No Indoor Plumbing

I imagine most of us cannot even comprehend sending our little children to elementary school without running water and indoor plumbing.  I started to school in the early 60's and we had running water and indoor plumbing.  Even then.

I can promise you that I would not have allowed my children to go to a school without running water.

The Casa kids that are in elementary school go to school in Santa Ana, but right next door to us, Ojojona, the elementary school has no running water.  This is a large school.  They have both morning and afternoon sessions.  They have latrines. 

This weekend, the city and school are raising money for running water and toilets.  It was required for every parent to help raise money for this.  Not optional.  Required. 

Last week our church, which is in Ojojona, voted unanimously to give this week's contribution to that effort.  The contribution this morning was over 1600 lempiras, which is larger than a normal week's contribution. 

When we left church, there were little children in their uniforms and parents every where with the big water bottles.  We ate with the group and then Nicole had to go back to the mission house.  We were stopped at the entrance to Ojojona as there was a donation station there.  We both gave a little more.  While we were at the mission house, people came on the property and asked us to give.  We explained that we had already given.  They were very grateful and thanked us.  As we left, we saw the same people going on to another property to ask. 

No one we saw seemed to mind that they were required to be spending their Sunday in this manner.  Most seemed happy to be helping.

I hope the money needed is raised for this project. 

Sending our children to school with no running water and no toilets is something our American minds cannot even begin to understand.