A group of us went into the barrios, which are the ghettos and got to see first hand what was going on.






I can't even begin to talk about all that's been happening there. Venezuela is amazing, slightly frustrating, but amazing. The political turmoil is the frustrating part… learning about the history and the revolutions and hearing both sides of the current political struggle is the frustrating part. I guess like every government, President Chavez has done some very good things and has also failed to accomplish various goals over the seven years he's been in office. There is a higher rate of unemployment, about 17%, he has not yet constructed the thousands of homes he has promised the poor, and yet he has increased literacy and the amount of adults and children with an education by 60%.





In the barrio we visited factories Chavez has set up to make shoes and uniforms and school supplies for children.



The boxes the shoes come in have positive messages, some of which are incorporated into a set of playing cards which can be cut out of the boxes. He has provided affordable food, literature and hope to the poor, which is almost everyone in this country. In Venezuela a small elite controls all the money and power in the country, thus creating a country that is rich from oil production and yet as you walk down the streets and drive along from city to city, the majority of what you see is people living is tiny self made shacks of brick and tin all huddled together invading someone else's property. It's these people who have elected Chavez as president, not the elite, and yet some of these poor are also in the opposition against him. Every single person you meet here has a political opinion, a political interest, a passion. Whether they are for the current government or against it, they are all in love with their country and are all looking to prosper. It's really amazing just how much about this country we have learned in our short stay here.

I didn't get into any of the orphanage visits because there was such a high demand, so I organized my own trip.



Sleeping child on the bus



So today, a bunch of us went to an orphanage up in the mountains. The couple that runs it has been doing it for 17 years. They have had about 450 kids come through their home. These kids come from extreme situations and are either orphans or have been taken from abusive situations. To give you an idea, the "mother" told us she has a pair of siblings who she found on the street eating dead rats. She currently has 22 kids living with her and 2 of her own children. They range in age from 1-16. Their goal is to save these children and provide them with a normal and happy environment to grow in and in which to become independent. They are in essence a large family. Most of the kids stay there until they are of legal age. They do not necessarily focus on adoptions but you can definitely go there if you are looking to adopt. The couple has also set up another "house" for adolescence who abuse drugs. The government doesn't really have rehabilitation centers set up, so a lot of teens come to them for help. There funding comes from private donations and from fundraising the kids do… the kids make and paint ceramics, pictures frames, decorations, Christmas ornaments, whatever you can think of and sell them to raise money. And they are good at it! I bought some animal fridge magnets for myself and they are super cute. Anyway, they are an extraordinary couple doing extraordinary things to help the children of Venezuela and I really admire them. They have a website and they are open to having volunteers come and stay with them. (I don't have the website address on me right now so I'll get it for you).


We are sailing out and heading for Brazil now. We all have a lot of work to do and I already have a paper to write. This is an intense experience, academically, spiritually and emotionally. That's why they say this trip changes your life. Oh and yes, the food was amazing! All very normal to me since I'm Latin but a lot of people were being very cautious… you know when you go to taste something and you look like you think the food is going to bite you! It was very funny. We had cachapas (which us Colombians call Arepa de Chocolo), and rice and beans, steak, plantains and etc, all with that special flavor of home. I think most people really enjoyed the food. I wonder what the Brazilian food will be like. I can't wait to find out.
Cachapas, mmmmm