the streets I see a lot of teens and the "old fashioned" homeless are starting to disappear from the streets. Also when I started to wander the streets there where no such things as street papers like "the big issue" and temp agency's where reluctant to give work to a homeless person due to the fact they thought that someone from the streets would not be able to get enough sleep and food to go to work on time (or at all). Lucky for me there was one temp agecy that wanted to give me a try and I have done many jobs thanks to them which resulteed in me being able to live my life on the streets without becoming a "criminal" (never been arrested in my life)

In 1994 we had a very harsh winter in the Netherlands and there where not enough beds to ensure a save night for all the homeles in my town so me and a bunch of others squated a big house to start our own nightshelter which was (and still is)  run by the homeless themselves. People can apply for a job in the shelter and in excange for a number of shifts each week the organisation provides a home, income, debt relieve and support towards full "social" intergration in the "normal" world. Thanks to this initiative many former homeless people now are living a normal live with a job and a future ahead. The organisation won 2 prices for best volunteers organisation of the country during it's first year of operation and it got copied in other towns across the country

For myself.. it took a bit more then just the N.O.I.Z (NachtOpvang In Zelfbeheer, roughly translated it means Night shelter in self-management). For me it took meeting my current wive. I really didn't care that much for living in a house, I was pretty content with wandering across Europe but I figured that if I had a girlfriend I could not willingly let her stay on the streets so we took efforts to get off. It took a few years and a lot of hard work but I can say that we are off the streets for the last 15 years now, we are debt free, addiction free and happily married (this year we celebrate our 15th anniversary)

 

Of course this is just a introduction to my live on the streets, loads more can be told but I think that is for another time. However if you have questios feel free to ask them.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt2mbGP6vFI&w=560&h=315]