::January 16, 2011::
Today was a special day -- we went to treatment centers for children and teenagers facing an array of unimaginable challenges, and met a group of young people who were often confident, friendly and with an inspring attitude on life. The two centers housed children and teenagers who were sent there by judges and families for drug use and gang activity. On our way to the girl's center, the director of these Centers, Jorge, told us they've dealt with addiction and seen gang assissanations -- all at ages 12 or 13. Once I heard that, I expected to see a group of jaded, reserved girls who would roll their eyes at the sight of Americans coming to observe them. But to our surprise, they were friendly and even innocent. A few of them were delighted to find that I'm of Indian descent, and asked me about Indian food, clothes, what the country looked like and how conservative the culture is. They were in various stages of their recovery process, with some likely just leaving detox, and had mixed feelings about being at the center, they're away from their families and everyday lives, and it wasn't their choice to go. It's difficult to think about what will happen to these girls once they leave the center. But it was also inspiring and just plain fun to be able to laugh and relate with them.
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