This and that...

 Some local kids who are collecting Talpuja, a natural type of cement, used to build small walls, ...
Nobody likes to work hard in the burning sun, but with a bunch of guys, it is a lot more fun!

 This is the big project on which the local men have been working for the last couple of weeks. There is still work to do. The city doesn't have to money to do repairs, so the locals roll up their sleeves and take matters into their own hands so that they don't get stuck in this coming rain season.

Daniel from L.A. donated the cement to build this.


We support the volunteers with rice and beans and oil, ...


And with the water from our well so that they don't have to go get water with a horse and carriage to make cement . There used to be a public water supply, but because nobody ever paid their water bills, the water company doesn't have the money to pay the electricity for their pumps. So... nobody has water coming out of their taps any more. Now the families have to pay a guy with a carriage to go and get barrels with water for them.







This is our humble personal support for the Laguna neighborhood. Last year, with the heavy rains, this road was unusable for buses and on some occasions even for bikes and pedestrians. Let us hope that this construction gets rid of excess water without taking the road with it!
This is nothing, compared to the huge efforts that the local men are doing to keep the road from being washed away further down the road.

 A couple of weeks ago, Lula, our dog, unexpectedly passed away.
Just as unexpectedly, this morning a little cute puppy showed up on the back porch. We have no idea where the cachorro came from. But as long as it feels at home, and I think it does(!), we'll take care of it.

 This is the little school in the Comarca La Laguna. I think "little" is not exaggerated! As one might expect, this place can use all the help it can get!

Right across the street from Escuela #1 (above) you can find these houses where the families live who's children attend school there.