Meet Paola!

Hi! My name is Paola. I’m 15 years old.

I got to my first orphanage when I was very little, many years ago with my older and younger brothers. At first it was weird being with so many kids that I didn’t know but at least I was there to support my little brother…he has a lot of problems.

Sometimes it was fun being around other children but we also had to share everything with the little kids. I didn’t like the part at all. I had to sleep in the girls dorm and my bothers in the boys dorm but at least we were together.

I remember when Ana from Create Purpose came to the orphanage. I didn’t know her then but I remember when I started going to the Technology class and they brought laptops. They were so fast compared to the ones we did our homework on! My big brother was 10 and I was 9 but we were in the same class because we would mess up a lot when we first started. We were learning about power point and different things on Google and played very hard coding games. I didn’t understand much because I had a hard time paying attention to the teacher. I was always the last one to finish the work or I wouldn’t even finish at all.

Two years ago we were moved to a different orphanage. My little brother Emmanuel stayed at the orphanage because of his problems but my big brother Brandon went to an only boys one and I was sent to an only girls one. Luckily I was with 2 other girls from the first orphanage that I liked. It was very hard to not miss my brothers and everyone else, even Gerardo, my technology teacher and our garden classes.

After a little while at the new orphanage I saw Ana again and got really excited. I asked if we were going to have classes again and she said she didn’t know. I think she knew and just wanted to surprise me because a few weeks later we started to have computer classes again! Now I have a different teacher but that’s ok even though I like Gerardo better.

Now that I look back I know I have a lot to learn but I am happy because I am learning a lot of things. I don’t know when I started to understand the computer classes but they’re not so hard anymore. We’re learning to code with symbols and numbers and it’s getting pretty easy for me. I can finish my classwork now because the teacher helps us and is very good explaining things. I also like the classes because they tell me I’m doing a good job.

At the orphanage I have a bedroom with my friends and have lots of activities every day. I know I am going to grow up and have to be someone in life. I am happy because I am learning a lot of things that will help me. I go to a very good school but even though I’m happy, I miss my brothers who are at other orphanages.

I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up but maybe a Children’s Lawyer or an Engineer because I like doing hard things and they say you can earn god money. I also like math a little because once you learn it, you can figure lots of things out.

I want to have my own house and travel everywhere. I don’t know if I want to get married and have children. I still don’t know but for now I want to help other children to learn coding. I don’t know if I can teach very little ones because I am not so patient but the other girls at the orphanage say they like when I explain to them and they say they understand me.