Wow – Two Weeks Already

Sorry for the delay folks. I have had a visitor for the last week or so and that has taken a great deal of time. On of our board members came down for a week and we were busy from dawn till well past dusk.

A couple of thoughts from this week. Yesterday, I met a girl who is only two weeks away from delivering her first child. I asked her who old she was. Thirteen. Imagine, thirteen, married village style and ready to deliver. What can be going through her mind? That is a story that is so common here as to receive little comment. Still, it bothers me immensely. Can our program at least help some girls from travelling the same path ... at least for a few more years?

She is moving into a house which is being repaired and is grateful for the opportunity. The house features a water tank, a newly repaired stove (inside) and, by the end of this week, we hope, a latrine. The walls are being replastered with mud and the floor will be smoothed out with a mud and manure mixture (actually a great flooring – much better than it sounds). No electricity. I don’t want to think about where she will deliver.

Last week featured a trip to Tegucigulpa to meet with the Ministry of Education and the Educatodos people. The recent change in government has meant a wholesale change in office personnel. So, we reintroduced our program and began negotiations. Fortunately, we met with a much warmer reception than previously and we hope that bodes well. Recent cuts in funding from outside countries (partly as a result of the coup) have meant that new ideas and programs which don’t cost the government money are being looked at with better eyes. As well, having a number of students already registered helps a great deal. We shall see this week as we prepare, yet again, documents.

We have begun work on a small piece of land which we recovered from an errant former employee. The fish tanks are being cleaned and repaired, a small pond drained and re-dug and seeds planted around the border. Hopefully we can plant some fruit trees in the next weeks as well and begin forming permanent beds. Friday I went out for an hour to wade through grass, mud and swampy ground to measure and get an idea of the layout. Water is going to be a problem – too much. We can deal with that and will enjoy the potential.

Last Sunday, Reuben (my visitor) and I were able to visit the home of two of our students and see the adobe beehive that their two brothers built. It is occupied by bees and looks very good. Hopefully Reuben will send me pictures to post. The cost of the whole hive was less than 25% of a traditional hive so that is exciting. The boys have two more swarms in trap hives ready to move into new quarters as soon as they are built. A third swarm will be moved into a hive made of cement blocks at their neighbour’s place. So, two new types of hives to watch and learn from.

Reuben and I tried out the hot springs in a neighbouring town. Amazing to have such a lovely resource so close by. The man at the gate tried to stiff me my change and almost managed. I haven’t gotten caught like that in a long time.

Trying a new chigger and tick idea given to me by a man from South Carolina. The recipe calls for putting nail polish on the spot. The idea is that the nail polish stops the insects from getting air which stops any further trouble. Maybe I have sensitive skin (should I shave my legs more?) but the cure seems more painful than the problem. Will see. The chigger here is different from the chigger in Africa which attacks under the toenail.

I hauled a wheelbarrow to Santa Rita yesterday. It is a challenge getting it loaded on to three different buses but the conductors were all very accommodating and we made it without a problem. The wheelbarrow will help with various projects there.

Sorry for the rather disjointed effort here.

TTYL
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