June 30, 2009
Hola Amigos,
It´s yours truly typing away at the Sheraton Miramar in Vina del Mar. I just got done with a busy (and wet) day with
an adorable and quite shy 10-year-old from el Melon, Milena. My translator, Nancy, and driver, Jorge, picked me up
for the lengthy drive to the countryside, an easy 100 minutes away without traffic. It´s quite a hike getting there, so I
wonder how Children International does it. It must make keeping tabs on the kids and their families challenging to
say the least.
Milena is a really cute kid, but like many I've met before her, she was very nervous. I was informed that she woke up
at 6:00 this morning and didn't want breakfast. Meeting sponsors is a big deal for these kids!
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Milena is desperately poor. Worse yet, her Mom told us that the father
separated 8 months ago and has stopped providing any financial support and is now seeing a new honey.
Wonderful. Her Mom gets odd jobs cleaning and ironing, but it is clear that the income is not steady and could really
put them in dire straights at any moment.
Our first stop was a store much like Home Depot for some pots and pans. While we were wandering, we met one of
her cousins. No sooner did we bid him farewell when Milena spotted her father waiting in line at the other end of the
store. It´s evident that she is fond of him, as she bounded to him like a gazelle. It´s ironic, because we had been
discussing in the car how her Mom needed to find his address in order to get support payments restarted. I wanted
to whisper in his ear that his duties come before his libido, but I bit my tongue. I´m a sponsor, not Child Protective
Services.
Next came some clothes shopping. Milena was wearing a hideous orange boy´s jacket. She now has something far
more appropriate for a girl her age to withstand the chilly Chilean winters. She also has new jeans, a couple tops,
socks and Minnie Mouse underwear (she was aghast that I knew what kind of undies she´d be wearing!)
What she wanted more than anything is a television set. Normally I wouldn't purchase something like this, but they
told us that the most common point of friction in the household was having control over the remote control. If a
small TV saves them from constant fighting, it's worth the expense. Milena now has exactly one more TV than I do!
After that came lunch. And while it was chicken, you´ll all be relieved to hear that it wasn't deep fried. There is a God
after all! ;-)
Once we dropped off her new belongings, we headed for the Quilpue zoo. It was a long trek, and when we got there,
the rain started light and got heavier by the minute. By the time we saw her favorite animal, the elephant, I was
soaked through. Oh, the humanity! I can go back to the hotel and take a hot shower in a clean room. My
sponsored child has no such luxury. Hopefully the gifts she got will make her life just a little bit more pleasant.
We made an impromptu stop at a mall in Vina for some quick arcade games. Her favorite: playing air hockey with her
padrino. I had fun too, and I think she let me win.
Milena´s situation reminds me of my visit with Siomara in Guatemala. Their mothers have no discernible job skills and
income per person is low and unsteady. I trust that she will somehow become what she wants to be when she grows
up: a police officer. I'll move mountains to make that happen.
A video playlist of our day is here.
Hola Amigos,
It´s yours truly typing away at the Sheraton Miramar in Vina del Mar. I just got done with a busy (and wet) day with
an adorable and quite shy 10-year-old from el Melon, Milena. My translator, Nancy, and driver, Jorge, picked me up
for the lengthy drive to the countryside, an easy 100 minutes away without traffic. It´s quite a hike getting there, so I
wonder how Children International does it. It must make keeping tabs on the kids and their families challenging to
say the least.
Milena is a really cute kid, but like many I've met before her, she was very nervous. I was informed that she woke up
at 6:00 this morning and didn't want breakfast. Meeting sponsors is a big deal for these kids!
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Milena is desperately poor. Worse yet, her Mom told us that the father
separated 8 months ago and has stopped providing any financial support and is now seeing a new honey.
Wonderful. Her Mom gets odd jobs cleaning and ironing, but it is clear that the income is not steady and could really
put them in dire straights at any moment.
Our first stop was a store much like Home Depot for some pots and pans. While we were wandering, we met one of
her cousins. No sooner did we bid him farewell when Milena spotted her father waiting in line at the other end of the
store. It´s evident that she is fond of him, as she bounded to him like a gazelle. It´s ironic, because we had been
discussing in the car how her Mom needed to find his address in order to get support payments restarted. I wanted
to whisper in his ear that his duties come before his libido, but I bit my tongue. I´m a sponsor, not Child Protective
Services.
Next came some clothes shopping. Milena was wearing a hideous orange boy´s jacket. She now has something far
more appropriate for a girl her age to withstand the chilly Chilean winters. She also has new jeans, a couple tops,
socks and Minnie Mouse underwear (she was aghast that I knew what kind of undies she´d be wearing!)
What she wanted more than anything is a television set. Normally I wouldn't purchase something like this, but they
told us that the most common point of friction in the household was having control over the remote control. If a
small TV saves them from constant fighting, it's worth the expense. Milena now has exactly one more TV than I do!
After that came lunch. And while it was chicken, you´ll all be relieved to hear that it wasn't deep fried. There is a God
after all! ;-)
Once we dropped off her new belongings, we headed for the Quilpue zoo. It was a long trek, and when we got there,
the rain started light and got heavier by the minute. By the time we saw her favorite animal, the elephant, I was
soaked through. Oh, the humanity! I can go back to the hotel and take a hot shower in a clean room. My
sponsored child has no such luxury. Hopefully the gifts she got will make her life just a little bit more pleasant.
We made an impromptu stop at a mall in Vina for some quick arcade games. Her favorite: playing air hockey with her
padrino. I had fun too, and I think she let me win.
Milena´s situation reminds me of my visit with Siomara in Guatemala. Their mothers have no discernible job skills and
income per person is low and unsteady. I trust that she will somehow become what she wants to be when she grows
up: a police officer. I'll move mountains to make that happen.
A video playlist of our day is here.