feeding cosisa

Lina goes shopping with me, which has cut down my cost by a lot....and i am actually feeding 100 people at a time ... just not everyday

....when the sandwiches are ready, Jessica opens the door and the crowd waiting outside looks at me with a hesitant, suspicious, confused but grateful look

the first takers are always nervous and need to be encouraged to come over and take a sandwich. they lead the way and bring comfort to the rest who slowly start to swarm to the table and all around me

more and more people come from up and down the hill as news travels fast about the sandwiches..... they come to the front and back of the house with eager expectations. some ask for another one for their mother, brother, grandmother etc.... and its really hard to say no, because even if they go around the corner and eat it themselves that's a good thing and i am happy to feed their hunger.... but it's a win-lose situation because there are others who come and never receive a sandwich. everyday i feed a hundred i see two hundred more that aren't fed, and its hard to say its over..... "acabou"

for some of these people, this is their only solid meal of the day. Lina comments that she is tired of seeing people crying of hunger.... this project has evolved here in Paripe... and with help of Jr's inspiration and motivation, the idea that hunger is hunger has been imprinted into my thoughts. there is no difference between the hunger of a child and the hunger of a 70 year old woman. i feel that there is something more that needs to be done. i think of what will happen when i leave, and i don't know what to do. i have included a selection of some favorite images of the kids of Cosisa and beyond

this girl is my lively regular playmate. she is 4 years old and lives with Lina because her mother wont take care of her. her mom is 21, lives across the way and enjoys partying and boys, but doesn't have the maturity and hasn't taken the responsiblity to take care of the result of her actions. she often comes around to Lina's house (to buy popsicles) and i was in shock when i realized she was the mom, because she barely talked to her child. (who doesn't have a registration # and is invisible to the statistics of brazil, as many many children are who were never claimed officially.)

this reality which this girl is aware of has not hindered her childhood energy, curiosity and sheer happiness. she if full of life, which is not normal of the kids i meet, and i think that has everything to do with the way Lina is raising her, in a positive supportive family home environment.

thank you for your continued support and keeping up with my progress... i love sharing my experiences with you, and would love to hear any comments and suggestions you may have...