Dear Friends,
We look for anchors during challenging times. More than once – most recently on NPR – I came across these often-quoted words from Fred Rogers:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’. To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster’, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”
On Wednesday, I returned from Nicaragua – a country much like those in the rest of the world – that is suffering from many challenges due to the pandemic and rising oil prices.
But we don’t have far to look to find the many people, extending simple offers to help – more unwavering than bombs and injustice…because helpers act from simple, quiet strength. They know that they will always prevail in the end.
I was surrounded by all which – together – we’ve extended to our amazing friends. They asked me – repeatedly – to “thank the donors…for the food, the education, the medicine, the small attentions to our human dignity…but most of all for not forgetting us.”
This is hope.
Mr. Rogers always asked, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”
They don’t have far to look for the answer.
With gratitude,
THE MATTHEW JAMES HALEY VOCATIONAL CENTER IS AWESOME!
What joy to witness this gift to our community. Our first graduating class in manicures and pedicures is off and running. Several of the students are working out of their homes and are empowered by being able to make a small salary to help their families. They are asking for “the next step”: applying make-up.
(We’re on it!)
Our first class in barbering concludes next week. Our students did a great job. (I received a wonderful haircut AND a pedicure…quality control, you know? 😂). And for the students’ practicum, we put up signs for our community:
Free Haircuts, Manicures, and Pedicures. We had no shortage of takers!
Maycól gets the last manicure from our first graduating class. To the right is César, our wonderful teacher and his proud students. Congratulations!
Our teacher, David, shifts roles from teacher to coach as Fernando and Everth come into their own as competent barbers.
The reality of Nicaragua is ever-present: Keyling de los Angeles Cevilla
We were alerted by a neighbor to the plight of a grandmother and her grandchild, Keyling de los Angeles Cevilla, age 13. They live in our barrio in Nueva Esperanza.
Keyling’s young mother didn’t want a child. Before Keyling was born, the mother made arrangements to “give her away” before taking off to parts unknown with her boyfriend.
The couple who took Keyling, soon saw that there was “something wrong with her” (still undiagnosed) at an early age. They tied her up outdoors most of the time.
When the grandmother heard about this, she found Keyling, untied her, and told the couple that she was bringing her to her home to take care of her…and she has done the best she could. She is a hero…giving this child love while she herself has next to nothing. When we visited, we met this lovely woman and saw the bed Keyling used. Her grandmother’s bed was worse.
Because of our friends, The Day Family, we can offer food for grandmother and Keyling monthly. We also replaced these beds and will continue to monitor. Our next step is putting care in place for Keyling should something happen to her grandmother who suffers from respiratory challenges.
PIZZA! PIZZA!…and a lot More!!