right before they left, another intern came from germany. the day he got here, the airlines lost his luggage and he got mugged on the way home-the two little nepali boys threatened him with a knife and took all of his money. talk about a rough day! he was completely traumatized and moved out the next day because he didn't feel safe in our neighborhood. that makes 2 interns who have moved out of the house before their time was up. i'm glad that i haven't had such a rough experience. although this trip has definitely had its ups and downs, it has, above all, been bearable.
yesterday i went to visit the slums again. i felt a lot more comfortable there this time and was able to interact with the kids more. they were adorable-running up to me and asking me to take their pictures. i think they felt like little movie stars.
before i went, i was considering how the experience fit into my summer research tasks and i wondered whether or not this community faced many of the human rights abuses that plague this country. were the kids getting a proper education? did domestic violence occur? were the children forced to work the streets? what was the prevalence of HIV/AIDS? some of my questions were answered, but i feel like i need to go back to get a clearer picture. things that i learned: 1.) there are 2 western volunteers who come visit and teach the students. they conduct the school in a small shack equip with a small selection of books, none of which look like they've ever been touched. about 20 kids participate, but i'm not sure how often they come, or how many kids are not participating. 2.) domestic violence is definitely present. i witnessed a man kick his wife and hit her many times, while she was carrying a baby. a couple minutes later, he was playing happily with the child. 3.)malaria is common there during the monsoon season. not all families can afford mosquito nets, and health care is inadequate.
james and justin have decided to start a project where they're going to visit marginalized communities and take photographs of the people and the surroundings. they'd like to sell the pictures back in the united states, and give the profits back to the community. i'm continually impressed with the people that i meet while i travel...the most incredible hearts, filled with compassion and commitment. it reminds me of the kind of person i want to be.
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