A family with SOS Children
25/06/2008
Isac became an orphan at the age of five, after his mother died at the time of delivering his younger sister. He was born in Cochabamba and is the only one that became part of an "SOS family", since the rest of his four brothers and his sole younger sister moved to live in another city of Bolivia, where they had other relatives.
He doesn't have much to say about his past before SOS Children because he was too young by that time. He says he has lots of relatives spread throughout the country but has no contact with them because he doesn't know where they are. He affirms though that the main family he has consists of his SOS mother and his brothers and sisters of the village.
How was your life in an SOS Children's Village?
I remember the days when we used to walk to school with lots of children of the village (SOS Children's Village Cochabamba). That was really fun. I think I enjoyed being a child very much.
The village director was a nice person and also my uncles and aunts (family helpers). I think they used to have a good relationship with all of us. Both our mothers and co-workers of the village used to be very busy in activities here and there. I think there were more activities in the past than now. Everyone seemed to be more active.
I don't remember clearly how many we were when I arrived at the village. For example, my brother Cirilo left the village to study in La Paz and another went to the school of agronomy in Tiquipaya (near Cochabamba). I also remember that Jorge, another child, entered after me. That is all I remember.
So, of my childhood, what I remember is that I spent a good time. We had everything to eat, to study, clothes, food everything.
How was your relationship with your mother?
My relationship has always been good. Something I can underline about her is that she never touched me, say, she never beat me. Like any other child, I was probably naughty, but she was very kind and patient. Of course, sometimes she got angry and shouted.
How was your relationship with your brothers and sisters?
with my brothers I think my relationship was fine, too. I had a special tie with some of them, those who were closer in age probably. They were like little groups in my family and we preferred to play with them. That was funny I think. And something very special of my family, unlike others of the village, is that none of us had biological brothers or sisters in my house. We were ten children from different biological families
What about the relationship with the staff of the village?
When I arrived to live in the village, when I was a kid, I used to have a good relationship with my uncles and aunts (SOS Children's co-workers). They used to play with us, helped us with the homework and many things. Most of them were very nice and kind. Only when I moved to live in the youths' house in La Paz (SOS Youth Facility) I had some disagreements with one of the educators. But for the rest, everything was fine as well.
How did you begin your independence?
I left the village in Cochabamba and moved to live in La Paz, in a youths' house with eight other youths. I went to study at CENFOTEC (SOS Vocational Training Centre) where I enrolled in the area of civil construction. I hold a certificate of Superior Technician in Construction from the center now.
When I finished high school, I looked for a job. At that time, I met an SOS Children's co-worker, who has to do with constructions, who told me that a new SOS Children's Village was being built in Potosí (in Bolivia). So, he gave me my first chance to put into practice what I have learned in my technical career. By that time, I was just finishing my career, too. I am grateful to him for giving me that great first chance to work.
What I can say about my studies is that I was always the best. I was a little stubborn, I know, but I was intelligent. So, I took all opportunities given to me and I went to Potosí to assist as a civil engineer. That was the first time I received a monthly salary. It was my job; it was my responsibility; that money was not given to me for free anymore.
Believe it or not, at that time I was only 17 years old and I began to supervise the work of other workers who were older than me. I was like a baby boss. Of course, there were experienced construction workers there, but almost no one had studied in a technical center. I was proud. My job was to provide them with material, to control the quality of work and things like that.
I worked there for four months. Later I moved to Sucre where I also worked with the same engineer. In that way, I gained more and more experience.
A few months later, I was offered another job as a plumber in Oruro. This job was the very beginning of my future - I might say. It was the first time I was going to take the whole responsibility of a contract. The construction was big and I was going to install the whole water system.
I was given the money, I bought the necessary additional tools, and I started to work. In Oruro I stayed with my uncle and, well, I did the job. Since then I only work by whole contracts, and I give jobs to other people when the work is too much for me alone.
Now I know several engineers with whom I work, in different places, large and small constructions. I am 22 and I think I have more to learn. Life gave me the chance to be a contratista (manager) directly. Most people like me begin as assistants or helpers, next they become construction workers and finally contratistas. You see, I began as a contratista right away.
Something else you would like to say? A message to youths of the village?
What I can say is that they should make the most out of the support from SOS (Children), which is given to us during our childhood. Sometimes, when you are young, adolescent, you don't think well and you are tempted to waste the opportunities given by your mothers, uncles, and so on. Sometimes I used to do that, but at some point in my life, I reflected positively and here I am with my defects and virtues, but walking ahead to improve.
Plans for the future
Among other things, I would like to continue my studies, this time in the career of civil engineering at a university. In the future, I would like to run my own construction business. I am still very young and I think I can do it.
At my age, I think, we are doing fine. I have a daughter, my wife works on her own; we have an apartment as "antichresis" (A deposit given back at the contract's termination). My daughter has her own room; we have the necessary appliances, and so on
Relevant Countries: Bolivia.