Up a treacherous road through three running rivers are the two bamboo houses that Raul, 36 years old, his brother Oscar, and Emilio his brother-in-law built when Raul inherited this little tract of land two years ago. Even though there is no electricity or indoor running water, the family does not sleep on the dirt floor. All nine members sleep in hammocks which are stored away on the walls during the day. Currently only Raul’s brother is earning any income. Raul contributes to the family a small monthly disability payment that he receives from the government because he is blind. None of the adults can read or write.

Raul’s mother Cecilia 52, cooks the meals and washes clothes for the family. She hopes one day to have a two-burner propane stove top so she doesn’t have to cook over the outdoor wood stove any longer. She sees that the three school-age children Deika 7, Melquisidet 10 and Carlos 11 are out early enough to make the long and difficult walk to school. Our BVB volunteer who discovered the plight of this family wanted to help them with their most immediate problem, the kids could not attend school because they had no shoes. He drove Raul and the children into the city to a department store, took them on the elevator to the second floor where they bought new shoes and then out to a restaurant for lunch and a strawberry dessert.

Because of the size of Raul’s family, they are receiving a double portion of food each month and will hopefully begin growing their own food from our Food Starter program. These are the types of families in crisis that get our immediate attention.