Today Carol and I split from our team to go to a church in Santa Maria that has a feeding station on Wednesdays. The team we were with are from New York. They brought crafts for the kids to make and gave them candy and small gifts.When the kids arrive they check in by name because only children that came to church that week are permitted to eat and do the other activities for that day. The children who go to school in the afternoon were allowed to eat first then they leave and all the other kids can come to eat. I did not see one adult with any of these kids who walked through the streets to get here.
The team got to eat before the kids arrived.....we ate the same thing they did. Rice enriched with vitamins, some delicious red sauce, tortillas, mystery meat and our drink was rice ground on a stone added to water with a springle of cinnamon and sugar. Actually the whole meal was rather yummy!
I guess most Americans would call the above photos ¨child labour¨.
Here the kids are singing, Ï have The Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, Down In My Heart¨
The NY team brought a kit for each child with coloring pages, crayons and a pair of socks.
Most of these precious children only get meat one time a week and it is at this feeding center.
Several of these little girls has a sibling strapped on their back while they ate and did their craft....imagine the responsibility these girls have. Seems like they don´t get to be a kid.....they must grow up so quickly here.
Carol brought a case of tooth brushes and we gave each child one as they left to head home ...ALL SMILES! What a way to end our day too.
I will fill you all in on what our team did today when they return with their pics and stories.
