Esperanza is native of Honduras. I am still confused by how
many children she has. There may be two older daughters (17 and 19), as they
were described as part of the family when I first arrived. They were there
doing wash every day, but because of their age, they did not live in the
“house.” The children I came to meet were Erick (12), Nayeli (11), Moises (7),
Nardo (4) and new baby Janell.
One would think that the presence of an Amazonian blonde
just showing up asking a lot of questions about family and education would
intimidate some. Not here. I have yet, had anything but a gracious welcome in
any Belizean home. I explained that I was a teacher and interested in the
children. I asked about their scholastic history. Only Nayeli was currently in
school. Unfortunately, it was St. Peter’s, which is a half day program, questionable
reputation. In fact, the education consulate just shut it down at the end of
the school year. Erick had attended school in Belize City, but had not been
re-enrolled since moving to Ambergris Caye 3 years ago. Therefore, he had –
maybe 2 years of education. I asked
their mom…who am I kidding…my Spanish sucks, Erick asked his mom, if he could
accompany me to the beach so I could “see what he knew.” When it comes to this family, it is a package
deal, so off to the beach we went – the three boys and I.
While Nardo and Moises swam, Erick and I went through his
letters (check), did some math (quite good), and tried reading (he takes cues
from the pics, but no real phonic skills). Mostly, we just talked. This kid and
his brothers, snagged my heart immediately that Sunday on the dock - no pole –
no net. Erick didn’t want to stop doing schoolwork. This is a very good sign.
The next day, Monday, I started my routine. Since there is
no “true” public education, the first issue is tuition. Schools like Holy Cross
and the Roman Catholic school are certainly more affordable at under $100 a
year, but they are busting at the seams. Even if the principals could take
them, putting a 12 year old in a 1st or 2nd year
classroom is not fair to Erick or the other students, especially if it a
classroom of over 30. Therefore, I need to find a smaller classroom; this means
higher tuition.
I decided to try New Horizons, the 7th Day
Adventist School, located over a mile south of San Pedro town. Principal Miguel was impressive. Frankly, all
the principals that I have met are extraordinary people. I gave him my Erick
pitch. Principal Miguel wanted to meet
him personally. Back on my bike to Erick’s home I go.
I explained to Erick that he needed to be interviewed. That
meant clean shorts and shirt. We went to the store (all the clothing stores for
locals – me included – are 2nd hand/thrift). It was like preparing
Tyler for his first day at O’Gorman. Collared shirt, khaki shorts, socks, and a
clean face. What else could a girl ask for?
As we were leaving his house, Moises who is painfully shy said, “Miss,
when can I go to school?”
Back to the store.
Their neighbor, a taxi driver, became intrigued as to what I was doing.
Erick enthusiastically explained. Ruben said he would give me a good rate so
that we would not all be sweaty when we got there. Done.
The boys did great. Principal Miguel agreed to their
enrollment. They were begin the next day.
However, he wanted to meet their mother - another round trip. You can’t
just call a babysitter in Belize. So, I packed the whole crew up -Esperanza and
all 5 kids. Thank God Principal Miguel speaks Spanish. My speaking of it is
terrible, but my understanding of it is quite good. He made it VERY clear that what I was doing,
was a chance of a lifetime for her and her children. He told he that he would
make sure that must keep up her end as their mother; get them up, make sure
they are clean, oversee homework (I am not holding my breath on the last
one). There were a lot of “Si’s.”
The rest of the day revolved around getting ready for their
first day of school. Each school has
specific uniforms; so, first on the agenda, was to find a seamstress, buy
fabric, and get both measured. In the meantime, we had to go back to the store
to find collared shirts and shorts in the same color palette to get by. Backpacks, shoes and school supplies were
purchased. Finally, I needed to find a wood worker. Each student must supply his
own desk. Is it any wonder why so many children are not in school? The
financial total on this day alone was close to $500.
They were dressed and ready to go, when I got to their home
at 7 am the next morning. I don’t know who was more excited and proud, the
kids, their mother or me. We took a cab the first day (which was another hurdle
I was going to have to cross). By the time I got done paying the lunch lady,
Erick was already thick into a game of soccer. As the boys are rarely out of
each other’s periphery, Moises was off to the side, watching their new
packs.
Back to the lunch lady… Lunch ladies are universal. Lunches
in Belize are not provided by the school, so a grandmother-mother-daughter
combo set up their “kitchen camp” in one of the small buildings. A meal is
$2.50 a day. However, like all lunch ladies, they also scoop out equal parts of
motherly discipline and hugs.
Moises’ second day of school began at 4 am with his class
trip. This kid only has one day of
classroom under his belt, and he hasn’t been off the island since he arrived 3
years ago. Furthermore, he has never spent a night away from his family. Now,
here I was, picking him up and heading to the water taxi with the rest of his
class for an overnight trip to the mainland.
Bonus - Moises has extreme motion sickness. This trip includes boats and
buses. I dubbed it the “Vomit Vacation.”
After a day of the Belize Zoo, A National Park and cave exploration,
we head to St. Ignacio where we were all responsible for our own hotel rooms
and dinner. Moises and I were bushed. We decided on pizza and ice cream – what
else do you feed a kid who has been tossing his cookies all day? I am going to be an awesome grandma someday.
The next day, we went to a butterfly farm and one of the
Mayan ruins. One day we are holding on to ropes being lower to the depth of
hell in a Cave. The next we are overlooking the country of Belize from the top
of ruins – no ropes and no fences. This
would never happen in The States. The
fact that I am the guardian of a 7 year old that I just 3 days ago, is just a
taste of the trust of the Belizeans. I
learned oodles on this trip about the country, its history and its culture. I
also fell in love with a little boy.
Moises is so quiet, but his heart and smile is loud and clear.
The boys would come to my house every morning at 7 am for
tutoring. I would check their homework, and many times, ride with them to
school. Oh yeah, I bought them bikes –
easy answer to the taxi issue. Moises still doesn’t know how to ride his,
despite our nightly tries on the beach.
It will happen, but in the meantime, he rides on Erick’s handle bars.
Today, July 9th, I got the boys’ grades. Both of
them are going to have to repeat, which we all knew since they didn’t begin
until May. However, their scores were in
the 60-80 percentile. I will take that as a victory; thank you.
Post note…
I need to describe their family dynamic and living
conditions. This family lives above a barrack like structure (long building
with small rooms with outside doors) built on a combo of sand and pounded
garbage. The women living in this
housing unit have some obvious addiction issues, and well, based on the
structure description, you can guess their source of income. I need to be
clear, that they are lovely to me. They offer me food, invite me to sit and
visit on their beds, and give me many, many, many smiles and hugs. I accept
each invitation. They are doing the best they can. Esperanza and her five younger children,
share a room of approximately that is “maybe” 12’ long and 8’ wide. She and the
man of the baby sleep in a bed with Nardo and the baby. Erick and Moises share
a hammock hung above. Nayeli sleeps on a
folded futon mattress. This is their home. It includes a burner, a small dorm
fridge, and all their belongings.
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