In Cartagena we decided to get involved with Fundación Querido Amigo, a local organization that provides schooling for one of the many slums in the suburb. The kids also get a school uniform, and a meal a day. For most of the kids this will be the only meal that day. Everything about the school is falling apart except the spirit. This community have come a long way.
The school is surrounded by a slum that’s lacking almost everything, everywhere. Whole families go to bed hungry. This is the kind of people you’ll see collecting plastic or glass or whatever. You’ll see them sifting through garbage.
You’ll see them pass through the aisle of the bus, in a hopeless attempt to sell chewing gum or candy for a small percentage. You’ll look away because you have to. There’s just too many of them.
We got together with other cruisers and held a fund raising in the marina. Hopefully this initiative will continue. The school is a huge success. You can see so much dignity in these kids' faces that you may wonder if they are really poor. You should have seen the slum they go home to.
