Hello, World!

I haven't posted in 2 years! I think that's mainly because I forgot my password. So much has happened, so many things have changed; but change is inevitable. I think one of the greatest things that has happened to me the last couple of years are my travels. In February of last year I went to Guatemala to volunteer with children from Guatemala City. The children at this aftercare program I worked at, had family members who worked at the infamous Guatemala City Dump. The first day of training we were introduced to the dump. My heart sank. How could something like this exist? How could people spend their waking hours sorting through the dump? It's not a question of how, because it hasn't to do with capability. It has to do with livelyhood. These people, these beautiful people used whatever scraps they could find in order to survive. If they were lucky, they would find enough to sell and buy food. Can you imagine not knowing how you were going to eat for the day? Think about your worries. I think of mine, and they seem so superficial and not important when I compare it to theirs. but the most beautiful thing of it all was that they were not mad, they didn't blame anyone, they accepted that this is what there life is for now. When you have very little, you cherish everything with all of your heart&soul. Nothing is taken for granted. And even though they were one of the poorest of people I had ever met, they took pride in themselves. They took pride in how the presented themselves and they treated people with respect. Family came first. Family was everything.

I was a teacher's assistant in a 4 year old classroom. Ah, what angels, what brats! I loved them to pieces. I feel a profound connection with children. A lot of times more than I feel for people my age. It's in their eyes, it's in their singing smiles, it's in the way they look at the world. To me, children are the purest thing there is. When they are sad, they cry. When they find a joke funny, they roll around and laugh and laugh. There's nothing secretive, nothing deceptive...To me, they are the ones who accept me the most. They are the ones who often love me the most too. Ah, what a joyous feeling! To feel accepted! To feel as though I belong! I suppose in a way, it's almost selfish of me to crave that kind of love.

I know that for the rest of my life I want to work with children in Latin American countries. Being adopted from Honduras, I will always feel an immense connection with Latin America. One day I will create an organization to aid children of the street.

Fact: 2,000 Guatemalan children die each year from preventable illnesses, such as dehydration, dysentery, and upper respiratory infections, in part because there are only minimal health facilities available to them.

Fact: There are an estimated 40 million street children and street working children in Latin America. (UNICEF). There are an estimated 400,000 street children and child labourers in Lima, Peru alone. Worldwide, 77 million children do not attend school.


Who am I to live in a world where there are so many children suffering and do nothing? Who am I to turn my head? This is something I cannot do.