NOTES FROM DUNC'S APRIL 2007 TRIP
DUMP PROJECT GETS SUPPORT FROM STREET KIDS DIRECT
I was looking forward to returning to visit Jeony, an amazing man who felt a call from God to begin an outreach project to children living and working on a city rubbish dump, situated a few minutes outside of Honduras' capital, Tegucigalpa. This time I was not just going to see the project, I was taking out a donation from the charity and spending time with them to make a promotional video of their work.
I remember spending what seemed like just 10 minutes on the city dump filming the children working there when in fact I was there for over an hour! Just a few days before I was in a meeting with government and city officials and hearing them talk of how they were going to guarantee that no more children would be allowed to work on the dump. Sadly, there were many children still working on the dump and I will never loose the image from my mind of a young boy aged about five picking his way through the rubbish trying his best to earn his wages of 50p for a day's work. Read more about the AFE project here.
STREET OUTREACH IN GUATEMALA
The highlight of my trips are always my visits to the streets. This time I was taken by Marvin (photo right), a 12-year-old street boy, to 'La Casa Vieja' (The Old House). Behind the sheets of corrugated tin sheets lay a derelict piece of land waiting for construction. The street children had moved in and made a make-shift shelter, which was now housing about 25 children and young adults.
Sitting behind the tin sheets and being with the children would not be possible unless a strong and trusting relationship had been developed. Helping out with first-aid and then playing some simple games helped to transmit to the children our care and concern for them. A small baby was lying in a small cardboard box, covered with a filthy blanket to keep the flies off. It was a scene of real sadness, so many young lives wasting away before my eyes. My time was very limited this time but the kids appreciated the time myself, Brenda - our Guatemalan volunteer, and two UK students spent with them over a couple of days.
THANKS FOR GIFTS
The new children's home in Honduras continues to struggle for funds to keep going but will soon be receiving regular funding from Global Care, a partner charity based in Coventry, who run a child sponsorship programme.
I was able to take out three sacks of clothes and toys for the children as well as a substantial donation towards their immediate needs. Mario (photo left) was over the moon to receive boys clothes, particularly a T-shirt with 'The Incredibles' on it.
Many thanks to the children at Woodside School, Amersham, for their clothes and shoes as well as all those who gave gifts for the children. I felt like Father Christmas!
BABY DUNCAN DOING WELL
The 18-day-old baby rescued during my trip to Honduras in December 2006 is making great progress.
When I walked into the centre that is currently taking care of Duncan many of the staff stared at me and then said 'he looks just like you and has your eyes'. Now before you begin to put two and two together to make twenty believe me when I say I was not in the country at the time when Duncan was conceived! A great excuse as if I needed one.
Duncan is in need of a small operation at the base of his spine but otherwise is in great health and responding well to the world around him. It was lovely to hold him again and not once did he cry - a miracle for me! It won't be long before Duncan will be moving into the children's home and all the staff and children are waiting in great expectation for his arrival.
We have managed to locate his mother who continues to want nothing more to do with her son. We hope that as he grows he will have the opportunity to contact her if he and she wishes.
TAKING THE CHALLENGE TO THE CLASSROOM
It seemed like a very chance meeting. In December last year I took four young boys together with the Manuelito's project director, Jorge Pinto, to Pizza Hut to celebrate their progress through the transitional home in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and to encourage them in their move to their new home with all the other children in Talanga.
As I was messing about with the boys and doing some tricks a group of young students came over to me and asked me what I was doing and could they sit and watch. They joined us for a while before asking me to come and visit them in their school and tell them all about the street children.
So I made contact with the school and they were very open to having me come and speak about the lives of the street children on Honduras and Guatemala. I took along Jorge Pinto and two older boys who had come through the project and were now starting college. Their testimonies together with the stories I told them made a impact and many showed an interest in helping as volunteers in their spare time. I so love youthful enthusiasm and the fact that they feel that anything could be accomplished if they just got out there and did it. Maybe it is a sign of new things to come, a new generation with a desire to chance the status quo.
A NEW MODEL TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE PROJECTS?
As you may have already read, an exciting new project is underway in Guatemala and Honduras thanks to the commitment of an investment group in London.
Last year I was approached by a man who was concerned about the long-term sustainability of the children's homes and suggested ways in which businesses could be established that would not only make money for its investors but would commit a proportion of its profits each year to be given to help support the running costs of the children's homes. A new company has been set-up in Guatemala to run a potato farm and a sugar cane farm (photo).
This business model has attracted the attention of other possible investors who are interested in pilot projects over the next few years. If these prove beneficial then other funding could be sought to expand the pilot projects into larger business opportunities. It maybe that there are many people who support Street Kids Direct who may also like to invest in these new ventures, especially if we could offer better returns than currently offered by banks and the like.
As you can imagine this is taking up a fair bit of my time but it is time I am willing and happy to give as I believe that greater things will come in the future.
On the employment front we have been able to offer full-time employment to five people, two of whom are Walter and Maico, brothers who were in a desperate state after being asked to leave a children's home in Guatemala recently. Both lads are looking forward to the challenge the work will bring and as Walter put it when he saw me recently 'I hope that my brother and I can help you help the children still on the streets of Guatemala City'. In fact they did get the chance to do that one Saturday when we invited the 20 high-risk families we are helping to come with us to the cinema. The lads had a great time and the young children loved being with them because they had lived the lives they are living and were able to speak to them in ways I could never. The kids had the most amazing experience as most have never been to a cinema and not one of them had ever been on an escalator before! You should have seen their faces as we went up the escalator but then see them panic as they saw it come to an end - it was a picture.
10 NEW CHILDREN GIVEN A HOME
During the last couple of months 10 new children have been welcomed into the Manuelito children's home in Honduras. The children have all come via the police and social services who rescued the children from the city streets.
11-year-old Jairo (photo left) is one of those who had struggled to live on the streets until police took him and his twin brother away to a secure centre one night. Both boys escaped and were later picked up again by police. I asked them why they didn't want to escape from the Manuelito home and they said 'because they love us'.
I so love spending time at the home because the children are just so fun to be around - most of the time! Your donations have helped this home over the last five years and it is the project that receives the greatest financial support from us.
I was caught up in eight-year old Carlos' (photo right) excitement as news was given to him that his mum had made contact with the project's director and had arranged to come and visit him that day. Carlos spent the day jumping and skipping everywhere and later that day had the time of his life on the new grass water slide. I watched him play as the sun went down and his glances at the main gate showed his anticipation was high. It was hard to say goodnight to Carlos knowing that his mum hadn't shown up and seeing his disappointment churn him up inside.
Then, as I was leaving, Irma, 9-years-old, grabbed my hand and said 'see you tomorrow'. She had been saying 'you'll come back tomorrow won't you?' most of the day and every time I replied that I was leaving for the UK. Even now, at the end of the day, she was still looking up into my eyes and saying 'tomorrow', 'please come tomorrow'. Goodbyes don't get any easier.
Many thanks for your ongoing support. I plan to return to Central America in October and until then will be busy getting the new business off the ground, preparing for THE BIG SLEEP and visiting groups of supporters who would like an updated presentation. If you would like me to come to your church, youth group, school or other gathering please do call me on 01494 784029 .
Duncan Dyason