Another Busy One

It was cloudy all day which made for cooler working conditions. The St. Luke's team has done amazing amounts of work this week at Holy Cross -- the back deck is almost finished, tons of sand have been shoveled to fill in and create new land, and many, many children have seen the doctors and/or had their vision screened. We've found some kids who need to be referred to the opthalmologist or other local doctors, but we have also seen a lot of healthy children. Our data on height and weight of the children shows that every child is growing and gaining weight -- a tribute to the feeding program at Holy Cross.

I was on the go all day, back and forth between the office and the screenings, helping teachers, helping volunteers, finding needed items and touring some very generous visitors. It's never dull.

The last couple of days I have been confronted with some heartbreaking stories of child neglect and abuse. I need to learn about these children while Kim, the social worker, and Jim and Peter, the doctors, are here. I will be the one providing follow-up in the weeks to come whether it's with the next dose of worm medicine or being the one a child comes to talk to when he/she is upset. Today Marie and I worked with a tiny boy (age 6 maybe) who, because of a very upset stomach, had dirtied his clothes. She got him cleaned up, and I found him clean clothes. When we said we were going to call his mother to come get him because he was sick, he got very upset and started to cry. He said his mother would beat him because of his soiled his clothes. When she came to school, the mother assured the principal and me that she never beat her children, and he would be fine. When I handed her his filthy clothes, she said, "I will let him clean them when he feels better." That combined with the look of pure fear in his eyes as he walked away with her leads me to seriously doubt her words. I can't understand parents who punish a child for being sick, but this is not the first one I have encountered. I learned of another child who isn't currently in school, but who some of us had worked with in past years, whose mother frequently made her and her little brother sleep outside beneath their house -- which is built over a swamp -- as punishment. She tells them they must sleep with the crocodiles when they misbehave --- and there really are crocodiles in that swamp. Yesterday there was a boy with a healing broken rib caused by a beating he got at home. Then there was the boy we volunteers have known from the beginning -- one of the jewelry sellers. The principal called the police today on him and a girl who were arguing and fighting. The policeman gave him a stern talking to about behaving himself and doing his work in school so he could get a good job, etc. He walked out of the office with a smirk on his face. He is 13 but only in the 5th grade because, by his own admission, he doesn't want to work. He'd rather "beat the system". Those were the hard ones today. I will pray for them and for a way to make their lives a little better.

BUT, I also got about 150 hugs and 300 huge smiles. I got to watch and listen to 5 little boys who were major trouble-makers last year play their drums. The drum group is a reward for good behavior and good grades. They all have really turned around. They are good little drummers too. I watched the Standard VI students make, decorate and distribute hundreds of Valentine's cupcakes. Works of art!

Tonight the St. Luke's group had a "dinner on your own" night so I stayed home to catch up on email and some other work. In addition to the internet being unreliable, the wireless connection at the apartment was changed and no one told me. It has taken me a couple of days to get it all straightened out. I am so dependent on the internet! Somebody remind me what we did before we had it!!

I will try to take and post lots of pictures tomorrow at the Valentine's Fair. It should be a fun morning. The volunteers will continue to paint and enter the screening data onto the computer. I know they are sad to see their week coming to an end. I am so happy to be staying!!!

Good luck to all who are anticipating more snow tonight and tomorrow. Stay safe and warm.