WHO ARE THE CHILDREN OF
HORSES IN THE HOOD?

by Patricia Johnson-Hill Family Advocate / Educator Healthy Start, Watts, California One way a child can develop and express their best selves is to have the opportunity to explore, create, and be challenged. For the second year in a row, the children of the Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary School in Watts have such an opportunity. Horses in the Hood has provided an open passage for these inner-city students to explore some of the greatness this world has to offer. The week that the children spend at horse camp is a time for learning, for building character and learning values. Some of the values learned are: sharing, caring, respect, trust, responsibility, and family. For most of these children, this is a dream come true and an exposure that otherwise would have been impossible. Watts is a low-income community in Southeast Los Angeles, where the majority of our students live. Within the confines of this community, there is a strong presence of drug usage and gang violence. From January 1 through mid December, 2000, 76 people were killed in Southeast Los Angeles. This included 23 victims who were 21 years old or younger. Of those, nine were too young to even vote. It is a community notorious for violence. Many of our children live with caution and sometimes fear, and have seen family members murdered or injured. Also, a large number of our children have either one or both parents that are incarcerated.

Photo by Donna Gulnac

On our last day of camp this year, I was approached by Kathy Kusner (Founder, HHLA) and was asked what they "could do to improve the program." My response was "NOTHING." Everything has been perfect from day one! The children are thrilled and excited at the thought of caring for their respective horses on a daily basis. Their minds are like sponges ready to absorb the many lessons they learn during the course of the week. Each day is a new learning experience that causes growth and development. Last but not least, everything is provided for their convenience. Who could ask for anything more?

Thank you to Horses in the Hood for making this adventure a memorable experience for our children.