Page 20 - AHATA

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local Tuesday 27 sepTember 2022

Gino and Felipe, the story about the value of animals for the

wellbeing of people in the margins of society

Felipe has a hard job. But reason or another, this little
in the same breath, Felipe donkey is like a king, mov-
is much loved and has ev- ing how and where he
ery freedom, with his food wants.
arriving on time and all the
attention he needs. Felipe Gino used to collect ani-
is one of the recue donkeys mals as a kid. It wasn’t
at Eliezer Foundation and strange for him to be scold-
he helps rescue people go- ed because, there, Gino
ing through difficult chal- brings a duck home. The
lenges in life. But aside from family lived in the Nether-
everything else, Felipe is an lands for a while and noth-
animal, and that on itself is ing changed. Even though
very special for Gino Frans Gino Frans did not become
(54), founder and director a veterinarian or studied
of the foundation. in the area of animal hus-
bandry, he educated him-
Even though Eliezer Foun- self thanks to the internet
dation (Zorgboerderij La in order to take care of
Posada) has the goal of them in the best way pos-
helping people struggling sible. And now he applies
with addiction, it is the re- that knowledge, combined
alization of Gino’s dream, with his experience to give goes outside. A car could Currently, there are five the animals. If you don’t
who for as long as he can animals that are abused, hit him”, he said. horses that one volunteer, give love and food, one
remember, he always liked like horses, donkeys and Mrs. Wever rescued, and day they will break out and
animals. “There are times dogs, so that they can find The child who loved and the clients of Eliezer take leave. Sometimes it’s hard
I like animals more than shelter. collected animals, today care of them. “The horses to explain something so
people.” continues with animal care, were abused, so they can- emotional to a person, but
What made it possible for but also care of people. not do long tours like be- it becomes more under-
Felipe is not alone. He is in Gino to establish a shelter Eliezer takes care of people fore. What they do is give standable and acceptable
the farm together with Bel- was a philanthropist who suffering from addiction, lessons to children. The if they live it themselves.”
la, Skippy and Linda. Most allowed them to use a big and the animals and plants money generated from this
of them came to the farm plot of land. However, this in the farm help with the activity goes back into the What makes Gino very
abused, badly cared for. gentleman passed away work. “We are a recovery care of the animals.” happy is seeing how the
“Felipe is three years old. I and Frans had to find an- farm. We plant and care therapy with animals works.
don’t know if he’s going to other plot of land. Soon for animals. What we try to An animal gives a lot of Something that stood out
grown anymore. I think this he is moving to Santa Lu- do is let the clients appre- love. “You can benefit from the most was the story of
has to do with inbreeding in cia, which allows Gino to ciate the care of animals an animal. If you teach a an adult with autism, who
Aruba. I found the mother let the animals roam free. and learn agriculture.” child to take care of an ani- because of lack of un-
to take care of, and she “Here we are close to a Every client, every addict mal, he learns to love. In this derstanding found himself
gave birth here. Linda was main road. Felipe wanders who arrives at Eliezer gets program, we see change on the streets using drugs.
also born here.” But for one around and sometimes he an animal to take care of, in people that for example Eliezer Foundation opened
which means that the per- did not care for their own their doors to this person,
son learns to work, gets dis- child. But here they need and Gino assigned a horse
cipline and learns to love to give constant attention to their care. After a few
animals. to the animal under their months caring for the horse,
care for it to survive. And suddenly the client began
Gino tells each person the animals are grateful. They speaking. This surprised the
story of the animal that respond.” family, but not Gino. “A
they received in their care, horse, an animal has a way
so that they can appreci- A horse becomes happy of communicating that
ate them. For example, the when it receives atten- people don’t have”, Gino
horses at the farm are not tion, and the emotion that said very happily. And he
for tours, they are for the the clients experience knows what he is talking
people who need guid- can help them later with about, because Gino him-
ance to learn what the their own people. “There self was once an addict,
animals need. From food, was one client who com- almost thirty years ago. But
baths, cleaning – which plained why we must go for many years already, his
includes cleaning the sta- and cut grass every day. wife and his animals like Fe-
bles. It’s a daily work with He complained why he lipe give him the necessary
its routine, necessary for needs to do this work if energy to work with those
the animals to survive. And he’s in Eliezer for his addic- whom society has rejected.
when a person who never tion and not to cut grass.”
received love at home re- The conversation that Gino If you want to watch our
alizes how much the animal had with this person was video about Eliezer Foun-
depends on them, how the about the client’s children, dation, visit our Face-
animal responds to their of whom they did not take book page https://www.
care, the personal transfor- care. The children are now facebook.com/watch/
mation is enormous. on the street, on their own. ?v=2621538684739472 or
“I told him it’s the same with scan the QR code.