|
|
| |
SUMPANGO, GUATEMALA,
NOVEMBER 14TH 2005 |
|
| |
|
.45
YOUNGSTERS ADOPTED FOR ETERNITY |
Poor children of Sumpango |
45 YOUNGSTERS ADOPTED FOR
ETERNITY
In this reception center for kids of the streets, we feel the
sense of mutual support and sharing that prevails in spite of a
unanimous feeling of solitude. It was the kind of gathering
where humanity picks up all its meaning. |
|
IN THE HEART OF THE MAYAS
At last we are out of the “chicken bus” with our
encumbering backpacks. We set foot in the city of Sumpango,
Guatemala. Our first mission is to find a reception center for
boys aged between 7 and 19 years old, where we will be
volunteers for a month. Without knowing the name of the place,
we ask people on our way where the Canadians working for the
CASIRA organization are. Indeed, the only tourists coming up
here are volunteers for the center. |
Farmer |
|
Street of Sumpango |
In this city
of 28 000 inhabitants, 92% of the population has Mayan origins.
The scenery is pitiful; showing signs of an exacerbated poverty:
houses made of iron sheets, standing like trash on the edge of
the roads. On their way, trucks raise clouds of dust from the
dirt roads and manage to edge out of the cracks in the ground.
Here, it looks a lot like the images of Bagdad carried out by
the media. |
|
. |
|
MAKING YOUR PLACE
Once arrived at the center, we receive a warm
welcome from the two cooks and some kids. Everyone abandons
their work to show us around the center: the boy’s dorms, the
bathrooms, the kitchen, the infirmary, etc. With the insistence
of the cooks, we agree to sleep our first nights in the
infirmary; because for them, the idea of us sleeping outside in
our tent was totally unthinkable. Yet, at the arrival of the
other couple of Quebeckers, to which this place was promised, we
move in our tent under the incredulous looks of everyone. The
camping will finally have been of short duration; we hurried
ourselves to find a good spot in the library.
Caroline and Patrick surrounded
with love |
 |
|
On our first days, we offer our help in the
kitchen. We want to bring a concrete contribution to the
center’s everyday life. We help prepare the meals, serve them
and do the dishes. They may seem to be very ordinary tasks, but
remain quite important when there are 45 mouths to feed. Despite
that, we feel we can contribute even more. So we suggested to
the center’s founder two projects: the conception of a website
to facilitate fund-raising and the search of volunteers, and the
creation of a photographic mural featuring all the children.
Caroline
pitching in |
 |
|
Felipe, 11 years old |
«CAN I SEE MY PICTURE?»
The idea of building a website and a photographic mural won the
children’s enthusiasm. A majority of them are very proud to pose
for the camera; even though for some an imperfect dentition and
bruised faces made the task a bit more difficult. We took
advantage of each occasion to take some pictures: demonstration
of human pyramids, graduation ceremonies, daily work, and
marimba musical interludes.
To our biggest pleasure, the kids quickly adopted
us. They appreciated the fact that we lightened their daily
tasks, that we supported them when they play soccer, and that we
simply spend time with them. In return, by the means of each
one’s personal page on the web site, it’s a great pleasure for
us to discover them one by one and to joke with them in a jumble
of «spanfrench»! |
WHAT REMAINS OF IT?
This rewarding experience taught us to be patient, to put our
personal needs aside to serve the kids and to allow them to play
a bit longer. It also showed us the different aspects of life in
a community and what sharing our personal belongings really
meant. What an unforgettable experience. 45 kids eternally
adopted in our hearts. |
Jaime, Patrick, Alvin and
Caroline |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ADVERTISEMENTS |
|
|
|
|
|
)
)
)
)
)