July 09 Visit, Part 9 - Meeting Paola

July 09 Visit, Part 9 - Meeting Paola

I thought we might meet Paola first at the community center, as that is how it been done in Honduras. Instead, we were joined by another CI rep, Alfredo, who directed Fernando (our driver) to Paola's residence. When we pulled up, I expected to find everybody ready and waiting - with the kids scrubbed, polished, and dressed up in their best clothes for our day out. Not the case. The only people home when we arrived was an older gentleman (whose relationship was never explained) and a small child sitting in a wheelbarrow. Rosa, the mother, wandered up from somewhere behind us ... but where was Paola? Nobody knew. Everyone began circling the area calling the little girl's name, and eventually she came scampering over from who knows where.

Paola behaved exactly the way I would expect from a 4-year-old girl bombarded by strangers and gifts. She was sweet, but a little shy at first - dividing her time between satisfying her curiosity and burying her face against Mama's leg. Once she'd recovered from her initial bewilderment, Paola quickly warmed to being the center of attention and the primary subject of 10, 000 photos.

I was startled to find our little Paola and her sisters in such filthy condition! On the one hand, it's good to be aware of what must be their "usual" level of hygiene, but I'm shocked that Rosa didn't bother to clean up her brood in anticipation of our visit. The girls had a week's worth of dirt build-up on their faces and hands, and their hair was stiff and matted, like it hadn't been washed in a long time. Zoom in on any of the photographs, and you will see the dirt and grime covering the girls' clothing. On a brighter note, none of the kids smelled like dried urine, as I've encountered in other poverty situations.

We had brought diaper wipes for the family, so I could have easily cleaned the children's faces off ... but I didn't think that would be polite. Don't believe for a second that I'm bothered by filthy children, or that I was reluctant to hug the girls for free of getting my own clothes messy. I really don't care. I would have happily collected just as much dirt under my fingernails as a kid, if I didn't have parents dunking me in a bathtub every time I turned around. And I don't necessarily blame Rosa for not keeping her kids clean. I don't have kids of my own for various reasons (mostly involving laziness and selfishness), not the least of which is avoiding the responsibility of keeping them filth free - even with my advantage of indoor plumbing. It must be very hard to keep kids, clothes, etc clean in an environment like Rosa's. Still ... none of the equally poor children that I observed at the community center were dirty, so the other local mothers are managing.

It's important to note that aside from the hygiene thing, Rosa gave every sign of being an excellent mother. She was very affectionate with her girls, and delighted in watching them have fun at the zoo. She was always smiling and cheerful, and I think her happiest moment was when I gave her a copy of Paola's CI photo. She obviously loves her daughters very much!