The school in St. Helene has been up and running for over 3 months now and though it lacks a final coat of paint, the 57 children in classes there couldn’t care less about that! This trip to St. Helen, however, showed us a different need in the community.
We had been approached by individuals from St. Helene asking if we could fund them for a job or help them start a small business. Times are definitely tough on the island and income is scarce. Men fish and dive for lobsters to make a living, but when the fish and lobsters go away (as they are experiencing now with the arrival of the lion fish), money is especially hard to come by. And for the women in particular, there are precious few ways to make a living. To make things worse, in the case of two people, they had not received pay for over 7 months for a job they've been doing faithfully. Simply crazy!
These people have become more than just faces in pictures to us. They are our friends. We’ve shared meals together, built a school together, our daughter plays with their children and has become good friends also. So it was especially heart-breaking to have to look our friends in the eye each time and tell them 'no' to their requests. Although an emotionally hard decision, we knew it was the 'right' decision, as we are here for the entire community and not one or two families in particular. In order for the community to embrace us and trust us in the future, we simply could not show favoritism to a select few. But on this last visit, the tears in their eyes when they heard the answer was overwhelming. Desperate to help them in some other way, I asked "Aside from a job, what is your biggest struggle, what is your biggest need?" Thinking they might say clothes, or an engine for their dory (boat), I was floored when each of them individually told me with great humility, "Honestly, what we need is food."
I was in tears as I realized how desperate the situation was for our friends in St. Helene. Sure, they appreciate the new school, but that’s long-term. What they need RIGHT NOW is FOOD! After talking with David, he immediately said we need to start a food bank. Four days later, the first shipment of rice and beans was transported to St. Helene for the 22 families of the north-side community. A huge thank you to Marcos Antonio Ramirez at Comercial Ramirez for getting us this food in bulk at cost, and so quickly. Thank you so very much!
Although we will help with food during difficult times, enabling them is not our purpose. Our long-term goal is to help them become self-sufficient by teaching them to raise crops and animals themselves. There are obstacles to overcome to be successful at this, and we know this will take YEARS to accomplish, but we believe it is achievable and necessary. Calls are already being made to an agricultural university on mainland Honduras with the hope of having interns come spend time on the island with rotating teams to oversee the development and on-going care. The success of this project is critical and will require the 22 families there to come together and function as a community, something that is sadly lacking. We have already been asked by more than one person on the islands to bring the Discovery program to Roatán to help in this matter, and in many other ways. (For details on the Discovery program, go to www.discovery-austin.org)
In the meantime, here are some pics of the rest of our visit in Helene. The first is of an older woman on the island who is diabetic. She had no way of monitoring her sugar levels and so a nurse friend of ours donated a glucometer. Here, we are teaching her how to use it while some of the children look on.
Back at the children's home, we checked in on the kids and the refurbishing of an 'apartment' (room) at the home for the new employee living there. Previously that particular room was a complete disaster and unfit for living, although the man was living there anyway! Now the mold has been cleared away, sheetrock redone, windows installed, and an A/C unit has been ordered. The remaining item is to repair the plumbing, and then the man's wife will also be able to move in with him. They are a welcome addition to the home and the children have come to love and respect them. We have been asked for the safety of the children not to post photos of them for their safety as, unfortunately, child trafficking and prostitution are very high on the island.
In a separate, upcoming entry, we look forward to introducing you to our newest project on the island of Roatán. Stay tuned for the big news!! And as always, thank you for your interest and support.
