Street kids in Guatemala, reality check number 240

Aun jueves. jueves 15 de enero 2004

Another day, another buzzy fuzz of smells, sounds, visuals...It's strange because what was once so scary is becoming almost normal. I am not sure whether to be afraid of that or to embrace it. As I prepare to leave this place that was once thought to me to be a clandestine war zone. I almost feel like I don't want to leave. But I do, As my Voviko awaits me and a beautiful amaryllis has bloomed since I have been gone. The seed becomes a plant and then flowers.


Amaryllis

My reality is slightly distorted these days. Yesterday I met with people from victims from the armed conflict and the NGO for families of the disappeared here in Guatemala City. For the moment I won't put the acronyms on the webpage just for security reasons. If you feel you need the details well, you who I should be telling, know how to contact me.

I was just thinking about all the numbers of people there in wheel chairs or with other issues. I can't help but think about the spoiledness of developed countries. These are not their realities. Nor should it be anyone's realities. I keep reflecting on these meetings each one more depressing than another.

This has been an extremely eye opening experience. People have welcomed me into their families, their lives, their sorrows, joys. Words can't even begin to describe what I have felt. Sometimes I just wanted to cry on the bus thinking about the lack of opportunities and what some of these children may never experience. "Fistful of diamonds and a handful of mud, says the lyrics...." And I feel almost powerless, but you can't give up hope.

We met up with Childrens' groups today and women's groups. There are lots of armed gangs here in Guatemala in the streets as well as tons of child labor with kids on the streets at all hours, shining shoes, selling stickers, or just begging. And the government really just doesn't care. There is a sort of social cleansing of killing off of street "trash" with 747 kids being killed last year I believe just in Guatemala city. The figure just sort of makes me sick. There is also like 7-13 shot wound victims showing up in some hospitals in the capital per night.

Anyway, I don't have much time right now to recount everything. We just went to Mixco to meet with Casa Alianza, that works with street kids, took us a lot longer to get there than expected and finally disobeyed my cardinal rule of going on buses at night but there was 10 of us. So all cool. I was slightly terrified on the bus however. The attendent of the bus was on the outside of the bus hanging on to a column from the window and shouting at people to come aboard. It really is good for cheap entertainment. I mean why can't the buses be run like this in Washington DC.


TTFN


Street mural in Guate 


other side of mural