April 27, 2010
Another day in the books and the second and final one in Cartagena. Mauricio and Johhny took me to a different
community center than yesterday´s, though I had visited it on my first trip. If you look at the playlist for Evelyn
from that trip, you´ll notice Mauricio talking to a woman dentist, with Evelyn and her mom sitting across from them.
In the background you can see multiple fans futilely trying to cool the place (a snippet of this is also in the NetApp
donation video that got released a couple weeks ago). It was a sauna!
I took such pity on this poor woman that I convinced a couple friends to help me fund the purchase and installation
of an air conditioning unit for that office. It´s one of the few rooms at that center that has cool air. Very soon after
it was installed, that dentist left for another job. Ironically enough, when we were grocery shopping late today,
who did we bump into? Why, none other than that same dentist! It is indeed a small world.
So what happened today? I had the pleasure of meeting Heather´s child, Henry, along with his mom and brother,
and Yiseth, Sharon´s child, and her grandmother. Henry looked like a football player (soccer, to those in the US),
and I asked him if he enjoyed playing the game. Sure enough. It was a perfect segue for his gift opening, where he
got a Colombian national team´s uniform. I think he was pleased. Good choice, Heather. He will have many very
jealous friends!
Yiseth definitely scored with a couple outfits, jewelry, stickers, etc. Sharon went out of her way to make Yiseth feel
good about herself. Much like most children her age, she was very soft spoken. My hope is that her voice comes
through on video. In any case, Mauricio´s translation was loud and clear. Youtube clips are forthcoming, as are a
fair number a still shots of the kids, their families, and ones with me (oh boy, can you hardly wait to see yet more of
my mug?).
Last up was my child, Evelyn, otherwise known as flaca (skinny). She ´s grown taller over the last 18 months, but
flaca still describes her well. And her mother had lost tons of weight. I barely recognized her. She got visibly
embarrassed when I observed how much better she looked.
The bad news is that it isn´t going to last, because she informed us that she now has child #4 "in the oven." Four
kids from at least two different men, none of which is contributing financially. Wonderful. Six months from now,
the number of people living in their hovel (and that is being generous) will reach 13. Yes, 13 people sharing a dark,
dirty, muggy space - one not fit for a stray dog, let alone humans. I managed to take a little more video of her living
conditions this time around.
It is frankly depressing to know that Evelyn´s hope for a better future takes yet another blow with each additional
sibling. Her mom acknowledged to Mauricio that this "will be her last." Think about it: a 24-year-old woman with
little education, no job skills or steady income, and four kids to care for. A perfect storm for a life of poverty and
struggle. The many instances of hope I´ve experienced over the last couple of years is juxtaposed against a
situation like this. It is frustrating to see an innocent group of children being thrust into horrible conditions by a
person who is little more than a grown child herself.
These visits are intended, among other things, to take the kids out of their wretched existence for a few hours. I
can say without reservations that this mission was accomplished. After much coaxing, Evelyn decided to go to the
same mall she´d gone to last time. Today must have set a mall attendance record for Carrefour. The first trip
was with Evelyn and her mother for shoes and clothes. Once I´d learned her siblings were at home and it was close
by, we swung by and picked them up. Both desperately needed shirts, as they were both sporting long sleeve
sweaters. In this heat? Are you kidding me?
And Sammy, the 2-year-old, was running around in the most ridiculous excuse for a belt imaginable. It was this
multicolored canvas strap that could have been wrapped around his tiny waist a couple times. One thing it failed to
do was to keep his pants from falling down. The poor kid was exhibiting a permanent case of "carpenter´s crack," a
condition that positively screamed for some drawstring pants. The video of Sammy running out of his old pair of
pants is knee-slapping humor. I may have to get permission from CI before posting it! Anyway, that represented
trip #2.
Trip #3: grocery shopping at the end of the day. Something tells me the food is more needed than anything. The
cupboards are no doubt bare.
As we were headed for the van with their bags, I noticed that Evelyn was shedding tears. I figured she was simply
getting emotional about her special day ending. Nope. It turns out that I had unwittingly promised to get her some
Barbie perfume and we´d left without it. Well, that won´t do. Did a U-turn, headed back to Carrefour for Trip
#4. She left with a wide-eyed grin. The Carrefour personnel and I are now on a first-name basis.
Oh, the kids had a blast at the arcades too. All the same stuff Karelys enjoyed the day before was available to
Evelyn. $20 well spent.
You know how this ends, right? A trip back to the child´s home where child and sponsor alike have to deal with
parting ways. Evelyn was stoic back in 2008. Not so this time. I think she realizes that I represent the best and only
legitimate male influence she´s ever had. She wept openly, hiding behind her Minnie Mouse stuffed animal. We
gave each other pecks on the cheek, hugged tight, and said adios. Evelyn is a really good kid whose prospects are
bleak. I´ll do what I can to tip the balance in her favor. However, the bulk of the heavy lifting rests with her mother,
and if history is any guide, Evelyn has a tough row to hoe.
Well, tomorrow is a travel day and an opportunity to recuperate before seeing the Barranquilla kids. Looking
forward to seeing Nevis and Yulianis for the second time, and in introducing myself to Daniela. As always, I´ll be sure
to describe the activities in disgusting detail.
Until then!
Another day in the books and the second and final one in Cartagena. Mauricio and Johhny took me to a different
community center than yesterday´s, though I had visited it on my first trip. If you look at the playlist for Evelyn
from that trip, you´ll notice Mauricio talking to a woman dentist, with Evelyn and her mom sitting across from them.
In the background you can see multiple fans futilely trying to cool the place (a snippet of this is also in the NetApp
donation video that got released a couple weeks ago). It was a sauna!
I took such pity on this poor woman that I convinced a couple friends to help me fund the purchase and installation
of an air conditioning unit for that office. It´s one of the few rooms at that center that has cool air. Very soon after
it was installed, that dentist left for another job. Ironically enough, when we were grocery shopping late today,
who did we bump into? Why, none other than that same dentist! It is indeed a small world.
So what happened today? I had the pleasure of meeting Heather´s child, Henry, along with his mom and brother,
and Yiseth, Sharon´s child, and her grandmother. Henry looked like a football player (soccer, to those in the US),
and I asked him if he enjoyed playing the game. Sure enough. It was a perfect segue for his gift opening, where he
got a Colombian national team´s uniform. I think he was pleased. Good choice, Heather. He will have many very
jealous friends!
Yiseth definitely scored with a couple outfits, jewelry, stickers, etc. Sharon went out of her way to make Yiseth feel
good about herself. Much like most children her age, she was very soft spoken. My hope is that her voice comes
through on video. In any case, Mauricio´s translation was loud and clear. Youtube clips are forthcoming, as are a
fair number a still shots of the kids, their families, and ones with me (oh boy, can you hardly wait to see yet more of
my mug?).
Last up was my child, Evelyn, otherwise known as flaca (skinny). She ´s grown taller over the last 18 months, but
flaca still describes her well. And her mother had lost tons of weight. I barely recognized her. She got visibly
embarrassed when I observed how much better she looked.
The bad news is that it isn´t going to last, because she informed us that she now has child #4 "in the oven." Four
kids from at least two different men, none of which is contributing financially. Wonderful. Six months from now,
the number of people living in their hovel (and that is being generous) will reach 13. Yes, 13 people sharing a dark,
dirty, muggy space - one not fit for a stray dog, let alone humans. I managed to take a little more video of her living
conditions this time around.
It is frankly depressing to know that Evelyn´s hope for a better future takes yet another blow with each additional
sibling. Her mom acknowledged to Mauricio that this "will be her last." Think about it: a 24-year-old woman with
little education, no job skills or steady income, and four kids to care for. A perfect storm for a life of poverty and
struggle. The many instances of hope I´ve experienced over the last couple of years is juxtaposed against a
situation like this. It is frustrating to see an innocent group of children being thrust into horrible conditions by a
person who is little more than a grown child herself.
These visits are intended, among other things, to take the kids out of their wretched existence for a few hours. I
can say without reservations that this mission was accomplished. After much coaxing, Evelyn decided to go to the
same mall she´d gone to last time. Today must have set a mall attendance record for Carrefour. The first trip
was with Evelyn and her mother for shoes and clothes. Once I´d learned her siblings were at home and it was close
by, we swung by and picked them up. Both desperately needed shirts, as they were both sporting long sleeve
sweaters. In this heat? Are you kidding me?
And Sammy, the 2-year-old, was running around in the most ridiculous excuse for a belt imaginable. It was this
multicolored canvas strap that could have been wrapped around his tiny waist a couple times. One thing it failed to
do was to keep his pants from falling down. The poor kid was exhibiting a permanent case of "carpenter´s crack," a
condition that positively screamed for some drawstring pants. The video of Sammy running out of his old pair of
pants is knee-slapping humor. I may have to get permission from CI before posting it! Anyway, that represented
trip #2.
Trip #3: grocery shopping at the end of the day. Something tells me the food is more needed than anything. The
cupboards are no doubt bare.
As we were headed for the van with their bags, I noticed that Evelyn was shedding tears. I figured she was simply
getting emotional about her special day ending. Nope. It turns out that I had unwittingly promised to get her some
Barbie perfume and we´d left without it. Well, that won´t do. Did a U-turn, headed back to Carrefour for Trip
#4. She left with a wide-eyed grin. The Carrefour personnel and I are now on a first-name basis.
Oh, the kids had a blast at the arcades too. All the same stuff Karelys enjoyed the day before was available to
Evelyn. $20 well spent.
You know how this ends, right? A trip back to the child´s home where child and sponsor alike have to deal with
parting ways. Evelyn was stoic back in 2008. Not so this time. I think she realizes that I represent the best and only
legitimate male influence she´s ever had. She wept openly, hiding behind her Minnie Mouse stuffed animal. We
gave each other pecks on the cheek, hugged tight, and said adios. Evelyn is a really good kid whose prospects are
bleak. I´ll do what I can to tip the balance in her favor. However, the bulk of the heavy lifting rests with her mother,
and if history is any guide, Evelyn has a tough row to hoe.
Well, tomorrow is a travel day and an opportunity to recuperate before seeing the Barranquilla kids. Looking
forward to seeing Nevis and Yulianis for the second time, and in introducing myself to Daniela. As always, I´ll be sure
to describe the activities in disgusting detail.
Until then!
