2,000 miles of Difference

I took this photo on a recent holiday in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The beach was a child’s fantasy of warm water, gentle waves, skim boards and buckets of sand being made into castles. This particular location is a popular family destination for families from all over the south east. This photo shows the ambiance of the island–relaxing, family oriented, healthy happy children who have few concerns. The little girl who was flying the kite was adorable in her pink bathing suit and sun hat.

Eulalia (below) has never seen a beach. She has no concept of a kite. Her “playtime” consists of

washing the family laundry, hauling firewood and walking long distances to her school when she is able to attend. When her mother died, Eulalia’s father abandoned his children and Eulalia is now being raised by her 57 year old grandmother. With four children in her care, Isabela is bone weary and has no ability to generate an income or house her grandchildren.  A neighbor has agreed to host the family temporarily. The growth stunting that Eulalia and her siblings have suffered is not reversible with the current food available to the family.A washing machine? She has never seen one. Her sand bucket? It is the washing tub you see in the photo.
In partnership with Adopt-A-Village Guatemala, we will be building a home for this child and her family, while we continue to feed them critical food supplies monthly.
Finding Freedom through Friendship can’t give Eulalia a kite, but we can help release her from some of the burden of chores and poverty so she is free to grow into a healthier young lady.