Fr. Juan
and Sr. Susan’s visit Jan. 23 and 24
Sabah decided to have the children’s clothing
which we had purchased for them from given in the four pre-schools when we
visited. The money not used for food in January was used for these outfits. The
children had semester break and so this money was left. Each child received
matching shirt and pants or “training” as it is called here. We witnessed firsthand
their joy at receiving these outfits.
Each day we visited two schools. We also saw the
meals that they were being served and the letters and numbers that they were
learning. In November Sabah gave us a list of the needs which each school
presented to her. We saw that they were valid needs some children were without
a chair, two children shared one little chair, some classrooms did not have
enough tables. Others needed rugs for the corners where they played on the
floor. None of the schools had electricity at the time we were there. Some
classes were very dark. At the Missionaries of Charity, we discovered mats that
can be washed easier than rugs so we will try using these mats letting one
classroom try them. They are soft, washable and come in pieces.
One school has over 100 children in three classes
and many other children are turned away. The children have no space. In this
very poor rural area there is no other pre-school. Our dream is to find the
financial resources about $15,000 to build a second floor to add classrooms.
Hanan the director is a very capable administrator.
We visited three very poor families each of which
had one to three mentally disabled children or young adults. Two of these
families were living in a room or two without windows, doors, bathrooms and
kitchens. You can see the pictures off their homes which tell the story. We had
given each two blankets, yet they need much more.
