Dear family and friends,
As you know, I have been studying in Costa Rica as Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar for the last year. This coming Christmas will mark the halfway point in my Masters’ program in Family Violence and Gender Studies at the University of Costa Rica in San Jose. The program has been challenging, partly because of the language barrier but also because of the content. Each and every day brings with it a new lesson on appreciation – for family support, friends, social networks, social services, security, possibilities of self-growth, and of course, technology! It is incredible how technology can transform distance, as it has allowed me to continually share my experiences with you all and keep up on what is happening in your lives as well.
I like to invite your support for a pilot project I have proposed to the women’s prison here in San Jose. It is grounded in that same concept, a simple use of technology to overcome distance, facilitate meaningful communication, and maintain family ties.
When a mother, especially a single mother, is incarcerated, the psychological effects of the separation can be devastating for the entire family. Incarceration is more than geographical separation; it is a multi-dimensional distance, one that is difficult to bear. Studies have shown that family separation tends to affect incarcerated women to a much greater degree than their male counterparts, with the majority of incarcerated mothers expressing extremely high levels of stress over the mental health and educational progress of their children, who are often staying with family members, neighbors, or in the care of the state. This sense of anxiety and isolation is exacerbated by the fact that women in prison in Latin America receive significantly fewer visits from family members than men, due to limited family resources and an overall lack of willingness of male family members (spouses, brothers, fathers) to bring the children for regular visits.
One activity in particular that suffers when a parent is incarcerated is the opportunity for their children to be read to daily. Reading storybooks aloud with children is not only an invaluable bonding activity between parent and child, but plays a fundamental role in their acquisition of language, literacy skills, and overall future academic success. Children with incarcerated parents are a particularly vulnerable and at-risk group, as the emotional effects of the separation tend to negatively affect their personal and social development.
The creative use of technology can help to simultaneously reduce the anxiety of both parent and child during the time of incarceration. The “¡Cuéntame!” Storybook prison project seeks to provide children with incarcerated mothers the opportunity to continue reading “with” their mother, in the form recordings. The project model is simple: make a video or CD recording of the mother reading a storybook and then gift the recording and a copy of the book to each child in the family. The cost is minimal, but the positive emotional and psychological impacts of the project in the lives of the participants are extraordinary.
Testimonies from participants in similar programs in Texas and throughout the United States show that these types of activities have an extremely positive social impact, both inside and outside the prison. Participants affirm that simply hearing the voice of their loved one is extremely therapeutic. In addition to promoting literacy, the recordings enable the children to have access to their mother’s voice anytime they desire, instead of being limited to sporadic prison visits. The recordings often include personal messages before and after the story, providing the mother with a platform to express her love to her children. The long-term goal of the project is to ensure that each child receives a new storybook and recording every three months.
There is an overwhelming need for creative, low-cost mental health services for incarcerated individuals and their families, especially in regions such as Central America. The goal is to eventually extend the service to all prisons in Costa Rica, with possibilities of emulating the project throughout Central America. Our pilot project will provide 15 families (single mothers currently incarcerated in the women’s prison el Buen Pastor with children between the ages of 4 and 8) with recordings, storybooks, and audio equipment as a Christmas gift.
To make this project possible, I need to raise $1,500 dollars before December 15, 2009. Each child will receive a 1) copy of a storybook (written, illustrated, and published here in Costa Rica), 2) a CD or DVD of their mother reading the story, and 3) a small CD player*. Project costs include: transportation to and from prison, transportation for at least three visits to each family’s residence, purchasing of reading materials, blank CD’s, and CD players.
I have a meeting with the prison administration on the 28th of October to officially present this proposal. It will be very powerful to show up for this meeting with pledges for the entire amount!
You can make a pledge several ways:
1. Email: cut and paste the pledge form below into an email and send to
rarick.sarah@gmail.com
2. Facebook: cut and paste the pledge form into a personal message/friend request for Sarah Rarick
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pledge form - !Cuéntame! Prison Project
I, ___________________________________ , pledge $ _______._____ to the !Cuéntame! Pilot Prison Project.
Email: _______________________________________
Phone number: (______) _______ - ___________
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please know that all contributions you make will positively impact the possibilities for this pilot program becoming an established program in the Costa Rican prison system. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for being a part of my life!
Sincerely,
Sarah Rarick
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar
rarick.sarah@gmail.com
www.sarahrarick.blogspot.com
Monday, October 19, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
