around the hood

Some days just don’t seem to let up… Today I started the day in the office- a few orders of business to take care of before heading off to do some traveling with my brothers!  After tying up some loose ends I headed out with Ana (host mom) to take a closer look at the houses that Tommy and I are going to be working on!  I figure before I wrap up my time here I should really get my hands dirty…dirtier…  These visits never cease to break my heart. 

The front of Juan Carlos' house made of straw

First we stopped at the home of precious Juan Carlos.  Juan Carlos lost the use of his legs due to polio.  He never asks for any hand outs and works incredibly hard teacher other handicapped members of the community and the men in the rehabilitation center how to weave furniture.  Inspirational!  I couldn’t believe it when we walked into his house- dirt floor, one table, his bed, and a “dresser” aka a suitcase that all of his clothes fit into.  It was without a doubt the emptiest house I have ever seen- and the cleanest (which is very impressive seeing as thought he is limited to his wheel chair).  But boy was it lacking.  My heart breaks for people here.  Some of the living conditions are just devastating and then to add a physical handicap to the situation… WOW.  It gave me a whole new appreciation for the services offered in the states.  By no means does Juan Carlos have a handicap accessible home.  In his bathroom he cannot bathe, he has rigged up a laundry system, and uses that same space for his water source where gets his water to cook.  

Juan Carlos in his bathroom

What we are hoping to do for Juan Carlos is provide a safe home.  A front wall made of brick rather than straw that can resist the bullets from the gang violence in his neighborhood, a bathroom where he can bathe properly, and a cement floor so it is easier for him to maneuver in his own home.  He was so gracious when I went to his home, this is a man that is always smiling and does not let his disability slow him down even despite the incredible challenges he is faced with daily. 

Sweet Milagros in the back of her house

Cute host mom Ana in the hallway of Milagros' home - note the floor and walls...

On to the next...  The second house we visited, the home of Carmen Hoyos, grandmother of Milagros  (11) was just as devastating.  Milagros was physically handicapped since birth.  She has no feeling below her waist and has an abnormally large head due to Hydrocephalus (excessive cerebral fluid in the brain).  Her mother left to seek work in Spain and earn a better wage to send money home to Milagros.  However her mother did not find the opportunities in Spain she had hoped for and now is hardly scraping by.  Her daughter is left in the care of her grandmother who already lives in a house with 8 other people.  Carmen is hoping to receive a front wall as well; she too lives in a bad neighbor hood.  Her concern is that she works at night.  Carmen works cleaning the streets.  She earns a mere 50 soles a week.  Did I mention that Milagros wears diapers, there are 16 diapers to a pack, Milagros goes through 4 diapers a day and the diapers cost 25 soles per pack… you do the math…  After visiting the house with Ana it was clear that their family needs not just a brick wall but a floor.  Milagros uses a wheel chair but due to the lack of paved roads and sidewalks here the wheels on her chair are breaking.  It is difficult for her to move around in her home because they have a dirt floor covered in a fine layer of pebbles.  Milagros did not make one complaint in the time that I was there she has grown accustom to the challenges she faces and has just one wish… She hopes to walk by the time she turns 15.  Which would truly be a miracle.  I know that I cannot grant Milagros her biggest wish but I am hoping to provide for her a home that makes her handicap less of an obstacle.

The whole gang- 9 people in 2 rooms

There is much that I continue to learn here simply from observing.  I will be sure to keep you updated as we begin working on these homes!