Ambaro, Madagascar
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Our village specialized in ‘bageda’…sweet potatoes.
After harvesting, we would bring them to the market and trade them for maize.
Although only Hanitra and Puppydoc are pictured above…
…the entire family worked very hard.
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When Puppydoc wasn’t working, she would step right next door to her home…the hospital guesthouse.
There, waiting for her, would be the afternoon tea…fully prepared and served by her host sister, little Esterita…
…and together, they would then chat about their busy day while they took their tea…with two lumps of sugar, of course.
😉
Meet the Aguado household. A place where love runs deep…simple are the joys…and wide are the smiles that shield the scars aching to heal beneath.
Here we see one of the effects of inaccessible health care. Where fathers lose their lives to otherwise treatable diseases, leaving two mothers and seven children with little more than the lingering fragrance of memories.
Here we also see a strength undeniable. Where the youngest to the eldest come together to care for one another…encourage one another…support one another.
And finally, we see ‘little Juan,’ whose palpable nonchalance tells you really all that you need to know:
He is now the man of the family.
🙂
Elise is no average girl. Brought to the children’s home at the age of five, she was a carer of two siblings through her nights on the streets, had always been a fighter and a leader, and is now a pattern for many at her home.
She also wants to be a doctor when she grows up and is already a highly skilled blood pressure taker.
😀
One of our tasks was to visit the residents in Western Belize. While our purpose was to conduct epidemiologic study and to raise disease awareness, it was just a pleasure getting to know the community.
Also, we made sure to always take time to admire the pet turkeys.
😀
