My Operation Obligation Journal

Thank you to Mary and her family for donating $100. She asked me to use the money in whatever way I thought could help... I am thinking we will use it to purchase items for Rafaels family.

It is so hard to "pick and choose" where to invest (I use this term, because really it is investing in the lives of the children) - money.

If I had to "choose" - I would say Rafaels family is most in need.

Again, here's the information about Rafaels family...

Rafael is 8yrs old. He is in 3rd grade. His birthday is 19th of April.
He lives with her mother, Caterina, 33yrs old in a village called Santa Clara. The father passed away recently. He was very ill, the family could not afford a doctor for him or medicines. They are not sure of what disease he died from.

Rafael has one brother and four sisters.

They are:
Ana is 16yrs old. She is in 12th grade.Juana (student #603) is 14yrs old. She is in 5th grade.
Candelaria (student # 604) is 12 yrs. old. She is in 5th grade.Maritsa (student #606) is 7yrs old. She is in 1st grade.Antonio is 2 months old.

They own their house. They have one room that they sleep and eat in. They do not have a separate kitchen. They have two beds - in one bed 3 people sleep, 4 in the other. They do not have enough blankets. They do not have tables or chairs. They keep their clothes in a cardboard box. They do not have pila. They have a a tank for water. They wash their clothes on a rock. They do not have electricity, they live by candlelight. They cook over an open fire on the ground. They do not have an onil stove. They do not have a water filter.They do have a toilet. They have water connected and pay $1.US. per month.

The mother works washing clothes by hand and earns $2. US per day. The mother says that there are days when they eat and days when they do not eat. Much of their diet consists of tortillas with salt. They also eat eggs, beans and herbs when they have them.