Friday - 12/7

Although I am hesitant to write this, for fear of jinxing the progress, but it appears that at present the family feud, which has been so long a part of the picture, has regressed. Everyone has been getting along quite well, making our time together much more enjoyable.

The group only numbered 8 today. My Spanish deficiencies keep me from understanding why some kids remain at home some days, but it seems like almost every day one of the kids doesn’t come.

There was another group using the outside area when we arrived. The kids sat surprisingly peacefully inside, eating and waiting until the other kids left before dashing outside and going crazy on the equipment.

In what has developed into somewhat of a pattern, all of the kids played while Ninoska and I sat and talked. Usually we can communicate well enough to get our points across, but deep conversations are hard to have.

Today Ninoska told me that she doesn’t want to go to school, insisting that she would rather work. I had been naïve in assuming that they all wanted to attend school. Coming from a background in which education is commonly seen as the “ticket out,” I unfairly assumed this concept, so ingrained in the American culture, would be present here, too. While it’s hard for me to understand her point of view, I do recognize the difficulty she must have seeing the long-term benefits of education considering her circumstances.

My heart hurt as she explained her position by claiming, “I’m stupid,” and, “I like working on the streets.” I told her that I think she’s very intelligent and can be whatever she wants to be when she grows up. She had told me previously that she wanted to be a doctor, so I told her that she needs to study if she wanted to reach that goal. She answered that she would rather work on the streets.

She then told me that I’m not able to help them forever, asking. “When you go back to the US, get a job, and have kids, then what?” I tried to assure her that I am working to establish a way to offer long-term help, but my limited Spanish made this difficult. I hope I got the point across.

It was a tough conversation, but I’m hopeful that when Keren comes next week we’ll be able to sort things out with her mother. The key will be getting her support in getting Ninoska to school.

The city is abuzz with Purisima excitement. The fireworks have been going off all day and kids with bags of goodies can be seen everywhere. Ninoska told me that the holiday culminates with everyone shooting off fireworks at midnight. I am already looking forward to waking up to such a startling event.