Orphanages here In Tijuana are getting hit hard by Tijuana's ever dropping economy. (Now even orphanages raid trash cans and dumpsters for throwaway produce) ... More and more mothers and grand mothers are desperate to place their children in orphanages where at least they will get food and a bed and maybe school.
Sadly, there is very little "Americano" support anymore, as groups are warned against traveling to Mexico. The U.S. groups soon forget the orphanage kids.
To make matters worse; you have someone like Edith, director of "Tribo Jesus Orphanage" (Tribe of Jesus Orphanage) ... who will take in any needy kid that comes her way, handicapped or not. Indeed she's an unusually optimistic light in a dark world.
Rare as it might be, a Christian acting like a Christian.Edith doesn't complain ... but when you see the needs, you can't help reaching down into your own pocket ... a serious Christian can't just walk away. Unfortunately Spectrum doesn't have it; fortunately I've still got a pocket with some cash in it
This makes for a very unique group chemistry. They are very poorly clothed bunch of kids indeed, but for the most part a big happy disorganized family where they help one another. I'm watching the boy's in the kitchen peeling off the bad areas of fruit and produce.
Normally Orphanages fare better than the poorer Barrio kids, but in this case they are about even. Poor clothing and shoes, and two meals a day ... on some days, one meal.
Tribo has washing machines, but no money for electricity. To wash clothing, the bare-foot teen girls fill tubs with soap and cold water, dump the dirty clothing in ... and then jump in; two girls to a tub and they foot wash the clothing ... squeezing out the water by hand and hanging the wash on the line to dry as electricity is very expensive. (Positive point, their feet are really clean!)
I love teaching the older boys in the evening, about thirty of them, and they listen well. Julian and I come on a regular bases.
I always leave thirty or forty dollars lighter than I came.
