What do you like about visiting the community center?
"I get to play with many kids while waiting for the doctor." – Brenda, age 8, from Valparaíso, Chile.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Meet Brenda from Chile...
What do you like about visiting the community center?
"I get to play with many kids while waiting for the doctor." – Brenda, age 8, from Valparaíso, Chile.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Shadows from the Past
Posted on behalf of David Nebel
There is nothing quite like moving between contiguous yet different worlds.
I would wake up to the incessant clucking of chickens and the occasional bark of a street dog. Morning light filtered through the holes termites had bored into the bedroom’s door over the years, signaling the end of yet another sleepless ninety-degree summer night in the Comayagua Valley, in central Honduras.
Making my way past a narrow dirt courtyard, I would push open the old wooden door that led into my grandmother’s kitchen. Immediately I began searching for breakfast: “pastelitos” (deep-fried, bite-size pastries made with corn dough and stuffed with seasoned ground beef), “enchiladas” (fried tortillas with seasoned ground beef and topped with shredded cabbage, a slice of tomato and Honduran crumbly cheese), and “yuca frita” (fried yucca) – last night’s leftovers from the evening cooking business my grandmother had begun some 60 years ago.
Ash would sting my eyes and fill the smoky stillness of the kitchen as I blew into the earthen stove in search of embers. With the help of several slivers of ocote (a resinous type of pine), there would usually be just enough left to rekindle the fire. Happily, I would then spear cold pieces of yucca and pastelitos and place them next to the crackling firewood for a quick reheating – and a quick consumption.
Soon after, my grandmother rose out of bed. As she shuffled her way from behind a plywood partition and into the kitchen, I would rush over to her, bend my head down to her level, and receive her blessing: “Que Dios me lo bendiga, hijito (God bless you, my child)”, she said, softly kissing my forehead. And with a warm smile on her face, she would hobble off into the brightness of the morning sun…
Life in Honduras placed me at the doorstep of poverty. Though not extremely poor, the maternal side of my family was not far from it. And there were plenty of families who were in worse conditions. It was, however, a normal aspect of life. To me, its normalcy made poverty acceptable.
Working with Children International has granted me the opportunity to return to my past and remind myself that there are degrees of poverty that – although commonplace – are not acceptable.
Meeting the sponsored children and their families as part of the team that visited Ecuador just this past week took me back to a previous world. These are the same people of my childhood and adolescence, with whom I lived side by side, with whom I shared food, laughs and sorrows. Yet, to my older eyes, they have changed: they are now more beautiful and important than ever.
They represent the forging elements of my being – the reason why I am able to appreciate the rare but quiet dignity of people at the edge of survival and gratefully acknowledge my own present condition. Their calloused hands, blemished skin, and the torn soles of their feet speak of countless hardships and the crude reality of life for many human beings. A decade later, they represent a reason for my existence.
Photos by David Nebel, from Children International's office in Kansas City.
There is nothing quite like moving between contiguous yet different worlds.
I would wake up to the incessant clucking of chickens and the occasional bark of a street dog. Morning light filtered through the holes termites had bored into the bedroom’s door over the years, signaling the end of yet another sleepless ninety-degree summer night in the Comayagua Valley, in central Honduras.
Making my way past a narrow dirt courtyard, I would push open the old wooden door that led into my grandmother’s kitchen. Immediately I began searching for breakfast: “pastelitos” (deep-fried, bite-size pastries made with corn dough and stuffed with seasoned ground beef), “enchiladas” (fried tortillas with seasoned ground beef and topped with shredded cabbage, a slice of tomato and Honduran crumbly cheese), and “yuca frita” (fried yucca) – last night’s leftovers from the evening cooking business my grandmother had begun some 60 years ago.
Ash would sting my eyes and fill the smoky stillness of the kitchen as I blew into the earthen stove in search of embers. With the help of several slivers of ocote (a resinous type of pine), there would usually be just enough left to rekindle the fire. Happily, I would then spear cold pieces of yucca and pastelitos and place them next to the crackling firewood for a quick reheating – and a quick consumption.
Soon after, my grandmother rose out of bed. As she shuffled her way from behind a plywood partition and into the kitchen, I would rush over to her, bend my head down to her level, and receive her blessing: “Que Dios me lo bendiga, hijito (God bless you, my child)”, she said, softly kissing my forehead. And with a warm smile on her face, she would hobble off into the brightness of the morning sun…
Life in Honduras placed me at the doorstep of poverty. Though not extremely poor, the maternal side of my family was not far from it. And there were plenty of families who were in worse conditions. It was, however, a normal aspect of life. To me, its normalcy made poverty acceptable.
Working with Children International has granted me the opportunity to return to my past and remind myself that there are degrees of poverty that – although commonplace – are not acceptable.
Meeting the sponsored children and their families as part of the team that visited Ecuador just this past week took me back to a previous world. These are the same people of my childhood and adolescence, with whom I lived side by side, with whom I shared food, laughs and sorrows. Yet, to my older eyes, they have changed: they are now more beautiful and important than ever.
They represent the forging elements of my being – the reason why I am able to appreciate the rare but quiet dignity of people at the edge of survival and gratefully acknowledge my own present condition. Their calloused hands, blemished skin, and the torn soles of their feet speak of countless hardships and the crude reality of life for many human beings. A decade later, they represent a reason for my existence.
Photos by David Nebel, from Children International's office in Kansas City.
Monday, August 20, 2007
A City of Hope
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is doubtless one of the most recognizable cities in the United States. Founded in the mid-1700s, Pittsburgh is the second largest city in Pennsylvania and boasts a rich colonial history. The 2000 U.S. census reported that 312,819 people live within the perimeter of its 55.6 square miles.One publication listed Pittsburgh as America’s most livable city for 2007. But imagine for a moment what life in Pittsburgh would be like if things were not just as they are…
- Imagine if Pittsburgh had virtually no access to medical services, leaving over 300,000 people to simply stay home and suffer when they are sick because they cannot possibly afford to visit a doctor or pay for medicine.
- Imagine if practically no one in Pittsburgh earned more than two dollars a day – but had to stretch this income out to pay for food, housing, clothes and any other expenses.
- Imagine if, instead of over 150 gleaming skyscrapers, Pittsburgh were made up mostly of crumbling, dilapidated shacks thrown together from scraps of lumber, plastic sheeting and rusty tin...
- Imagine if Pittsburgh were just another poverty-stricken city in just another developing country.
Figure in these children’s relatives and you have a tragedy of epic proportions.
With the help of our sponsors, we are providing reliable – and free – medical and dental care to children who would otherwise have nowhere to turn. We’re helping children trade the fields and the sweatshops for the classroom…fighting parasitic infestations…treating malnutrition…teaching job skills…funding micro-enterprise ventures for income generation…providing safe housing…in short, we’re turning this “city of tragedy” into a city of hope.
The obstacles are sobering and at times it seems like change is frustratingly slow. But while we can’t provide a quick fix for poverty, we are convinced sponsorship can make a significant difference in the long run. So please, get involved. You really can make a difference. You can help build a city of hope.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Friday, August 17, 2007
Mother Nature Pays A Visit
Being from the midwest, I'm no stranger to the forces of Mother Nature.
Thankfully, we weren't physically shaken by the devastating earthquake in neighboring Peru, however our communications coordinator, Andres, frantically tried to reach his father via cell phone in Lima. Several hours later we learned that his father was safe and the weight of not knowing was lifted for Andres.
Mother Nature, however, paid another call today. Just shortly after returning from the rural hillsides of Quito, we arrived for a break at a local community center. Clouds shielded us from the intense, but cool, rays of the sun for most of the morning. Suddenly, the skies opened up and rain began to fall. Not in a gentle, picturesque way, but in a deafening roar as the raindrops and then hail pounded the metal roof over our heads.
The center was full of parents and children who were lined up outside waiting to receive school supplies. As the rain went from a trickle to a torrent, our staff quickly moved them under a small tent. Conversations soon stopped because you could no longer hear the person sitting next to you. Looking out the window, the dirt road we just drove down suddenly became a muddy river. We noticed a steady stream of water entering the third floor where we were. Thinking we were dry from the storm so far up, I quickly discovered that there was a road at third floor level on the opposite side of the center. As water poured in from the road, we scrambled to get our cameras off the floor before they got wet, then realized that along another wall sat dozens of boxes of school supplies. We immediately moved them so they wouldn't be ruined and the children wouldn't have to go without them.
As the storm pounded down on us, all I could think about were the familes on the hillside we just visited. They had little or no protection from the cold wind, rain and hail. How does a mother keep her children dry under a rusty tin roof and walls made of loosely fastened scrap wood? I could only picture them huddled together in a corner, trying to stay dry and wait the storm out.
Twenty minutes later the storm passed and daily activites resumed as if nothing ever happened. Hopefully, the families on the hillside braved the storm without troubles. If they did, luck was definitely on their side. This time.
Thankfully, we weren't physically shaken by the devastating earthquake in neighboring Peru, however our communications coordinator, Andres, frantically tried to reach his father via cell phone in Lima. Several hours later we learned that his father was safe and the weight of not knowing was lifted for Andres.
Mother Nature, however, paid another call today. Just shortly after returning from the rural hillsides of Quito, we arrived for a break at a local community center. Clouds shielded us from the intense, but cool, rays of the sun for most of the morning. Suddenly, the skies opened up and rain began to fall. Not in a gentle, picturesque way, but in a deafening roar as the raindrops and then hail pounded the metal roof over our heads.
The center was full of parents and children who were lined up outside waiting to receive school supplies. As the rain went from a trickle to a torrent, our staff quickly moved them under a small tent. Conversations soon stopped because you could no longer hear the person sitting next to you. Looking out the window, the dirt road we just drove down suddenly became a muddy river. We noticed a steady stream of water entering the third floor where we were. Thinking we were dry from the storm so far up, I quickly discovered that there was a road at third floor level on the opposite side of the center. As water poured in from the road, we scrambled to get our cameras off the floor before they got wet, then realized that along another wall sat dozens of boxes of school supplies. We immediately moved them so they wouldn't be ruined and the children wouldn't have to go without them.
As the storm pounded down on us, all I could think about were the familes on the hillside we just visited. They had little or no protection from the cold wind, rain and hail. How does a mother keep her children dry under a rusty tin roof and walls made of loosely fastened scrap wood? I could only picture them huddled together in a corner, trying to stay dry and wait the storm out.
Twenty minutes later the storm passed and daily activites resumed as if nothing ever happened. Hopefully, the families on the hillside braved the storm without troubles. If they did, luck was definitely on their side. This time.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Guayaquil to Quito
The mountainous air of Quito feels especially dry, light and unsatisfying after waking up yesterday morning breathing the moist, chewy air of Guayaquil. Extra breaths are common. I’m told my body will adjust soon.
Last evening we had a nice meal with some of our Ecuadorian hosts: Andrés, Pamela, Pedro and María. They are naturals at hospitality. Andrés is our communications coordinator, (meaning he helps us find stories to tell), and Pamela, Pedro and María are in Sponsor Relations. If you sponsor a child in Quito and ever have an opportunity visit you'll more than likely meet at least one of these three.
They explained that when sponsors visit the field, meet their sponsored children and see the programs in action, they are unanimously impressed and more committed than ever to their child and Children International. As this trip is my first to the field to see this movement in action, I can relate.
I have seen with my own eyes the transformative power of what sponsor make possible:
-Sponsored mothers have shed tears of gratitude as they relay how relieved their son or daughter’s sponsorship has made them feel.
-A charismatic dentist made children crack up as he administered a fluoride treatment.
-I’ve met members of Guayaquil’s more than 50-strong Youth Health Corp and sat in on a lecture as three of them taught other youth about important issues they will face.
-I’ve observed children who come from dark and dusty places painting the prettiest scenes full of optimism.
-At one community center the medical clinic was drawing blood samples from some (somewhat distressed!) children to test for diseases and anemia.
-Youth tutors were helping younger children with their studies.
If a child is sponsored in Ecuador, the family affixes a two-foot by two-foot piece of painted wood by their front door. The white sign is carefully painted in blue brushstrokes and features a Children International logo, the child’s name and the service area centers information.
Since addresses and phones are not too common, this sign allows the hundreds of volunteers (who travel on foot), to communicate and reach sponsored children more efficiently. These signs are also a source of tremendous pride for families. They affix them to the left of their front door, to tell all who walk by that they are a part of something -- something important, something valuable and something good.
Last evening we had a nice meal with some of our Ecuadorian hosts: Andrés, Pamela, Pedro and María. They are naturals at hospitality. Andrés is our communications coordinator, (meaning he helps us find stories to tell), and Pamela, Pedro and María are in Sponsor Relations. If you sponsor a child in Quito and ever have an opportunity visit you'll more than likely meet at least one of these three.
They explained that when sponsors visit the field, meet their sponsored children and see the programs in action, they are unanimously impressed and more committed than ever to their child and Children International. As this trip is my first to the field to see this movement in action, I can relate.
I have seen with my own eyes the transformative power of what sponsor make possible:
-Sponsored mothers have shed tears of gratitude as they relay how relieved their son or daughter’s sponsorship has made them feel.
-A charismatic dentist made children crack up as he administered a fluoride treatment.
-I’ve met members of Guayaquil’s more than 50-strong Youth Health Corp and sat in on a lecture as three of them taught other youth about important issues they will face.
-I’ve observed children who come from dark and dusty places painting the prettiest scenes full of optimism.
-At one community center the medical clinic was drawing blood samples from some (somewhat distressed!) children to test for diseases and anemia.
-Youth tutors were helping younger children with their studies.
If a child is sponsored in Ecuador, the family affixes a two-foot by two-foot piece of painted wood by their front door. The white sign is carefully painted in blue brushstrokes and features a Children International logo, the child’s name and the service area centers information.
Since addresses and phones are not too common, this sign allows the hundreds of volunteers (who travel on foot), to communicate and reach sponsored children more efficiently. These signs are also a source of tremendous pride for families. They affix them to the left of their front door, to tell all who walk by that they are a part of something -- something important, something valuable and something good.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
The Little Things
Posted on behalf of Scott Cotter
Every trip to the field is a whirlwind of motion. We spend our days meeting sponsored children, talking to concerned parents, jostling down rutted dirt roads in underpowered vans and having lengthy discussions about the sometimes overwhelming sights and sounds we’ve encountered.
The days are long and often emotionally draining, yet I think to a person we’d say it’s well worth it. And two days in Guayaquil have reaffirmed a universal truth – that even though poverty is a big problem, it’s the little things that make a big difference. And I hope a few examples from Monday and Tuesday help convey in some small way how true that really is.
The Old Man and the River
Pedro stood barefoot in the rank, trash-filled mud on the banks of the Guayas river, slowly and meticulously smoothing the edge of a battered fishing boat. He didn’t even take notice as our noisy group picked its way down the suspended walkways that strung the homes together above the dirty brown muck.
Jumping down to watch his work, it wasn’t long before we were captivated by the story of his life. He’d been fishing the Guayas since he was 10, which means he has been on that river for about 60 years. With fish populations dwindling, he said it was harder than ever to find food to eat and have enough left over to sell at the market, which was his sole means of contributing to his extended family’s well being.
When his sponsored grandchildren receive school supplies, he said, it means their parents don’t have to spend what little income they earn on tuition, uniforms or other supplies, helping the family save money for other necessities.
A Birthday Surprise
Shortly after meeting Pedro, we stopped by the community center in Durán, a community on the edge of Guayaquil. Those of you who’ve been to one of our community centers understand when I say this is where the rubber really meets the road. It was absolute chaos…in a good way.
Children were lining up to receive new shoes and we saw many of them bolting from the fitting room with a grin from ear to ear. There was also a birthday celebration at the center, complete with balloons, streamers and singing. Again, it’s a small thing, but I believe the children really appreciate being made to feel special.
One mother remarked that if not for the gifts her children received from Children International, they’d receive nothing at all.
Gang Signs
Of course, a big concern many of the children in Durán and elsewhere face in urban Ecuador is gangs. That’s why we weren’t surprised to find someone at one of our community centers with some inside knowledge.
Luis, 20, was once a sponsored child but left the program when he got involved in a gang. His tattoos tell a story that contradicts the cheerful young man who now volunteers at the community center, teaching others about doing something positive with their lives.
In hushed tones, Luis talks about the things he saw on the street, most of it far too awful to discuss in detail. It was, he said, a sponsored youth’s words that changed the direction of his life. And a youth group activity that helped him finally leave the gang life behind.
A little thing, sure, but it had a lasting impact on Luis. And that’s something he’s passing along to as many others as he can.
A Sponsor’s Gift
One of our last visits in Guayaquil was to Carolina’s house. The 11-year-old is at first quiet and polite, but get her talking about her sponsor and her eyes light up and the shyness dissolves.
Carolina’s sponsor has been to visit her twice and he has always been very generous, helping to improve her home, providing her with furniture and taking her shopping. But it’s not what he can buy for her or the family that Carolina is most interested in. No, when discussing his next visit, which is planned for April 2008, she is most excited about the opportunity to tell him and his family what she has been doing in school.
The other sponsored children living nearby tell her she’s lucky to have a sponsor who comes to visit. And she agrees with a smile.
If you haven’t visited your sponsored child, we urge you to give it some thought. It was clear when we met Carolina that it holds a special place in her heart…as it does for every sponsored child we meet. If you have visited your sponsored child, please think about leaving us a brief comment here about what that meeting was like.
We’re off to Quito now, and tomorrow we hope to bring you more glimpses into the lives of the children and their families that sponsorship helps. And we'll do our best to show you some photos too! Needless to say, we experienced some technological difficulties as we tried to post photos this morning.
Every trip to the field is a whirlwind of motion. We spend our days meeting sponsored children, talking to concerned parents, jostling down rutted dirt roads in underpowered vans and having lengthy discussions about the sometimes overwhelming sights and sounds we’ve encountered.
The days are long and often emotionally draining, yet I think to a person we’d say it’s well worth it. And two days in Guayaquil have reaffirmed a universal truth – that even though poverty is a big problem, it’s the little things that make a big difference. And I hope a few examples from Monday and Tuesday help convey in some small way how true that really is.
The Old Man and the River
Pedro stood barefoot in the rank, trash-filled mud on the banks of the Guayas river, slowly and meticulously smoothing the edge of a battered fishing boat. He didn’t even take notice as our noisy group picked its way down the suspended walkways that strung the homes together above the dirty brown muck.
Jumping down to watch his work, it wasn’t long before we were captivated by the story of his life. He’d been fishing the Guayas since he was 10, which means he has been on that river for about 60 years. With fish populations dwindling, he said it was harder than ever to find food to eat and have enough left over to sell at the market, which was his sole means of contributing to his extended family’s well being.
When his sponsored grandchildren receive school supplies, he said, it means their parents don’t have to spend what little income they earn on tuition, uniforms or other supplies, helping the family save money for other necessities.
A Birthday Surprise
Shortly after meeting Pedro, we stopped by the community center in Durán, a community on the edge of Guayaquil. Those of you who’ve been to one of our community centers understand when I say this is where the rubber really meets the road. It was absolute chaos…in a good way.
Children were lining up to receive new shoes and we saw many of them bolting from the fitting room with a grin from ear to ear. There was also a birthday celebration at the center, complete with balloons, streamers and singing. Again, it’s a small thing, but I believe the children really appreciate being made to feel special.
One mother remarked that if not for the gifts her children received from Children International, they’d receive nothing at all.
Gang Signs
Of course, a big concern many of the children in Durán and elsewhere face in urban Ecuador is gangs. That’s why we weren’t surprised to find someone at one of our community centers with some inside knowledge.
Luis, 20, was once a sponsored child but left the program when he got involved in a gang. His tattoos tell a story that contradicts the cheerful young man who now volunteers at the community center, teaching others about doing something positive with their lives.
In hushed tones, Luis talks about the things he saw on the street, most of it far too awful to discuss in detail. It was, he said, a sponsored youth’s words that changed the direction of his life. And a youth group activity that helped him finally leave the gang life behind.
A little thing, sure, but it had a lasting impact on Luis. And that’s something he’s passing along to as many others as he can.
A Sponsor’s Gift
One of our last visits in Guayaquil was to Carolina’s house. The 11-year-old is at first quiet and polite, but get her talking about her sponsor and her eyes light up and the shyness dissolves.
Carolina’s sponsor has been to visit her twice and he has always been very generous, helping to improve her home, providing her with furniture and taking her shopping. But it’s not what he can buy for her or the family that Carolina is most interested in. No, when discussing his next visit, which is planned for April 2008, she is most excited about the opportunity to tell him and his family what she has been doing in school.
The other sponsored children living nearby tell her she’s lucky to have a sponsor who comes to visit. And she agrees with a smile.
If you haven’t visited your sponsored child, we urge you to give it some thought. It was clear when we met Carolina that it holds a special place in her heart…as it does for every sponsored child we meet. If you have visited your sponsored child, please think about leaving us a brief comment here about what that meeting was like.
We’re off to Quito now, and tomorrow we hope to bring you more glimpses into the lives of the children and their families that sponsorship helps. And we'll do our best to show you some photos too! Needless to say, we experienced some technological difficulties as we tried to post photos this morning.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Once Again to Ecuador
Posted on behalf of Scott Cotter.
Even though this is my third trip to Ecuador, I don’t think I could ever tire of it. It’s a great place that always has the power to surprise – and shock – me.
The two cities we’re visiting this week are Guayaquil and Quito. And they couldn’t be more different. Guayaquil sits at sea level and is typically quite hot and humid. But August is the coolest month here so the temps will be in the mid eighties, which is actually a brief respite from the near 100-degree heat we’ve been having in Kansas City.
The people in Guayaquil are as warm as the temps that bake this port city. Even the poorest of the poor have an inescapable enthusiasm and grace. Meeting them I’m often saddened and fascinated at the same time.
Quito is near 10,000 feet and much cooler. Sweaters will be a necessity as we head out to the slums every morning. On our way, we’ll have a view of the Pichincha volcano and dense forests that surround the beautiful city. The people are friendly, but they are quiet and reserved compared to those in Guayaquil.
In sharp contrasts to the beautiful colonial architecture and green mountainsides of Quito, or the colorful adobe houses and bustling shopping districts of Guayaquil, the slums that dot the outskirts of each city are as bad as any we’ve ever visited.
We hope to share some of what we see, hear and learn with you while we’re here. So please join me, Kevin, David and Jennifer as we post updates this week from the field. Until next time…
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