It's an unusually warm, lovely winter day in Winnipeg as I write this, a month after coming back from Guatemala. I love to write but definitely have to be in the mood to do so. And today is the day...
The plan was to be in Guatemala for close to 3 weeks this time, with most of those days in Antigua so I could spend time at the shelter. Knowing that I wanted to throw a Christmas party as I had done once before, preparations for the gift bags started long before the trip. Socks from Costco (way better quality than what I could find there), donations of toothbrushes and toothpaste from my dentist friends Sanjeev, Diana and Kelly, hats, mini gloves, Xmas chocolate, hair ties, stickers for the kids etc etc. I can't tell you how many trips I made to Dollarama! I could have gone crazy but was worried about weight, especially given the crazy baggage fees we pay now. With one extra suitcase full of gift bag goodies and decorations I was on my way, with a plan to get the rest there.
In hindsight I wish I would have collected more donations before I went but I wanted to go see for myself what had been done with previous money I had left for certain things, and to see what kind of need there was presently.
Arriving in Antigua never gets old; waking up to a beautiful sunny day with volcanoes towering over the town, cobblestone streets and multi-coloured buildings. It's just really pretty. On top of that, having the first traditional breakfast of eggs, beans, plantain, toast and amazing coffee while reading my favourite local smut paper, well, I could barely hold in my delight. Anyone who knows me and how much I love my food will know this to be true!
After breakfast I went for a stroll as always, through Central Park and around, always looking for my people. And it never fails, Maria Esperanza is always the first person I see. I found her sitting at her typical resting spot on the edge of the park next to numerous bags of plastic and cans. Sitting down with her (which always raises some eyebrows especially from the police who stroll around, as I'm sure they can't quite figure out why a gringa would be talking to a homeless person) I asked how she was. I swear, every other time I have asked Maria this question over the years, she has answered the same way, (translated as) "as always here fighting to live." Her work ethic, amazingly positive attitude and perseverance given her circumstances have always amazed me. Well she must have been having a really rough day on this day as her response surprised and saddened me. She said that she "asks that God take her life," that she was simply tired of life, having to struggle for so long. And with that she told me again, like many other times about how her husband had left her, her son who lived nearby had nothing to do with her, and that after her mother had died, her sister had thrown her out of their house. I knew this story already but just listened. I encouraged her to come to the shelter where people cared about her, reminded her when it was open and off I went.
My first night at the shelter was lovely as always, seeing people that I have known for years now and catching up. Also getting updates on others who were not there. I always hope to see everyone from previous times but often their lives have improved to the degree that they no longer need the shelter. It's great for them but I would still love to see them.
That actually happened one day as I was walking down the street and heard someone call out my name. There was a guy with a huge amount of goods strapped to his back, who I recognized right away from the shelter. He and his wife used to stay; I just couldn't remember his name. He remembered mine though which was surprising. After a quick hello he ran off to drop off the goods and came back to talk. Raul (I later was reminded of his name), and his wife now have a room to stay in and he is doing this porter type work which was great to hear. HIs wife is having some health issues though unfortunately and needs surgery which they have no money for. I didn't understand the complexities of her condition and was a little worried I would get asked to fund the surgery, but he asked nothing of the sort. We chatted for awhile as I meandered through the market looking for one of my favourites (Neftaly, the guy who was super sick last time), but I never found him unfortunately. He is working though, has a girlfriend and a place to live. So both of these guys are doing better than last time which is great..
One of the first people I asked about was Papa Nacho, who you may remember from previous stories and pictures. He was our 85+, near blind man who was living on the streets, very vulnerable and being taken advantage by a young woman for money. He used to guard motorcycles as a job, sanctioned by the municipality given his disability and age. Well, it turns out Papa Nacho is now in a nursing home (hallelujah!). A longtime foreign expat who sometimes drops by the shelter apparently arranged it. Papa Nacho must have finally come to a place where he realized that he needed to go as previously he had told me that he wasn't interested as he preferred the freedom he had on the street. Specifically the women :) He was so cute. I'm so happy he is safe and being cared for now.
Turns out this same expat also tried to get Maria into a nursing home, but the outcome wasn't quite as positive. According to the shelter staff, after a short time at the nursing home, Maria started to give them some trouble. She wanted out! I talked to Maria about it at one point and she confirmed that being contained just wasn't for her; that she preferred being free, even if she had to struggle on the street. She was back to her old self, smiling, appreciative of the help people gave her (she is still always getting clothes and food from people) and accepting of her situation. Word is that the expat is looking for a place for Maria to stay on the nights that the shelter isn't open. I think this would be a perfect solution as bottom line, even though her life isn't easy, she is used to this way of life.
On to other folks...well Manolo who I have written about a lot in the past, the young guy who was unstable, with some issues with alcohol and who had joined a local foreign run missionary. Well I am happy to report that he is doing super well! He is working driving truck (which scares me as it's so dangerous there between accidents and extorsion), he has a place to live, has some contact with his children, a closer relationship with his family, and most importantly is sober and forging ahead to better his life. Religion has been a big part of this for him. We're buddies, communicating on Facebook, and I got to see him a few times while I was there as his side job guarding cars was just around the corner from my hotel. On our last visit he gave me a traditionally weaved scroll from Antigua which was so so sweet. He told me it was something small as that was all that he could afford, which of course made me feel bad that he would spend the little money he has on a gift for me. But it warmed my heart. He is a really good guy who has changed his life and I'm so proud of him!
From the first night on I was gauging who was coming to stay so that I would know how many gift bags I would need and what kind in terms of men, women and children. Normally we don't have many children at the shelter (thank goodness) but lo and behold the first night a bunch of kids came which freaked me out as I hadn't really prepared for so many. The first group was a two generational family including a mother with two young children and an older daughter who had her own child. I was told that they had a home but were so poor that at times they came to the shelter just to eat. I interacted with the girls, who were the tiniest things you can imagine, likely due to malnutition which is very common in Guatemalan children. Although very shy, they grinned widely seeing the pictures that I took, likely never having seen themselves before. Supper that night was soup and bread and I felt bad, thinking that maybe it wasn't worth it to walk all that way for such a small meal. I guess that speaks to how meager their circumstances are.
The other group consisted of Silvia, one of the more regular folks, her two young boys, teenage daughter and her infant son, as well as a friend's child, Glendy who I fell in love with. Silvia's kids live with their father I believe, but at times end up with her at the shelter. She comes only when she isn't drinking; other times she is on binges which keep her away. Silvia is a sex trade worker so the fact that she has an addiction isn't suprising. With her this night was Glendy, the 4 year old daughter of a woman who Silvia knew from the cantina (bar). Glendy's mom works in the cantina and reportedly drinks more than she works. Sadly this is where Glendy spends her time. This little girl is the cutest, tiny little thing with a soft, squeaky voice. It's so scary to think about what could happen to her now essentialy living in a bar filled with drunk men and a mother, her supposed protector, drunk herself and without the capacity to keep her safe. Interestingly enough, Silvia, even with her own issues, seems to recognize the risk to Glendy and cares enough to bring her along when she is coming to the shelter. I was relieved that Glendy was with us that night but still haunted by her reality, one that I couldn't change. That night she was so pleased with herself after Silvia helped her have a shower. It goes to show that kids really do like being clean.
I so wished that this group of kids would come back again, especially for the Xmas party (which we ween't advertising as we would surely have the whole town there). I wanted to give them something special for Xmas, knowing that they probably wouldn't get anything otherwise. But sadly they didn't come again :( Their circumstances really touched me though and knowing they would surely be back again after I was gone, I left treat bags and gifts for the whole group, including the mothers. Thelma sent me a couple pictures afterwards of Silvia and Glendy's brother with their gifts for me to see. I don't know what ever happended to Glendy though...
I should add here, that my friend Joanne from Montreal and her mom from St. Agathe were coming down for a week, and with them brought a ton of stuff for kids including socks, underwear, chocolate, colouring books and other toys. Joanne's son Mateo, who was my little shadow in Thailand, even sent one of his beanie babies to give to one of the kids. Very sweet :) So there was no shortage of stuff for all these kids and I was so grateful!
And thank goodness for the kid loot because they kept on coming! The next night at the shelter 3 indigenous families arrived with 8 kids in total. I was again freaking out as I couldn't believe there were so many kids this year and would I have enough stuff!? We knew they had come from another part of Guatemala but nothing more as they spoke no Spanish and only their native tongue. That made for some interesting times in the shelter as the kids were rangy at times, especailly when my camera came out. Like the first group, I'm sure they had never seen their pictures before as they would maul me to see them and make me go show their mom who also seemed taken by seeing images of her children. I'm not sure if the parents intended to do something particular workwise in Antigua and it didn't work out? But I would see some of the kids begging on the street and the older boys selling candy in the park. Everyone was responsible for making money. As luck would have it most of kids didn't show up the night of the Xmas party; I have no idea where they would have gone. It was disappointing especially as Joanne and her mom were there to hand out the things they had brought. Murphy's Law, the next shelter night they all showed up and so Santa came once again to dole out Xmas goodies. It was a pretty special experience for them I am sure.
When I first got to Antigua I learned from the staff how hard up things were at the shelter. The parent organization, God's Child Project out of Bismark, ND, was busy fundraising for a new hospital for malnourished children, and so few funds were making it to the shelter. This meant no supplies like toilet paper, cleaning supplies etc. Can you imagine doing your business and having no toilet paper to use? Yuck. On top of that some of the electric showers that Karuna donations had sponsored 3 years back had burnt out which meant cold water showers for the coming months, the coldest of the year. Money I had left for coffee and tortillas to supplement meals had also dried up.
On a positive note, I was super happy to see that the privacy bathroom for the women had finally been built. Karuna donations had made this possible as well. It was a huge improvement in that the staff, women and children could now have privacy in a very open bathroom which had been that way for many years.
Knowing that the shelter needed a lot of support and that I was there to purchase the things that they needed, I put a call out on Facebook for some donations. I was amazed at the response and so grateful! I should add that I had collected some donations from friends and family prior to as well, so I had a good chunk of money to buy what was needed.
And so then the work began...first forcing the staff to tell me what they needed (they felt bad asking if you can believe that!!), then price shopping, and hauling everything over to the shelter, at times by myself and at times with the help of the staff and a tuk tuk. Between that and finishing up the gift bags, I needed a vacation!! ;)
But it worked out great...with the Karuna donations we bought coffee and sugar so they can have a hot drink every night during the 3 coldest months, and 1-2 nights for the few months after. We figured they have enough coffee and sugar for about 6 months which is great. We bought toilet paper galore, cleaning supplies, soap, pads and new towels. We also fixed the electric showers which of course folks were very happy about as who wants to have a cold shower when you've been on the street all day! Some funds went towards the Xmas party (dessert and hot chocolate), and money was left for at least 3 months of tortillas to supplement their meals. I am sure that I have explained before that to Guatemalans a meal without tortillas just isn't a meal. At least now when the family that I wrote about comes just to eat, they will have a satisfying meal. So in essence the money went a loooong way! And the staff were so appreciative. They were shocked that so much money could have been raised in such a short time. They truly do care about these people and get great satisfaction from being able to offer them the things that they need.
The day of the Xmas party Alex, Thelma, Estella and I had breakfast together but after that I was stressed all day. I remember the last party being like this as well as we never leave ourselves enough time to get everything ready. Previous nights we had put up an old Xmas tree, garlands, wall stickers and this year's addition, a lighted poinsetta garland that Thelma had made by hand. It was a lot of work cutting out every poinsetta leaf. She's really quite talented. The kids had "helped" decorate and enjoyed being apart of the festivities.
Estella and I made up the bags, almost 50 of them, and they just about did me in, as I had some special bags planned for my favourites and was worried that we wouldn't have enough for everyone. I so wanted everything to be perfect! But we got them all done, donned our Santa hats and reindeer noses, Alex wrote welcome in Spanish on the sidewalk coming in, and we were ready! And in they flooded...
A hoity toity restaurant in Antigua named Meson Panza Verde continues to donate an amazing traditional meal every Wednesday which is so great. So we took advantage of that and had the party on a Wednesday. We also had Thelma's son, a baker by trade, make a traditional Xmas dessert called El Borracho (The Drunk) which gets its name from having liqueur in it. The day of the party Thelma said to me that people didn't like this dessert and I was like "whaaaat??" as she was the one who had suggested it! She followed it up by "they don't like it, they love it!" Well she got me on that one, and she was right, they did seem to love it. The homemade hot chocolate was also a big hit.
After dinner and dessert the gift bags were handed out and everyone seemed happy. There is a great picture below of Maria modelling her new hat and mini gloves for us, and another of my dear Manuelito. He is the gentlest, sweetest man and 80 some years old living on the street. We had the longest conversation we have had on this night. I learned that he used to be a farmer until his wife died after which he sold everything and moved to Antigua. He seems to shine shoes to survive. Manuelito at times drinks but told me that he had been sober almost 2 weeks by then. With enthusiasm he said that he was feeling great and went on about how much he appreciated all that the shelter offered him. These people honestly hurt my heart as they are so appreciative of the littlest bit of help.
Joanne and her mom got to come to the shelter that night and helped serve along with Jose (not his real name), an 18 year old Guatemalan that I had never met before. Thelma ended up sharing his amazing story starting at age 8 when he came to stay at the shelter after being abandoned by his mother and stepfather. Sadly he had suffered physical and sexual abuse while in their care and it seems was rejected by his stepfather, as his siblings, I assume children of the stepfather, remained with the mother and stepfather unlike him. Thankfully he found the shelter which was open everyday at that time I believe, and stayed there for some time before God's Child found a foster family for him to live with after hearing about his plight. On top of the foster home Jose was able to go to school for free through the Project. Thelma became a mother figure to him over the years and I could see that from their interaction. Jose now lives with another family and is still studying, having a partial scholarship through God's Child. He speaks great English, an indigenous language plus Spanish and aspires to work in tourism. He also comes back to the shelter to volunteer at times which is why he had come that night. Joanne was able to talk to him at length that night and was very impressed with him. He is truly a success story and an example of how important this shelter is in Guatemala where there isn't much of a safety net for those in need.
Although it isn't such a happy story, a shelter blog post isn't complete without an update on Victor, an absolute favourite of mine. I've writen about him before; he is 70, from the coast, and the most lovely man, but with some troubles with the bottle. He is a classic binge drinker as he can go for long periods of time sober and staying at the shelter when it is open, and on the streeet when it's not. He is well liked at the shelter, referred to as Don Victor, "Don" being a form of respect, a Guatemalan way of saying señor. When I arrived I got word that he had been at the shelter the week before but had been seen since not in great shape. He was drinking again and had been beaten up really bad. I was told that he typically hung out close to the shelter and market so I went looking for him. Sadly I found him one day with two black eyes, banged up and dirty. He knew me right away and became emotional at his circumstances. He had been beaten and robbed of everything that he had apart from the clothes on his back. I felt so bad..At 70 years old you would never want to see someone go through that, especially someone you care about. I tried to convince him to come to the shelter where he could shower, eat and rest. He felt that he couldn't though as although he wasn't intoxicated per se, he still smelled of alcohol (in part because he needed to shower and change his clothes) which isn't allowed. Needless to say he never did come. I went looking for Victor again before I left and found him sober but still stale smelling and reluctant to go back to the shelter in that condition. Despite how he looked I did take a picture of us together as I wanted another memory of us. After a mutual "te quiero" (I love you) and a kiss on my hand, we said goodbye. Victor was also left a special gift bag for when he does go back to the shelter as I know he will.
Well, that's about all to say this time. It was a lovely time, I accomplished a lot and enjoyed building on my relationships with the folks who work and stay at the shelter. I feel like I belong here, and if I had my wish I would take over the shelter as my own. I remember being a kid and wanting to run a homeless shelter, so how ironic is it that I have found my passion in Guatemala. We will see what the future brings..until the next time :)
My fav breakfast
The plan was to be in Guatemala for close to 3 weeks this time, with most of those days in Antigua so I could spend time at the shelter. Knowing that I wanted to throw a Christmas party as I had done once before, preparations for the gift bags started long before the trip. Socks from Costco (way better quality than what I could find there), donations of toothbrushes and toothpaste from my dentist friends Sanjeev, Diana and Kelly, hats, mini gloves, Xmas chocolate, hair ties, stickers for the kids etc etc. I can't tell you how many trips I made to Dollarama! I could have gone crazy but was worried about weight, especially given the crazy baggage fees we pay now. With one extra suitcase full of gift bag goodies and decorations I was on my way, with a plan to get the rest there.
In hindsight I wish I would have collected more donations before I went but I wanted to go see for myself what had been done with previous money I had left for certain things, and to see what kind of need there was presently.
Arriving in Antigua never gets old; waking up to a beautiful sunny day with volcanoes towering over the town, cobblestone streets and multi-coloured buildings. It's just really pretty. On top of that, having the first traditional breakfast of eggs, beans, plantain, toast and amazing coffee while reading my favourite local smut paper, well, I could barely hold in my delight. Anyone who knows me and how much I love my food will know this to be true!
After breakfast I went for a stroll as always, through Central Park and around, always looking for my people. And it never fails, Maria Esperanza is always the first person I see. I found her sitting at her typical resting spot on the edge of the park next to numerous bags of plastic and cans. Sitting down with her (which always raises some eyebrows especially from the police who stroll around, as I'm sure they can't quite figure out why a gringa would be talking to a homeless person) I asked how she was. I swear, every other time I have asked Maria this question over the years, she has answered the same way, (translated as) "as always here fighting to live." Her work ethic, amazingly positive attitude and perseverance given her circumstances have always amazed me. Well she must have been having a really rough day on this day as her response surprised and saddened me. She said that she "asks that God take her life," that she was simply tired of life, having to struggle for so long. And with that she told me again, like many other times about how her husband had left her, her son who lived nearby had nothing to do with her, and that after her mother had died, her sister had thrown her out of their house. I knew this story already but just listened. I encouraged her to come to the shelter where people cared about her, reminded her when it was open and off I went.
My first night at the shelter was lovely as always, seeing people that I have known for years now and catching up. Also getting updates on others who were not there. I always hope to see everyone from previous times but often their lives have improved to the degree that they no longer need the shelter. It's great for them but I would still love to see them.
That actually happened one day as I was walking down the street and heard someone call out my name. There was a guy with a huge amount of goods strapped to his back, who I recognized right away from the shelter. He and his wife used to stay; I just couldn't remember his name. He remembered mine though which was surprising. After a quick hello he ran off to drop off the goods and came back to talk. Raul (I later was reminded of his name), and his wife now have a room to stay in and he is doing this porter type work which was great to hear. HIs wife is having some health issues though unfortunately and needs surgery which they have no money for. I didn't understand the complexities of her condition and was a little worried I would get asked to fund the surgery, but he asked nothing of the sort. We chatted for awhile as I meandered through the market looking for one of my favourites (Neftaly, the guy who was super sick last time), but I never found him unfortunately. He is working though, has a girlfriend and a place to live. So both of these guys are doing better than last time which is great..
One of the first people I asked about was Papa Nacho, who you may remember from previous stories and pictures. He was our 85+, near blind man who was living on the streets, very vulnerable and being taken advantage by a young woman for money. He used to guard motorcycles as a job, sanctioned by the municipality given his disability and age. Well, it turns out Papa Nacho is now in a nursing home (hallelujah!). A longtime foreign expat who sometimes drops by the shelter apparently arranged it. Papa Nacho must have finally come to a place where he realized that he needed to go as previously he had told me that he wasn't interested as he preferred the freedom he had on the street. Specifically the women :) He was so cute. I'm so happy he is safe and being cared for now.
Turns out this same expat also tried to get Maria into a nursing home, but the outcome wasn't quite as positive. According to the shelter staff, after a short time at the nursing home, Maria started to give them some trouble. She wanted out! I talked to Maria about it at one point and she confirmed that being contained just wasn't for her; that she preferred being free, even if she had to struggle on the street. She was back to her old self, smiling, appreciative of the help people gave her (she is still always getting clothes and food from people) and accepting of her situation. Word is that the expat is looking for a place for Maria to stay on the nights that the shelter isn't open. I think this would be a perfect solution as bottom line, even though her life isn't easy, she is used to this way of life.
On to other folks...well Manolo who I have written about a lot in the past, the young guy who was unstable, with some issues with alcohol and who had joined a local foreign run missionary. Well I am happy to report that he is doing super well! He is working driving truck (which scares me as it's so dangerous there between accidents and extorsion), he has a place to live, has some contact with his children, a closer relationship with his family, and most importantly is sober and forging ahead to better his life. Religion has been a big part of this for him. We're buddies, communicating on Facebook, and I got to see him a few times while I was there as his side job guarding cars was just around the corner from my hotel. On our last visit he gave me a traditionally weaved scroll from Antigua which was so so sweet. He told me it was something small as that was all that he could afford, which of course made me feel bad that he would spend the little money he has on a gift for me. But it warmed my heart. He is a really good guy who has changed his life and I'm so proud of him!
From the first night on I was gauging who was coming to stay so that I would know how many gift bags I would need and what kind in terms of men, women and children. Normally we don't have many children at the shelter (thank goodness) but lo and behold the first night a bunch of kids came which freaked me out as I hadn't really prepared for so many. The first group was a two generational family including a mother with two young children and an older daughter who had her own child. I was told that they had a home but were so poor that at times they came to the shelter just to eat. I interacted with the girls, who were the tiniest things you can imagine, likely due to malnutition which is very common in Guatemalan children. Although very shy, they grinned widely seeing the pictures that I took, likely never having seen themselves before. Supper that night was soup and bread and I felt bad, thinking that maybe it wasn't worth it to walk all that way for such a small meal. I guess that speaks to how meager their circumstances are.
The other group consisted of Silvia, one of the more regular folks, her two young boys, teenage daughter and her infant son, as well as a friend's child, Glendy who I fell in love with. Silvia's kids live with their father I believe, but at times end up with her at the shelter. She comes only when she isn't drinking; other times she is on binges which keep her away. Silvia is a sex trade worker so the fact that she has an addiction isn't suprising. With her this night was Glendy, the 4 year old daughter of a woman who Silvia knew from the cantina (bar). Glendy's mom works in the cantina and reportedly drinks more than she works. Sadly this is where Glendy spends her time. This little girl is the cutest, tiny little thing with a soft, squeaky voice. It's so scary to think about what could happen to her now essentialy living in a bar filled with drunk men and a mother, her supposed protector, drunk herself and without the capacity to keep her safe. Interestingly enough, Silvia, even with her own issues, seems to recognize the risk to Glendy and cares enough to bring her along when she is coming to the shelter. I was relieved that Glendy was with us that night but still haunted by her reality, one that I couldn't change. That night she was so pleased with herself after Silvia helped her have a shower. It goes to show that kids really do like being clean.
I so wished that this group of kids would come back again, especially for the Xmas party (which we ween't advertising as we would surely have the whole town there). I wanted to give them something special for Xmas, knowing that they probably wouldn't get anything otherwise. But sadly they didn't come again :( Their circumstances really touched me though and knowing they would surely be back again after I was gone, I left treat bags and gifts for the whole group, including the mothers. Thelma sent me a couple pictures afterwards of Silvia and Glendy's brother with their gifts for me to see. I don't know what ever happended to Glendy though...
I should add here, that my friend Joanne from Montreal and her mom from St. Agathe were coming down for a week, and with them brought a ton of stuff for kids including socks, underwear, chocolate, colouring books and other toys. Joanne's son Mateo, who was my little shadow in Thailand, even sent one of his beanie babies to give to one of the kids. Very sweet :) So there was no shortage of stuff for all these kids and I was so grateful!
And thank goodness for the kid loot because they kept on coming! The next night at the shelter 3 indigenous families arrived with 8 kids in total. I was again freaking out as I couldn't believe there were so many kids this year and would I have enough stuff!? We knew they had come from another part of Guatemala but nothing more as they spoke no Spanish and only their native tongue. That made for some interesting times in the shelter as the kids were rangy at times, especailly when my camera came out. Like the first group, I'm sure they had never seen their pictures before as they would maul me to see them and make me go show their mom who also seemed taken by seeing images of her children. I'm not sure if the parents intended to do something particular workwise in Antigua and it didn't work out? But I would see some of the kids begging on the street and the older boys selling candy in the park. Everyone was responsible for making money. As luck would have it most of kids didn't show up the night of the Xmas party; I have no idea where they would have gone. It was disappointing especially as Joanne and her mom were there to hand out the things they had brought. Murphy's Law, the next shelter night they all showed up and so Santa came once again to dole out Xmas goodies. It was a pretty special experience for them I am sure.
When I first got to Antigua I learned from the staff how hard up things were at the shelter. The parent organization, God's Child Project out of Bismark, ND, was busy fundraising for a new hospital for malnourished children, and so few funds were making it to the shelter. This meant no supplies like toilet paper, cleaning supplies etc. Can you imagine doing your business and having no toilet paper to use? Yuck. On top of that some of the electric showers that Karuna donations had sponsored 3 years back had burnt out which meant cold water showers for the coming months, the coldest of the year. Money I had left for coffee and tortillas to supplement meals had also dried up.
On a positive note, I was super happy to see that the privacy bathroom for the women had finally been built. Karuna donations had made this possible as well. It was a huge improvement in that the staff, women and children could now have privacy in a very open bathroom which had been that way for many years.
Knowing that the shelter needed a lot of support and that I was there to purchase the things that they needed, I put a call out on Facebook for some donations. I was amazed at the response and so grateful! I should add that I had collected some donations from friends and family prior to as well, so I had a good chunk of money to buy what was needed.
And so then the work began...first forcing the staff to tell me what they needed (they felt bad asking if you can believe that!!), then price shopping, and hauling everything over to the shelter, at times by myself and at times with the help of the staff and a tuk tuk. Between that and finishing up the gift bags, I needed a vacation!! ;)
But it worked out great...with the Karuna donations we bought coffee and sugar so they can have a hot drink every night during the 3 coldest months, and 1-2 nights for the few months after. We figured they have enough coffee and sugar for about 6 months which is great. We bought toilet paper galore, cleaning supplies, soap, pads and new towels. We also fixed the electric showers which of course folks were very happy about as who wants to have a cold shower when you've been on the street all day! Some funds went towards the Xmas party (dessert and hot chocolate), and money was left for at least 3 months of tortillas to supplement their meals. I am sure that I have explained before that to Guatemalans a meal without tortillas just isn't a meal. At least now when the family that I wrote about comes just to eat, they will have a satisfying meal. So in essence the money went a loooong way! And the staff were so appreciative. They were shocked that so much money could have been raised in such a short time. They truly do care about these people and get great satisfaction from being able to offer them the things that they need.
The day of the Xmas party Alex, Thelma, Estella and I had breakfast together but after that I was stressed all day. I remember the last party being like this as well as we never leave ourselves enough time to get everything ready. Previous nights we had put up an old Xmas tree, garlands, wall stickers and this year's addition, a lighted poinsetta garland that Thelma had made by hand. It was a lot of work cutting out every poinsetta leaf. She's really quite talented. The kids had "helped" decorate and enjoyed being apart of the festivities.
Estella and I made up the bags, almost 50 of them, and they just about did me in, as I had some special bags planned for my favourites and was worried that we wouldn't have enough for everyone. I so wanted everything to be perfect! But we got them all done, donned our Santa hats and reindeer noses, Alex wrote welcome in Spanish on the sidewalk coming in, and we were ready! And in they flooded...
A hoity toity restaurant in Antigua named Meson Panza Verde continues to donate an amazing traditional meal every Wednesday which is so great. So we took advantage of that and had the party on a Wednesday. We also had Thelma's son, a baker by trade, make a traditional Xmas dessert called El Borracho (The Drunk) which gets its name from having liqueur in it. The day of the party Thelma said to me that people didn't like this dessert and I was like "whaaaat??" as she was the one who had suggested it! She followed it up by "they don't like it, they love it!" Well she got me on that one, and she was right, they did seem to love it. The homemade hot chocolate was also a big hit.
After dinner and dessert the gift bags were handed out and everyone seemed happy. There is a great picture below of Maria modelling her new hat and mini gloves for us, and another of my dear Manuelito. He is the gentlest, sweetest man and 80 some years old living on the street. We had the longest conversation we have had on this night. I learned that he used to be a farmer until his wife died after which he sold everything and moved to Antigua. He seems to shine shoes to survive. Manuelito at times drinks but told me that he had been sober almost 2 weeks by then. With enthusiasm he said that he was feeling great and went on about how much he appreciated all that the shelter offered him. These people honestly hurt my heart as they are so appreciative of the littlest bit of help.
Joanne and her mom got to come to the shelter that night and helped serve along with Jose (not his real name), an 18 year old Guatemalan that I had never met before. Thelma ended up sharing his amazing story starting at age 8 when he came to stay at the shelter after being abandoned by his mother and stepfather. Sadly he had suffered physical and sexual abuse while in their care and it seems was rejected by his stepfather, as his siblings, I assume children of the stepfather, remained with the mother and stepfather unlike him. Thankfully he found the shelter which was open everyday at that time I believe, and stayed there for some time before God's Child found a foster family for him to live with after hearing about his plight. On top of the foster home Jose was able to go to school for free through the Project. Thelma became a mother figure to him over the years and I could see that from their interaction. Jose now lives with another family and is still studying, having a partial scholarship through God's Child. He speaks great English, an indigenous language plus Spanish and aspires to work in tourism. He also comes back to the shelter to volunteer at times which is why he had come that night. Joanne was able to talk to him at length that night and was very impressed with him. He is truly a success story and an example of how important this shelter is in Guatemala where there isn't much of a safety net for those in need.
Although it isn't such a happy story, a shelter blog post isn't complete without an update on Victor, an absolute favourite of mine. I've writen about him before; he is 70, from the coast, and the most lovely man, but with some troubles with the bottle. He is a classic binge drinker as he can go for long periods of time sober and staying at the shelter when it is open, and on the streeet when it's not. He is well liked at the shelter, referred to as Don Victor, "Don" being a form of respect, a Guatemalan way of saying señor. When I arrived I got word that he had been at the shelter the week before but had been seen since not in great shape. He was drinking again and had been beaten up really bad. I was told that he typically hung out close to the shelter and market so I went looking for him. Sadly I found him one day with two black eyes, banged up and dirty. He knew me right away and became emotional at his circumstances. He had been beaten and robbed of everything that he had apart from the clothes on his back. I felt so bad..At 70 years old you would never want to see someone go through that, especially someone you care about. I tried to convince him to come to the shelter where he could shower, eat and rest. He felt that he couldn't though as although he wasn't intoxicated per se, he still smelled of alcohol (in part because he needed to shower and change his clothes) which isn't allowed. Needless to say he never did come. I went looking for Victor again before I left and found him sober but still stale smelling and reluctant to go back to the shelter in that condition. Despite how he looked I did take a picture of us together as I wanted another memory of us. After a mutual "te quiero" (I love you) and a kiss on my hand, we said goodbye. Victor was also left a special gift bag for when he does go back to the shelter as I know he will.
Well, that's about all to say this time. It was a lovely time, I accomplished a lot and enjoyed building on my relationships with the folks who work and stay at the shelter. I feel like I belong here, and if I had my wish I would take over the shelter as my own. I remember being a kid and wanting to run a homeless shelter, so how ironic is it that I have found my passion in Guatemala. We will see what the future brings..until the next time :)
My fav breakfast 
Beautiful Antigua with the volcano covered in clouds on this day 
María taking a rest 
The new privacy bathroom for the women :)
Little Glendy asking us for something 
She is just the cutest..
Tiny Leti with her nephew 
Thelma and Glendy
Thelma and I stocking up on supplies for the shelter 
Maria getting ready to sleep in the park
Estella helping me with the gift bags. She loved everything I brought..it was so cute.
The best staff ever..Alex, Thelma and Estella
Raul, the guy who saw me on the street 
Our decorators 
Shy Catarina and her brother 
Alex never took his Santa nose off all night lol
And in they came..
A nearby town San Juan del Obispo specializes in chocolate so we got bars of it and Thelma made some pure hot chocolate which was a big hit 
Aww Maria modelling her new hat and gloves 
The little girl who got Mateo's beanie baby. I would say she loves it :) 
Oodles of bags 
Maria, Demetrio (my admirer) and others enjoying dinner 
Such a beautiful girl!
And another sweet girl 
Los Borrachos :)
Joanne's mom with one of the kids 
Miss Joanne 
Manuelito getting his gift 
This lil guy looks so proud :)
Victor and I saying goodbye 
Manolo my star!
Maria hard at work in the park 
I didn't know you were a pegger. Dollarama was my fav till they started becoming just like every other store price wise.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have a big heart. I have a soft spot for the homeless. What a great thing for you to do. Thankfully they are not homeless in Wpg during our harsh, cold, winters.
Bless you!
Thank you for your interest!! I work with the homeless in Winnipeg too and shockingly people here do sleep outside even on the coldest nights. I can't imagine..
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