School Shirts

Students and staff wanted some sort of school 'uniform'. We have been taking orders for students who wanted them. It was surprising to me how many were interested. Late last week we received the first batch. People are quite proud of them.

A young girl, 18 years old, did her practicum with us last year. During that time, she became pregnant. This week, her story came to our attention again. The struggles for a young mother are very difficult. Her mother is also single and, so, each additional mouth to feed is a real burden. 

José Isaia Lara

How does one react to such news? What are the options? Manuel and I talked at length about how to react to this situation. Can one become involved without creating a permanent dependency or situation? Is there a true moral response that isn't long term? When I prefer the quick, one time only answer am I missing the point?

We talked about the possibility of her coming for one meal a day to my house. It would be good Spanish practice for me. But, what are the proprieties of such an arrangement? Manuel gave an interesting perspective. He said that the local pulperia (a small, in-the-home convenience store) is also the local news source. So, the secret to ensuring cultural correctness is to let the local pulperia know what is happening. They, in turn, let everyone else know. A secondary lesson ensues. Make sure you shop at your local pulperia and keep them within your circle of friends. Phew. Have done that already.

In  the end, we found out from a second source (this time a close neighbour) that the young girl actually had found work and was doing okay. But, we are ready for the next situation.

Maricella, Kenia, Christian, Ariel, Maira, Diana

On Tuesday, I was reminded again how plants protect themselves. We cut some bamboo for planting. The lower sheath leaves (don't know how else to say them without some technical term that I don't know) have a myriad of tiny hairs that can leap tall buildings in a single bound and with the slightest of contacts stick to arms, clothes and hands. They become itchy very quickly as well. Fortunately, a river was nearby so we got most of them off. Soap and water took care of the rest later. This morning, I was giving a new type of Chaya plant to a visitor and was reminded how even a slight touch can bite.

TTYL

BB