On my first visit to the new building, this was an operating fountain, but that soon ended. What a waste of precious resources if it had continued to operate. Now, it is a nice place to play or a good place to eat one's lunch on special ocasions such as when they have visitors. The entire centre of the building is an open courtyard and quite beautiful in the warm weather. It can, however, get quite cool in the winter and with this being open, and no source of heat in the building, it's hard to stay warm.
I just happened to arrive unannounced one day and was invited to join the girls in their evening meal. As can be seen, it consisted of a small bowl of soup and some hard taco shells spread with beans and a sprinkling of cheese on top. This would be a typical meal for them. They might have a more substantial meal at another time of the day. As in most of rural Guatemala, the basic fare is beans and tortillas, soups and rice with some chicken thrown in now and then.
It seems that every time I'm there, someone needs shoes. Once the girls are old enough to go to "high school" (after grade 6), they make the 45 minute walk to Jalapa for classes. They do this even during the rainy season, sometimes carrying their shoes, and with the condition of the road to Los Pinos, it's easy to understand why shoes don't last long. Some of the girls also grow out of their shoes quickly and so there is always a need. Fortunately, there is a ready source of inexpensive footwear from small local factories and cottage industries. There may be a case for not encouraging this kind of industry, but it does put money into the local economy rather than into the pockets of large multinational companies.
Lining up to go into the dining room for a meal.
One last photo before I left on one of my visits. The girl hugging the sister on the right is the same girl in the first picture on the home page.
Many of the pictures were taken when school is not in session, and if you have been paying attention you have probably noticed most of the girls are in their uniforms. Why? The obvious answer - they don't have anything else to wear.
Many of the pictures were taken when school is not in session, and if you have been paying attention you have probably noticed most of the girls are in their uniforms. Why? The obvious answer - they don't have anything else to wear.
