Jose Angel's story.

Granada always has had some street kids. Unfortunately lately their number has grown.
For the moment we experience hard times everywhere. But I do think some of these kids are having such a tough time, you can hardly imagine. There are so many stories to tell. One still harder than the next. I hope you come back to this Blog once in a while to keep in touch with what's going on in Granada with the kids!



A couple of weeks ago a new face showed up in the Granada streets. The guys that know me for a while brought him by. He had a nasty cut in his hand. I could see glass in the deep wound. I gave him 50 Cordobas to take a taxi to the Japanese Hospital. Later the boy, Jose Angel of 14 years old, told me that he went to the Amigos Center to get somebody to go with him. In the Hospital they removed a big piece of glass. They had to use 6 stitches to close the gap! He never shed a tear. The 50 cordobas ($2.50) had brought him to and from the hospital by taxi with a second person. And it got his hand taken care of. As you can see, it doesn't take much to make someone happy. To give somebody better life conditions.
For the next week Jose Angel came by daily to put a new fresh dressing on the stitches. Everything healed well.
After 6 days he asked me to remove the stitches. Again, he was tough. In these days I got to know Jose Angel a little better. The guests from the hotel bought him sodas and took him for lunch.
Eating in a real restaurant was a big change from surviving from left overs in the streets! And a fresh, hot meal at Martha's costs less than $2!

The next days Jose Angel came by daily for some drinking water and some sweets I always keep ready. After some days he turned up with a big gash in back of his head. One of the other boys had tried to rob him of 10 Cordobas ($0.50). Running away, he slipped and fell. It didn't look good, so I told him to go back to the Hospital. Jose Angel asked me if I could have a look at some other things as well. He had rice grain like bumps on his arms and legs. Somebody had accidentally hit him with a stick while he was sitting on a doorstep. His ribs were bruised and hurt. And then there was another little personal problem. I gave him a 100 cordobas this time. ($5.00) He went to the hospital by taxi alone. waited for his turn and gave the doctor the little note I had prepared. After examining him, he took a taxi back to the city where he bought the pills and a tube of creme the medic had prescibed. Then, he came back to my place to return the money that was left! 5 Cordobas. I couldn't think of anybody in my country this age who would or could do this on his own! 14 years old...!

Taking care of him the next days I learnt more about the system. Why he suddenly turned up out of nowhere. 'Unwanted' kids can be dropped of in a center in Managua. Here they learn how to survive in the streets making bracelets from strings, making grass hoppers from leaves, ...
It isn't great living in one of these places, but it sure beats sleeping on the pavement!
Thing is... the day you turn 14, you have to leave. The old shirt on his back and the flimsy cut off pair of nylon shorts were his only possessions. He didn't even have flip flops on his feet.
On the photo you can see him in brand new clothing that was given to him by one of our guests, Jeff. On his neck a string with a picture of 'Sor Maria Romero', the guardian saint of the street kids.

When Ernesto came by for his daily two caramelos and a glass of cool water, I asked him how old he was. 14, he said. When I asked him how long he'd been living on the streets he confirmed what Jose Angel had told me. 2 months, since the day he turned 14.