I'm sure at this stage you're beginning to settle back to school-life after
the summer break. Well done to all the exam classes and teachers on the great
results!
Life here continues more or less as usual! I was really glad to have my
first break home this summer and to at least see some of you for a while.
Unfortunately time simply flew and I didn't get to do all I had planned, or
meet all I wanted to meet!
Just two weeks after my return I was involved in an accident with a runaway
horse and cartload of cement (without a driver!!) It galloped out a side road
on top of the car. Needless to say it was a horrific experience but thankfully
I escaped without any serious injury. The owner of the horse disappeared
without trace! I suffered severe whiplash and still have quite a lot of pain
but I'm having physiotherapy so hopefully I'll be in ship shape again soon.
I opened another Adult Literacy class since my return to
the city dump, which is about ten minutes drive from our house. Its a terrible
place, full of rats and disease. Men, women and children “work” here every
day sorting out the rubbish in the hope of eking out a living. In a survey we
carried out, over 40% of the Adults are illiterate and so the need for a
literacy class is essential. These people live near the dump in horrific
conditions with no running water in their homes. We bought desks, chairs
blackboard and basic equipment such as copies and pens so the first class of
20 adults is up and running.
The economy here is in a bad condition due to problems with Argentina and
the more recent disaster in New York. Inflation is at an all time high and the
currency is worthless to the people who already have so little by way of
salaries. The electricity rationing continues with threats of 6 day cut offs
for those who do not keep within their ration per month. Its very difficult
for the poor to cut back as they use the minimum anyway in order to keep
household costs down. The better off have no problem - they just need to turn
of the heat in their swimming pools, or just use one television instead of one
in each room; Water rationing began again this week - the water is cut off two
days each week and could increase to three or even four over the coming dry
months.
I'd like to take the opportunity, once again, to say a very special thanks
to all who contributed so generously to the Brazil Mission last year - our
work here would be very difficult without all the support and generosity of
people like your selves in Ireland. You can be assured that every penny you
collected is being put to the best possible use to improve the lives of those
on the margins of society.
Greetings from Brazil!
