I have been going yearly to this beautiful small Central American country since I lived there for a few months in 2000, and I relish every trip. Many of the people live a traditional life style particularly in the rural countryside. Those of you who shopped at Global Goods know many of the stunning artisan made products I sourced there. I connected with our school, Jardin de Amor, in 2005 and fell in love, the children, the mission, the director, the staff, and their overwhelming compassion. I have so many stories to tell, but I will relate just one now.
A few years ago as Julio the director was driving me back to my posada, we passed a mother with some of her children, one of whom should have been in school. Due to large families, at times parents need to keep a child home to help. Julio gave them a big wave then related this story about the 7 year old girl who was there. She had arrived at school with a huge gash in her hand which clearly needed stitches. Julio drove her into the nearest town with a clinic to be treated. She received appropriate medical care including a number of stitches, all of which was paid by the school.
As a special treat for her bravery (she never cried), Julio bought her a banana. Coming from a very impoverished family, she had never eaten a banana and had no idea how to eat it. Of course Julio peeled it for her and she enjoyed every bite of it. This is the level of poverty that the students come from, and this in the country that produces most of our bananas. They are just too expensive for these marginalized families.
As a result of this story, Global Goods always buys several hundred bananas when we come, one for every student. The five of us traveling in August will buy several hundred bananas.
Jacquie Rodgers
