Everyday begins as a new adventure. It is the rainy season in Honduras. We rise with the hope the sun will break through the clouds and bathe the children in its warmth as they prepare for the photo shoot and get their bedkits. Occasionally we have had to retreat into a classroom or find shelter under a canopy. But nature has been kind and heavy rains wait until the last snap of the camera shutter and the last child has been given the treasure of a bedkit.
The roads and countryside have not however escaped the wrath of heavy rains that have plagued Honduras for some time. Flooding has closed some; others have been heavily pitted creating ditches that must be carefully navigated by our driver. The natural contours of the countryside lend themselves to steep, narrow and muddy passageways that challenge both the driver and the many children we see going to school. Some families have lost their homes, mudslides taking their humble homes with them. Imagine the importance of the mattress of the bedkit that protects a child from the dampness of a mud floor.
On Saturday, we distributed 662 bedkits in Amarateca, a considerable distance from Tegucigalpa, high in the mountains. The poverty of the children was quite noticeable as was their obvious delight in receiving the bedkit. The mattress continues to be the most popular item in the bedkit, but every item is a treasure. School supplies, for example, are very much appreciated, for now the family has more money to spend on food. The blanket provides warmth and comfort during the cold evenings of the rainy season. Clothes are always a welcome addition as is the mosquito net which particularly is needed when dengue fever epidemics arise. Each donor of a bedkit can be sure that their money has brought incredible aid and comfort to a child. If only we could bring back the warmth and true gratitude of each child’s smile as they receive a bedkit. It is a memory never to be forgotten.
On behalf the the Honduras SCAW team 2012
Irene Harrison.
