Wednesday, July 7, 2010
This is Rosa's Mum
Rosa and I went to Cuenca yesterday. I did some interviews at a school there (more about that later) but also had the chance to meet Rosa's family, including her mother.
Leonor is 83 years old and has been going blind for the last year. She has cataracts and these days can hardly see at all. She has no colour recognition, and can see shapes moving but can no longer tell what they are. This means that this previously active lady who used to go out often and cook for her family spends most of her time simply sitting on a chair.
As I understand it an operation would be simple but they have no money for either the operation or the transport to Quito, so she has resigned herself to spending the rest of her days just sitting. None of the pictures you can see here are posed, this is simply the way she spends her time. 
When I walked in and saw the conditions in which this lady and her husband are living my heart almost broke. In the pictures you can see the kitchen and front room of the flat. The floor is made of concrete and they have no heating.
On top of all this she lost her only son (Rosa'a brother) last year, as a result of an accident on a building site where he was working. She said she thinks that it was all the tears after his death that made her go blind. At one point I had to hide outside so that the family wouldn't see me cry.
I have made some good contacts here within the medical field so I am going to find out if there is anything we can do to help. Leonor has never had any money but has apparently always been a good Mum. What is for certain is that she does not deserve to spend the rest of her days like this. I don't know if I am realistically going to be able to do anything but I will try my best. I'll keep you posted.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Rain, messages from home and graduation pictures!
It is three thirty here in Quito and POURING with rain. The sky is black.
First of all thank you to everyone who sent messages over the weekend. To be honest I have spent the last couple of days feeling a little overwhelmed, and receiving messages from home has really cheered me up. It is lovely to know that people are thinking about us even though we are so far away.
The problem is that there are so many people I would like to be able to help here, and not being able to has at times made me feel completely helpless. I expect we will find even more needy situations when we leave the capital in the coming days.
On a positive note destiny was on our side this morning. Lucie, Saskia and I visited the Macarena day care centre again today. The children had been so excited about my camera last week that I thought it might be a nice idea to take pictures of them which I would then print and give to them as a souvenir.
As it turned out our visit couldn't have been timed better. The centre had been in need of pictures in any event and had no means of taking them...on top of which the oldest children were about to "graduate" from the centre and wanted to have pictures to mark the occasion. So I became official photographer for the morning...taking pictures of all 85 children who were present. It was a fantastic morning and we are looking forward to delivering the prints later this week.
First of all thank you to everyone who sent messages over the weekend. To be honest I have spent the last couple of days feeling a little overwhelmed, and receiving messages from home has really cheered me up. It is lovely to know that people are thinking about us even though we are so far away.
The problem is that there are so many people I would like to be able to help here, and not being able to has at times made me feel completely helpless. I expect we will find even more needy situations when we leave the capital in the coming days.
On a positive note destiny was on our side this morning. Lucie, Saskia and I visited the Macarena day care centre again today. The children had been so excited about my camera last week that I thought it might be a nice idea to take pictures of them which I would then print and give to them as a souvenir.
As it turned out our visit couldn't have been timed better. The centre had been in need of pictures in any event and had no means of taking them...on top of which the oldest children were about to "graduate" from the centre and wanted to have pictures to mark the occasion. So I became official photographer for the morning...taking pictures of all 85 children who were present. It was a fantastic morning and we are looking forward to delivering the prints later this week.
Do you see what I mean....
...about the way they drive in Quito??
Thankfully no-one was hurt in this crash, but you get the point!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Tourist Day and separate queues
After a very busy week we decided to spend the day being typical tourists yesterday. We visited the teleférico to see a view of the city and the amusement park Vulqano which was next door.
The teleférico itself was worth visiting as the views Quito were spectacular.
The ticket system however was distinctly uncomfortable. There are different tariffs for the teleférico depending on whether you are an Ecuadorian national or not. The price for Ecuadorians was $4.90 and for foreigners it was $8.50. We paid for our tickets and were then told which queue to join in order to get into a car going up the mountain.
Having paid the tourist price the queue we were ushered into was the "express lane" which meant that we overtook all the Ecuadorians who had been pateiently waiting for more than an hour. I cannot tell you how uncomfortable this was.
On the right was the Ecuadorian queue and on the left the non Ecuadorian queue which was very short indeed. It felt like some kind of enforced apartheid system and we all felt very embarassed. It did not help that all the Ecuadorians stared at us...the "rich Europeans" who were going on to the teleférico before them. We all felt as though we were doing something wrong, even though we had no choice in the tickets we were given.
Still, the view was spectacular, and on the way back down we found ourselves in the queue as the three penalties in the Spain Paraguay match were taking place so the atmosphere at that point was very excited, with everyone cheering when Spain missed.
Cameron, Lucie and Luca all enjoyed a trip to El Vulqano park afterwards, and we did what parents all over the world spend their weekends doing. We took photos and we waited.
The teleférico itself was worth visiting as the views Quito were spectacular.
The ticket system however was distinctly uncomfortable. There are different tariffs for the teleférico depending on whether you are an Ecuadorian national or not. The price for Ecuadorians was $4.90 and for foreigners it was $8.50. We paid for our tickets and were then told which queue to join in order to get into a car going up the mountain.
Having paid the tourist price the queue we were ushered into was the "express lane" which meant that we overtook all the Ecuadorians who had been pateiently waiting for more than an hour. I cannot tell you how uncomfortable this was.
On the right was the Ecuadorian queue and on the left the non Ecuadorian queue which was very short indeed. It felt like some kind of enforced apartheid system and we all felt very embarassed. It did not help that all the Ecuadorians stared at us...the "rich Europeans" who were going on to the teleférico before them. We all felt as though we were doing something wrong, even though we had no choice in the tickets we were given.
Still, the view was spectacular, and on the way back down we found ourselves in the queue as the three penalties in the Spain Paraguay match were taking place so the atmosphere at that point was very excited, with everyone cheering when Spain missed.
Cameron, Lucie and Luca all enjoyed a trip to El Vulqano park afterwards, and we did what parents all over the world spend their weekends doing. We took photos and we waited.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
It's ten thirty in the morning here...odd to think that it's already 6.30 in the evening in Finland. Having now been for for almost two weeks we have been talking this morning about the things we will appreciate more when we go home to Finland. So far we have come up with the following list
The quality and freshness of the air
Drinking water from the tap
Crossing the road without fear of being run over
Driving and parking without fear of death
Having a bit more space (there are currently eight of us in our apartment)
The complete silence at night (in Vihti at least)
Having reliable access to water, electricity and the internet
Sauna
The fact that free education is universally available
The forests and the lake (particularly the lake close to our house)
Feeling safe in the streets
The equal treatment of women
New Finnish potatoes with dill
We then made a list of the things we will definitely miss from Ecuador
The friendliness and openness of the people
The positive attitude of people despite their difficult circumstances
The many projects in which we have become involved
We are divided about whether we will miss living in a busy town (Lucie and Saskia will, I won't)
For Frédéric, the Spanish language (which he speaks much more than Finnish)
Rosa
The mercados (markets)
Fresh fruit juices from fruits we had previously never heard of (guanábana, naranjilla, guayaba, taxo)
Eating out inexpensively
Salsa dancing (Sadly Frédéric does not share my salsa passion)
Being stopped in the street so that people can admire our little "gringuitos"
Having a lavandería close by (in a large family it is a real luxury not to have to wash clothes every day)
I am sure we will add to these lists as time passes. We still have almost four weeks here and a lot left to see and learn.
Argentina have just been beaten in the World Cup by Germany - a happy result for the Ecuadorians!
The quality and freshness of the air
Drinking water from the tap
Crossing the road without fear of being run over
Driving and parking without fear of death
Having a bit more space (there are currently eight of us in our apartment)
The complete silence at night (in Vihti at least)
Having reliable access to water, electricity and the internet
Sauna
The fact that free education is universally available
The forests and the lake (particularly the lake close to our house)
Feeling safe in the streets
The equal treatment of women
New Finnish potatoes with dill
We then made a list of the things we will definitely miss from Ecuador
The friendliness and openness of the people
The positive attitude of people despite their difficult circumstances
The many projects in which we have become involved
We are divided about whether we will miss living in a busy town (Lucie and Saskia will, I won't)
For Frédéric, the Spanish language (which he speaks much more than Finnish)
Rosa
The mercados (markets)
Fresh fruit juices from fruits we had previously never heard of (guanábana, naranjilla, guayaba, taxo)
Eating out inexpensively
Salsa dancing (Sadly Frédéric does not share my salsa passion)
Being stopped in the street so that people can admire our little "gringuitos"
Having a lavandería close by (in a large family it is a real luxury not to have to wash clothes every day)
I am sure we will add to these lists as time passes. We still have almost four weeks here and a lot left to see and learn.
Argentina have just been beaten in the World Cup by Germany - a happy result for the Ecuadorians!
Friday, July 2, 2010
No internet and a busy couple of days
It is Friday night here in Quito and I am looking forward to getting some sleep. We have had no internet for the last couple of days but otherwise it has been fairly non-stop.
We visited the Sol Y Vida Foundation again yesterday morning to speak to some of the patients and play with the children. Luck was on our side again because we happened to be there at the same time as two people from an organisation called "Future Sense", Pilar and Tim. Tim is visiting Ecuador from the UK for three months and is involved in researching and setting up volunteer projects here.
They were planning to visit a project this morning (Friday) in the north of Quito and they kindly invited me along. (Actually I invited myself but they were very welcoming.)
So it was that at eight this morning I found myself in the bus station in Rio Coca in the north of town. We went from there to visit a daycare centre called La Macarena in Monteserrín. There are currently 94 children who attend the centre, all from poor backgrounds and some whose parents are currently in prison.
The director was an inspirational lady called Veronica who explained how the project works. The centre is open from 8am -4.30pm each day and the fees are just $5 per month, for which the children receive two meals a day, two fruit snacks and full healthcare. The centre also provide the children with medication, clothes and toys.
The majority of the centre's funds are raised through one of Quito's private schools called Lyceo Internacional, and the food served is donated by local restaurants but Veronica explained how there is always a need for more provisions, especially medication and clothes.
The children were all waving and smiling and asking for their photos to be taken and it was very moving to see their enthusiasm considering the very humble nature of their home conditions.
Incidentally...the centre is always looking for volunteers. It would be a wonderful place to spend a few weeks... so if you are wondering what to do with your next holiday then please give it a thought... I'd be happy to put you in touch, and I guarantee it would be more rewarding than a week on the beach!
In other news I have arranged a research trip to Cuenca for Tuesday, visited the Lead Adventures volunteer programme, attended a fundraising fashion show for another Foundation, stolen some excellent research contacts in Puerto Lopez from Tim, visited a family staying at the Eugenio Espejo Hospital, watched Ghana miss out on the semi-finals and been salsa dancing twice. (I couldn't come all the way to South America and not take the opportunity of dancing with the experts!)
Now I am more than ready to go to bed. Wishing Tim a safe trip down to Puerto Lopez this evening (9 hours in the bus) and a very happy weekend to you all.
We visited the Sol Y Vida Foundation again yesterday morning to speak to some of the patients and play with the children. Luck was on our side again because we happened to be there at the same time as two people from an organisation called "Future Sense", Pilar and Tim. Tim is visiting Ecuador from the UK for three months and is involved in researching and setting up volunteer projects here.
They were planning to visit a project this morning (Friday) in the north of Quito and they kindly invited me along. (Actually I invited myself but they were very welcoming.)
So it was that at eight this morning I found myself in the bus station in Rio Coca in the north of town. We went from there to visit a daycare centre called La Macarena in Monteserrín. There are currently 94 children who attend the centre, all from poor backgrounds and some whose parents are currently in prison.
The director was an inspirational lady called Veronica who explained how the project works. The centre is open from 8am -4.30pm each day and the fees are just $5 per month, for which the children receive two meals a day, two fruit snacks and full healthcare. The centre also provide the children with medication, clothes and toys.
The majority of the centre's funds are raised through one of Quito's private schools called Lyceo Internacional, and the food served is donated by local restaurants but Veronica explained how there is always a need for more provisions, especially medication and clothes.
The children were all waving and smiling and asking for their photos to be taken and it was very moving to see their enthusiasm considering the very humble nature of their home conditions.
Incidentally...the centre is always looking for volunteers. It would be a wonderful place to spend a few weeks... so if you are wondering what to do with your next holiday then please give it a thought... I'd be happy to put you in touch, and I guarantee it would be more rewarding than a week on the beach!
In other news I have arranged a research trip to Cuenca for Tuesday, visited the Lead Adventures volunteer programme, attended a fundraising fashion show for another Foundation, stolen some excellent research contacts in Puerto Lopez from Tim, visited a family staying at the Eugenio Espejo Hospital, watched Ghana miss out on the semi-finals and been salsa dancing twice. (I couldn't come all the way to South America and not take the opportunity of dancing with the experts!)
Now I am more than ready to go to bed. Wishing Tim a safe trip down to Puerto Lopez this evening (9 hours in the bus) and a very happy weekend to you all.
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