Hope and Solace for those in Need
While in Oaxaca, Mexico recently, we heard about a nearby village that had lost its biggest source of income—a huge dump where local “pickers” scavenged and sold anything considered valuable. We asked the director of a local school–a purposeful, kind, and an energetic woman named Modesta, what we might do to help out. She answered that some of the families didn’t have the means to put food on the table.
A few days later, we bought large sacks of beans, rice, lentils, cooking oil, and other staples. Cramming everything into our rental car, we drove into the village over rutted dirt streets, past straggly dry bushes, lethargic dogs, and corrugated tin houses. Modesta met us at the school and squeezed into the car with us. For four hours she guided us through a maze of streets and into the homes of people who warmly welcomed us. Though their poverty was extreme, the children seemed well-loved, happy, and curious about us!
In one home, it was particularly touching to meet a man in his mid-twenties who had given up a promising chance to be a classical musician in order to stay home and care for his seven younger siblings when his parents were no longer there. His sacrifice was humbling to us, and we later discussed if we would have been capable of such selfless service.
In another house a beautiful young girl ran out joyfully to greet us. The grandmother, who cared for her and her siblings, sat stirring a pot over an open fire in the dirt courtyard. In two other homes, the fathers had been injured and were unable to work. Still, the floors were swept clean, and the children playful.
In giving the food, we recognize it is a temporary fix, and only a drop in the bucket of need, but the simple human connections that happen give hope and solace to those in need, and to us as well.
Ciudad de los Niños Orphanage
Each week, we were able to bring multiple bags of fresh produce purchased from the Wednesday market located right outside the entrance of the orphanage. We sent a crew daily to scrape the old playground equipment, then prime it, and ultimately apply a bright new coat of paint before leaving Oaxaca. The final impression we left the kids with was a performance by our home-grown puppet ensemble!
Puppet Shows for
Pre-schoolers & Orphanages
Installing Water Filters at Orphanages