Santiago's Children: What I Learned about Life at an Orphanage in Chile | 
 enlarge | Author: Steve Reifenberg
Creator: Paul Farmer
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 338531
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 250
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 0292717423
Dewey Decimal Number: 362.73
EAN: 9780292717428
ASIN: 0292717423
Publication Date: April 15, 2008
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Product Description
Unclear about his future career path, Steve Reifenberg found himself in the early 1980s working at a small orphanage in a poor neighborhood in Santiago, Chile, where a determined single woman was trying to create a stable home for a dozen or so children who had been abandoned or abused. With little more than good intentions and very limited Spanish, the 23-year-old Reifenberg plunged into the life of the Hogar Domingo Savio, becoming a foster father to kids who stretched his capacities for compassion and understanding in ways he never could have imagined back in the United States. In this beautifully written memoir, Reifenberg recalls his two years at the Hogar Domingo Savio. His vivid descriptions create indelible portraits of a dozen remarkable kids—mature-beyond-her-years Veronica; sullen, unresponsive Marcelo; and irrepressible toddler Andres, among them. As Reifenberg learns more about the children's circumstances, he begins to see the bigger picture of life in Chile at a crucial moment in its history. The early 1980s were a time of economic crisis and political uprising against the brutal military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Reifenberg skillfully interweaves the story of the orphanage with the broader national and international forces that dramatically impact the lives of the kids. By the end of Santiago's Children, Reifenberg has told an engrossing story not only of his own coming-of-age, but also of the courage and resilience of the poorest and most vulnerable residents of Latin America.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Why be a volunteer overseas? May 30, 2008
In the years I spent working for an international volunteer organization, I was often asked whether volunteers benefit more from their experience than do the communities they serve. Steve Reifenberg's lovely memoir, Santiago's Children, provides the perfect answer: everyone benefits. Young volunteers who are often seeking guidance for their careers and lives come home with open minds and vastly broadened horizons; their families and friends at home learn with them and are given an opportunity to contribute from afar; and the children and communities in which the volunteers work acquire knowledge, skills, and affection for people from other countries. Reifenberg has written a funny, compelling, and thoughtful account of his experience in a beautiful country at a troubled time. Reading it, I came to care deeply about the orphanage and children he describes and to respect him for the quality of his observations. His book will be of value to anyone considering going overseas to live or work.
A Thoughtful Journey in International Volunteering May 30, 2008
One of the most difficult things for persons who engage in meaningful international volunteerism is balancing the reality of the limitations on what they can actually accomplish with the idealism, energy and commitment to doing good that brought them to the decision to volunteer in the first place. "Santiago's Children" is a wonderful narration that paints one international volunteering experience with honesty and insight across the what will be for potential volunteers and others curious about international volunteering a surprisingly broad mix of experiences, successful and unsuccessful, that this particular volunteer had during his years at the orphanage in Chile. Probably even more importantly, this book shows how the volunteer experience can transform the volunteer in unexpectedly profound ways.
As the Executive Director of an NGO that sends volunteers to teach in developing countries, I have been looking for a book to send to our incoming volunteers to give them a realistic sense of what sorts of experiences lie ahead for them, as well as to show them how serious service can change their lives. We have decided on "Santiago's Children."
A remarkable, moving book with lessons for life May 23, 2008
This is a great book for any recent college graduate, or for anyone older who is mulling over the meaning of life. Steve Reifenberg waited nearly 25 years to write a memoir of the two years he spent working in a small Chilean orphanage. The "hogar" was run by a remarkable young woman, who created a loving home for about a dozen young outcasts. As "Tio Esteve" works in the orphanage, he not only learns a lot about each of the loveable kids, and about raising children (even difficult ones), but also about what life is really all about. Reifenberg's beautiful, clear prose skillfully interweaves the story of the children, of Steve's coming of age, and the story of Chile under dictatorship. I found the book to be thoughtful, deep and affecting. This is not just a book for people who love latin america, or who may love children. There are stories and lessons in here that will appeal to a wide audience. When I finished reading, I wanted to start the book all over again. Santiago's Children is not only the story of the power of good, but it reminds us that one person can still make a difference.
Serious, Fine People with a Sense of Humor Go Away to Learn This Stuff May 21, 2008
Santiago's Children is an excellent read for many markets--people sensing that they want to "make a contribution" in a land far away; souls who are "finding themselves" thoughtfully; folks who are trying to understand the first two groups. Steve Reifenberg tells his personal story in a way that satisfies readers, regardless of where they are coming from. This occurs because Reifenberg's themes, what he learns, are important, universal truths. The truths he discerns, WE discern, without his having to articulate them in tones of "now remember this."
We know from the beginning that Reisenberg has grown up a thoughtful reader and writer. Thus we hope that toward the end of the book he will look across the landscape of his life in Santiago and write in retrospect--stating his accomplishments, learnings, new beliefs. I'm glad the author does package up the lessons learned. You can pin these gems on your bulletin board, magnet them to the fridge, tape them inside your medicine cabinet.
 Must-read for those interested in Chile or living abroad May 14, 2008
This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in Chile, in service projects, in living in a foreign country, or who just wants an entertaining and thought-provoking adventure. The author manages to combine humor and insight into his accounts of situations he encountered as a "Gringo" living in an orphanage in the 1980's, during Chile's dictatorship. I would highly recommend this book to anyone considering taking a similar path (Peace Corps, World Teach, Jesuit Volunteers, or any international service) as it is an entertainingly accurate account of the challenges, pains and joys of cross-cultural experiences. He poignantly helps readers to negotiate, as he puts it, the space between our ideals and reality in the struggle to make the world a better place. It is very accessible, very funny, and overall an excellent read. Highly recommended.
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