April 2008

News - Newsletters

Mid-term Update For March - June 2008 Trip, BY Michael Murphy

I'm half way through my March/June visit and usually from now on the time goes quickly until the end of my trip.

We are opening the new Therapy Centre on Wednesday 23rd April; this is a different kind of project because it involves ongoing commitment. We have a girl working 3 days each week for the first few weeks to ascertain the demand and to get the centre up and running. This is the first time we have paid a wage to someone on a permanent basis. I hope we can get a Physiotherapist to come on a regular basis, perhaps a few afternoons each week, as we will only provide Occupational Therapy. This would also help the many kids in need of counselling because of the extreme poverty and child abuse they have suffered. The centre also has a bathroom and shower where people can refresh themselves.

A new Family support centre for the 'Mothers Club' in San Benito will start next week in addition to a Kindergarden which will double as an Adult Education Centre for the San Jose community. We built a dining room for that community last year.

We will build another Phase on to the Family Support Centre for Juan Pablo Vecino community; we have been developing this project for more than a year now.

The Family Support Centre for El Miridor, Valle Hermoso community will start in the next few weeks; this project will be funded by 'Electric Aid' in Ireland.

Food for the very poor families and medical help is ongoing.

We started the house for Maria Lurdes Ayza a lone parent with six kids; this is funded by 'Moston Construction' in Ireland.

I visited a poor community in the Jungle last weekend to work through plans to build a dining room for them. We will build a few more starter homes for very poor families also.

People often ask me how you know you are making a difference in people's lives, well you never really know in many cases, but in my view it's better to light a candle than course the dark!

But here is Melissa's own story

When I first met Mike in 2004 my husband had just died from aids, I was HIV + and had 2 kids, Hans aged 2, and Kevin aged 5. My own family did not want to know me because of the Aids. I lived in a hut not knowing when I would get the next meal. Sister Naomi came to my house lots of days and was a great support, then one day she brought Mike with her, then things changed…Mike built a small house for me. He arranged a good meal every day for the boys. He bought them presents of clothes and gifts at Christmas. I got strong and had regular health checks. I got a small part time job in the city cleaning a house, and then I was asked to clean the office these people worked in. I went to classes and did a computer course. Then I worked in the office as a clerk for a few days each week. Now I am working full time in the office. My kids are in private school, not like in Ireland but a paid school as the school system here is so bad especially in poor areas. Now all I want is my boys to get a better life and I will work just to give them an education, I don't want anything else from life. When I realised 4 years ago that someone really cared enough to build me a house, life changed for me….it gave me hope….