How to Steer the Titanic

So, yesterday was a very busy day! There are 5 volcanos in San Salvador. It was pouring rain all day yesterday, so we chose to visit another family, instead of the one who lived up on the volcano. Mud slides and truly, robbers are very prominent in that area and with both at risk, we decided to take a safer route.

We drove into the jungle or bush area and climbed this steep hill to visit a very poor family. The father works in the coffee fields and he makes about $100 a month. They had no running water and one line for electricity that it looks like they hooked up themselves. Many flea bitten, extremely skinny dogs roamed around as did very skinny chickens and birds. But, the family was beautiful. Their faces and even the love of the father for his children. The mother nursed a 4 week old baby who was sick.

Barbara, the Social Worker spoke with the family who consisted of a grandmother, a daugher and her husband and their 4 kids and the one baby. The grandmother has an older son who is now in jail and he is the father of one of the orphans we are working to create identity for. She said the story is that the father had to go to the hospital for a few days and left the kids at home, so a neighbor reported him and ISNA (El Salvador’s Dept. of Family and Children Serv.) came and took the kids. They have been in an orphanage ever since. So, once we find the mom, and the birth cerificates are created, they may either decide to declare parental loss, or reunite the family. If the mother declares parental loss or ISNA declares this on her behalf, then the children will be left in the orphanage.