It's to give them hope

Today's entry was contributed by Camila, my daughter, after our first day visiting the Learning Circles of El Salvador:

Today was an amazing day. Not as in, “Oh, I went to Disney for the first time and went on all the rides and saw all the Disney Princesses!” No, it was more like I was amazed at how different the people of El Salvador live compared to me. Me, what with my sheltered life living in the suburbs, going to a nice little school, thinking I actually had it bad some times. That is, until I went out of the city and into poverty.

I’ve never really seen true poverty, the closest being watching "Slumdog Millionaire" and that’s just a movie. But now I’m suddenly riding through these tiny little roads with houses made of such shabby material, and I wasn’t even in the worst part yet! When we got to the part where there was supposed to be teachings, I was just shocked! Not only that, but I was the only one so amazed, so I managed to hide it. Everyone was busy, anyhow.

Everything was so dirty, badly made, and at the first place we went to, there were chickens and dogs running around loose. I found out later that dogs and chickens populated the area more than humans! We even went to one home that was so small, and after my father finished his interview, we were talking and I said, “Our house must be a mansion to them!” He responded, with a solemn shake with his head and, “No, our house is a castle!”

All in all, I cannot really pin down how awestruck I was by all of the poverty, in such a contrast to my life! I saw some children drinking water, so I smiled and thought, well, maybe things aren’t that bad! But then I leaned over and saw their water was filthy and a color like milk. Even with all that tragedy, I knew I couldn’t do anything to help. I can barely take care of my three little dogs! So I told my dad how amazing and poor it was, and he told me that was why they were trying to teach them to read and write.

It’s to give them hope. Hope that they most surely need.