BEN’S BLOG: ‘Merry Christmas from Casa Hogar’

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ecause of the huge efforts at Casa Hogar, the children really do have a good life. Okay, there are a lot of flies about, the drainage isn’t all that, and the whole place could do with a lick of paint; but they want for nothing.

We started today, with a short service in the Chapel. Then, each child received a couple of gifts and a bag of sweets. Quickly after, a kind family arrived, with ‘Pollo a la brasa’ (chicken and chips), as a special meal for everyone. And there was even a donation of some new bicycles!

When you think of how desperately hard life is, for people outside the walls, it’s incredible how much kindness is found within them.

In other news:

Several former children, now adults, came to spend the day with us. They all had only positive memories and many wished their time at the home had never ended. Bar one, they said they didn’t hold it against their families, for them ending up there, as their economic situations were so poor, and it turned out to be a blessing anyway.

I asked if many of the children went on to get married. The answer was a resounding ‘no’. Although, there are so many children there, they really do see each other as brothers and sisters, and this holds dear still, into adulthood.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALL.

Over and out, B x