I saw little Moises, Nisy and Yaritza hauling wood the other day. Samir and Ismael selling avocadoes. Hazel jumping buses selling his mothers fried chicken. Brayan carrying his little baby sister across the street. Astrid walking home alone. Oscars upset stomach because his mom doesn’t have food to give him before kinder. Nicol bathing, dressing and feeding herself. Yordi caring for every need of his younger siblings. The neighbor girls collecting empty plastic bottles to turn in for money. Street kids begging outside the grocery store for a few lempiras. These are children, they should be out having fun. The weight of the world is on their shoulders, already at the age of 5.
Wednesdays are our Kinder play day in the afternoon. We may take them to the beach, the river, the soccer field, etc. This is their time, where they don’t have to worry about obligations at home. No chores. No one yelling at them. Care free. It gives them two hours where they can actually act their age. Two hours where kids can be kids.
About two weeks ago Cristina and I were able to have a special night with the twins we are tutoring with English. We took Andrea and Alejandra and their cousin Bessy out to la Ceiba. We had planned on a dinner and a movie, but because the only movies playing were adult ones, we ended up at Pizza Hut. The girls ran wild, with their Pizza Hut hats and Horchata drinks, they got to do something they never do…have a night all about them. Not one they have to share with all their siblings and cousins. Just the three of them. We were able to buy a princess movie they had been wanting to see with plans on watching it when we got back to Porvenir, however the power was out in the whole town. Little did we know this was just the beginning. The power has gone out 6 nights in the past two weeks. 85 degree nights with no fans is a sticky hot mess. Anyways it ended up being a very fun night, plus the pizza was a nice treat for Cristina and I as well!
Last weekend, for all you reggaeton lovers, Daddy Yankee was in San Pedro Sula, so Cristina and I took the 3 hour bus ride to be at his concert on Friday night. It was the best concert Ive ever been too! Saturday we made it to Lago de Yojoa, then back to Porvenir on Sunday. Instead of going back to the beach house we were sent to the Porvenir Inn down the road where we use internet at. A church group from Georgia was down of the week on their spring break spending their time in the Kinder. It almost felt like a small VBS, with all their energy and positive spirit with the kids, the week flew by! It was great having a change of pace, with new activities and games, the kids couldn’t have been happier! Plus, with the luxury of living in a hotel for the week, we were able to use the internet, watch tv and be in a bed, all at the same time! On top of that…AIRCONDITIONING!
Its not one week before Semana Santa which is more or less Spring Break. Porvenir is going through some changes. Houses are being painted, dirt roads are being “re-raked?”, the beaches are being cleaned, more and more people are out and about selling items and soon enough a catholic tradition will provoke people to dress up in costumes and run around scaring people in town. The craziness is just getting started!
There is a quote that a few facebook friends have posted to their page "...I ask each of you to take the time to be a Hokie this week. Appreciate life a little more, take in every moment around you, count your blessings, tell the people around you that you love them, slow down, remember what's truly important in life. And live for those 32 that do not have that chance anymore." 4/16/07 neVer forgeT . As you all know of the events of April 16, that occurred at Virginia Tech, its hard not to be overcome with emotion and thoughts of that tragic day. This quote seems to relay my exact thoughts as I think about where I am, the people I love and the kids I work with day to day. I pray that we may all learn to live by this quote and with this week especially, lets all be Hokies!
Being here has allowed my mind to wonder, sometimes I fear too much. The times Im able to sit in the hammock and just think, my thoughts are consumed 100% of these kids. I begin to think of their lives. I think about their families. I think about their homes. I think about their futures. Right now, who do they have? Their parents might not be around. They might be on the streets finding other kids to play with. They aren’t in school and haven’t been for most of this school year. Teacher strikes are on the daily. What about last year? Two months TOTAL they were in school. TWO MONTHS out of an entire school year they had attended. This is Honduras’ future. Kids that should be years ahead of where they currently are. So what will happen to these kids? Its not their fault, they were raised like this. They are raised to believe if you pass the 6th grade that’s good enough. They don’t know any better. Illiteracy is all around. I find myself correcting Spanish speakers in their own Spanish. Spelling, grammer, public signs spelled wrong, pronunciation of words wrong, receiving change on the bus or at stores wrong, etc. So these innocent children, right now, have us. The volunteers. To care and love them. To teach while no on else seems to want to. To play with them. To be a smiling face walking through the streets. To be a big sister for them. To be a family.
This is my hope. That one day enough people will care. That people might realize its not about the newest IPhone or that new car everybody is talking about. But instead there are people suffering who just want to be loved. The mom who cant feed her own children. The dad who waits until the last day to pay his electric or water bill before it gets shut off. The 5 year old big brother who must be the man of the household, as such a young age. The woman trying to sell a 50 cent pineapple so she can feed her family dinner. This is the real world. This is the real fight. This is life but life is worth the fight. So lets be shaken by what we see. This is my hope, and I am in love with HOPE.
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