Third time lucky

Third time lucky.

26 January 2008

An extraordinary day. Of course, I have to battle in a Lan House to get this to air, so will be a day or so late... but Friday went like this:

Our first visitor to the community was a pastor, remember, who thought the idea was wonderful, and the people genuinely in need - but wouldn't help because they were the wrong religion, and thus doomed to hell forever. He made it perfectly clear it was a waste of money to alleviate the suffering of doomed people...

Our second visitor took some very important fotos of the kids shopping for food, and even though I stressed and stressed how important these were, she never got around to emailing them.

Neither visitor made much impact on the locals...

And then...

Enter Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Four crazy Pommies become what I consider to actually be our FIRST visitors.... and the community is still recovering!

Remember, Palhaco at 11 years of age was astounded to discover the water in the ocean is salty. So imagine, then, when Daniel turns up with four English tourists, including Gareth with bright blue hair, and Vicky with bright pink hair!

Then Vicky produces body paint and turns the whole hill into a circus.

A few of the parents made a timid appearance to welcome the visitors, then fled - literally! Haha.

Alice in her little store ran out of beer, much to her delight. We Aussies taught the Poms to drink.

I had planned to fix the shopping fotos I still owe Lindsay, but then ho hum it starts to rain, and down the drain goes that chance. Lindsay, you must be the most patient guy in Sydney.

I will let the visitors tell their own story. Jonny wrote the bit below. Vicky went straight from the community to the bus depot and on to Salvadore, but along the way managed to recruit two more tourists to return to the community on Wednesday and pour some cement. Her email will be up next week.

Received this from Jonny:

Just a quick email to say thank you for taking us to see the people you're helping and the community they live in. We have never met a more welcoming and generous group of people, which is a testament to their character considering the hardships they have to deal with on a daily basis. Its is humbling to go to a place where children have to sleep on hard floors, up to 6 to a room.
It is plain to see how much these people are grateful for your help in the way that you, and us for that matter, were greeted with hugs and smiles from all. The concrete steps that have been put in clearly make a massive difference. How the older members of the community got up that hill with bags etc before they were there is hard to imagine.
The most overwhelming thing for us was how happy all the children were to play with us and how much a simple game of catch or face painting bought a smile to their faces. The packets of sweets and biscuits we took for them were never asked for before they were offered, and when they were given out and opened, they were offered straight back to us to take a sweet ourselves. An incredible display of the sharing nature of these people that have next to nothing. Not once did anyone ask us for anything, money or otherwise, a stark contrast to the people in Copacabana that are equally impoverished. I felt perfectly comfortable to leave my bag unattended and let the children play with my digital camera with every confidence that it would be returned.
Once again thank you for an amazing and eye opening day, and we wish you and all the people we met the very best of luck in the future.
Jonny and Gareth

The fotos.

First - of course - Daniel standing on the steps he helped build - a real proud dad! Yes, they are very rough... but we will get to the landscaping later. The second foto shows an elderly couple hauling their groceries uphill - using the new steps. And trust me, they make a MASSIVE difference.

Then Daniel getting a hug from Monstrinho. Can love be bottled?

Next, the kids helping Vicky and Jackson up the un-stepped part on their arrival... give us a bit of time, and we will reach the top, don't worry! Better still, give us a few bags of cement.

Gareth and Jonny drinking Alice's beer.

The paint comes out....

Vicky being Vicky.

Just enjoy... until the final shot, Francisca cleaning up... some hope, huh.

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