Torsalo

The week is, I think, winding down. The Vice-Minister of Education had her assistant send me an email at 11.30 p.m. last night asking if she could visit today. Fortunately, I check my emails as I eat breakfast (a litre of milk tea - African habit and green porridge - Moringa powder added) at 6.00 a.m. The Minister was leaving Copan in the morning so we had a few hours to get things ready.

Finally, after nearly three years of asking, we have had a visit. That is exciting. The Vice-Minister has been most helpful and receptive to our ideas. She talked to students who were studying and Yeni and the staff gave her a lovely sales pitch. After we had looked at the program for some time, we looked at the development booklets we are creating and had a quick plant tour. The Vice-Minister went home with Chaya, Moringa and Stevia.

 

Carol reading a story with her mom. Her mom has already taught her to read, write and do simple sums. Her mom is getting a chance to study with us.

Keysi and her baby pay us a visit

The head of Cortes region and entourage

On Wednesday, we had another important visitor. The Head of education for the Cortes region (which includes a huge area), came to see our school and to go visit the container school in Las Delicias. She was scheduled to come at 8.00 a.m. We waited until 3.00 p.m. for her to finally come. Edel, had a contact with the group of people she was with so was able to track her progress - sort of like following Santa on Christmas Eve.

The trip to Las Delicias went well and after showing them to the highway, we waved them on their way. Hopefully there will be some positive results from all our efforts this week.

Now for the gory story hour. Manuel has had a pain in the neck for a few weeks (besides me). The last three days it has started oozing a bit. I was worried it was a boil and told him to treat it with hot compresses of water and vinegar. Well, yesterday morning I sent him to the doctor. The doctor examined him and found that he had three Torsalo larvae growing on his neck. The doctor offered to remove them surgically. As near as I can figure, that was too much of a decision and Manuel came rushing back to the school. The doctor accosted me last evening and asked where he had gone and why he had left without paying the consulting fee. We straightened that out and now I await news of how things are going on the larvae removal front.

Tomorrow is the start of the annual fair. Preparations are feverish in the town centre. The new central park is only a couple days away from being complete. It is looking great. I will try and get a schedule of the week's events before the week is over. That is a novel idea I know but ... one that I am actually pursuing with diligence this year.

 

Elia Del Cid, the Vice Minister of Education for Honduras talks about Hay Basket cooking - with help from Yeni and Edel

The major focus this week has been filling out the needed paper work for registration and school permits. What a huge hassle that is. However, we are nearly done and the staff has done a sterling job sorting it all out.

That is about it.

TTYL

BB

Back in Town

Three weeks in Canada flew by. Fortunately, I was able to drive in at least three days of snow and blizzard so that I got my winter "heroic" quota filled. I confess that shovelling sunshine is much more to my liking.

A highlight of the trip (aside from Oh Henry, Brie and peas) was an opportunity to speak at the Alberta Agronomists convention in Banff. It was an honour to be asked and it afforded me a chance to spend hours hearing other speakers as well. A wonderful opportunity to learn and to meet new people. The coming changes in climate make our work with alternative food sources even more critical.

This week is the first week of hot weather. It is definitely warm. Yesterday it was 39' C in my house during the afternoon. Fortunately, the temperature drops in the evenings and by morning, I shut off the fan and enjoy a couple of hours of quiet sleep.

Last night, my "bats-in-the-belfry" system kicked in again. Two young men were coming over to talk to me about their church. I went outside to welcome them in and the door slammed shut behind me. Keys and everything locked inside. In the evenings, I generally wear a sarong, a habit I picked up in East Africa where it goes by the name of kikoi (Swahili) and mauis (Somali). A sarong is, however, not a recognizable item of attire in Honduras. In fact, it must seem totally bizarre. Needless to say, I wasn't planning on a walk to town centre wearing that.

Security being what it is here in Honduras, all the windows are covered with bars so there is no chance of breaking in. Considered taking out the small bathroom window but I would have had to find a very small person to fit through that space.

Fortunately, after some general worry and preparation to spend the night outside, I remembered that I had, unusually for me, left my phone on a bag by a window I was able to push a corner of the screen out and reach in and grab the phone. Phew.

One of my staff, Edel, was, fortunately, still in Santa Cruz. He very graciously agreed to take a taxi to Julia's house and get her set of keys. Julia's phone is in La Ceiba but a text message was answered and I was able to find the number of her daughter and alert her to my need. What a great feeling to send a text in Spanish and have it achieve the desired results. Magic I say.

Within an hour, I was back in my house. Needless to say, another set of keys was cut today and is hidden outside the house for the next attack of silliness.

The major topic of conversation in the town this week is another kidnapping. The victim, this time, is part of our landlord's family. No ransom has been asked for yet which is causing a great deal of worry. A ransom is a fairly good guarantee that the victim is alive.

Those of us from middle and upper middle class often have the idea that we can control our fate. We buy insurance, we plan for the future, we work, we save ... we take a pill. We close our eyes to the uncertainty that is ahead of us. For the poor, this illusion is not available. All too often, the shadows of the unknown and terror blow hard against their tiny candles.

For those of you interested, read the book Fat Chance by Dr. Robert Lustig. It certainly gives a rather bleak picture of what is ahead for the health of the world. But, it explains and affirms the concerns I have been having seeing the assault on traditional diet and nutrition being waged by food companies here in Honduras and Africa. Teaching people to grow and consume a nutritious diet is more and more critical each day.

That is about all for now.

TTYL

BB

Opening Day

Front of the school

Back of the school

Program Begins

Guests - Tegucigulpa and Canada represented

Lab section

CPI Board Cuts the ribbon

Students cutting the ribbon

Students getting to try the program

Frieda, Canadian CPI Board member presents edible leaf plants for the school

C.E.F. staff

Trinidad and Teresa - the real force behind this program

Day 9

Making progress.

 

The Computer Lab part painted. Windows in today ... we hope.

Rafters up - the stringers are on as well today.

Evaluating A Project

Some thoughts on evaluating projects. Sometimes we beat ourselves up because we look at the empty space in the glass rather than how full it really is. There are, I think, better ways of looking back.

1. Did you do your best?
                - Your best does not have to equal or be better than someone else's best.
                - You will always find someone who's best is better than yours.
                - You can often find someone who's best is worse than yours.
                - DON'T compare your best with that of others.

2. How did your best affect the poor?
                - Did the poor live better lives because of your efforts?
                - Were the poor more equipped to help themselves?
                - Did the poor feel more self-confident in their own abilities
                       and in their own "best"?
                - Did your best cost the poor more than they received?
                - Did your best allow the poor to teach you something?
                - Did your best exclude any groups of people?

3. How did your best affect the earth?

                - Did your best cost the earth more than she received?
                - Is the end result of your best a benefit to the earth?

4. How did your best affect yourself?

                - Did your best cost yourself more than you received?
                - Were you able to learn from the situation?
                - Is your next best going to be better?
                - Will others connected with your best be able to do better as well?
                - Is your best something that will positively affect your "grandchildren"?
                - Did your box get bigger?

5. Was your best skewed towards pleasing the rich or the poor?

                - Who benefitted the most?
                - Did your best narrow the gap between rich and poor?
                - Did any rich see the poor with new eyes and new appreciation?

6. Does your best make earth a place of value or a place to escape?
         (In Christian terms - Thy Kingdom come on earth ...)

7. Would you do it again?
                - What reasons do you have?
 
Irrelevant Considerations
 
1. Could your best have been better? Of course it could have been better.

2. Was your best successful in terms of material gain, things built, prizes won?

Container News

The container classroom continues to evolve. An unexpected two days of heavy rain and cold weather stopped construction for a bit. We have to push back the opening day by a week to make sure all gets done. The good news is that a Canadian contingent will be able to be there for the grand opening.

Today, the men are working on finishing the walls, building the rafters, putting together the storage shelves and some electrical work. Together, we have come up with some creative solutions to various problems and situations. For the most part, my parts list and my plans have been spot on. Phew.

Computer Station desk being built - Carlos and Andres

Day 4 - Framing in the windows and ventelation

Various members of the village have come out of the woodwork to help with various parts of the project and have provided skills that have saved the day. That is exciting to see. As the pieces come together, people are able to see what I have been "seeing" for a long time.

Today, in the office, we looked at a container village/orphanage in South Africa. Truly amazing. As we talked, we thought of how a container could be used vertically to create a coffee/maize/bean dryer. The chimney effect would create a great deal of air movement. Yet another idea to put in the "must try some day" pile. And something else to think about while driving.

Friday, as we worked on the container, we talked about soda and the cost to the village. The men gave me some figures and I did the multiplication for them ... my calculator being a bit quicker. Las Delicias is a village of about 110 families. Using the lowest figures that they came up with, we found out that the village spends a minimum of $36,000.00 a year on soda. In farming terms, they need to plant more than 70 acres of maize to pay for their soda habit (not counting the costs to health) ... all by hand.  I was totally blown away by these numbers (went over them a bunch of times to make sure I wasn't out to lunch). Using the figures of some of the men, the number could easily be double that.

No power - time to varnish shelves and desk tops

We had another interesting discussion last week with a couple of the workers. Two of them, who work part time here, were looking for work in San Pedro. We began to do the math of what they would earn and what they would take home ... and for what cost to themselves and their bodies.

It turns out that for a 10 - 11 hour day ... 7 days a week, they would take home (after rent, food and transport) $25.00 a month. The figure does not include spending on personal items, clothes and medical. As well, the girls would be travelling in the dark at least one way so their personal risk would be considerable.

Obviously, we began to explore other options. We will see if they try and take advantage of some of the skills they have learned here.

Morning of Day 5 - All the framing of doors and windows done, interior walls nearly finished.

The teachers in the high school have been telling their students that our school is a good place to do their practicums at. That is good news for us. Three young men have already come to see about booking a place for September. Can you believe that?  Young boys thinking six months ahead of time? Excuse me while I sit back and massage my heart for a moment.

Will stop and let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

TTYL

BB

Container School - Day 1

The container is now in Las Delicias. When one says that simple sentence it has no reflection on the amount of energy required to accomplish that.

Arriving in the village - Men ready to lift power lines

In the valley just before the last climb into the village

The container arrived in Santa Cruz an hour early. However, one block on the way to Las Delicias, it developed a mechanical problem. All said, we sat until 3.00 p.m. when another tractor arrived to help out. This was a minor problem because Honduras was due to play the United States in a soccer game at 3.00 p.m. Sigh. The sacrifices we make to bring education to Honduras.

By 5.00 p.m. we had made the journey to Las Delicias. Fortunately, Chepe, our chairman, had a friend with a big truck. We used that truck a great deal last night. It helped the container truck up one steep stretch and then helped pull the container off the trailer.

Halfway point

Current location of the "school" - 40 students study in this small living room/dining room

At the bottom of the hill to Las Delicias, Trinidad and other community members were waiting (as they had for 8 hours) to help out on the steep climb into the village. Everyone was out to watch the container arrive. Talk about being better than a movie.

Raul suggested that he would like to try taking the container off the trailer. This was fine because it would save us a great deal of money if we didn't have to bring in a big forklift or crane (which was scheduled to come early this morning). Three hours later, the container was sitting on its four foundation tires in, basically, the right place. Amazing what enough hands can accomplish. Hydraulic jacks are truly a wonderful invention. A small jack that is used to change a tire can life the corner of a huge container. We used the jacks extensively.

Hooking up the chain for the one of the really tight corners
 

We stopped for a supper of baleadas and coffee which was very welcome. The village men and boys kept getting the container moved to the right spot and set on the tires.

I left Las Delicias at 9.00 and was home by 10.00 - ten miles. Two students had gone with me for the adventure and so the trip was enjoyable ... especially if you like Ranchero music played at full volume.

First stage of unloading - lifting the container off the pins.

Next week we will start the construction process. I am confident it will go together nicely but, at the same time, super nervous that I have forgotten a major item in the budget list.

TTYL

BB