Let them in!

What´s more important, hair... or education. Yeah, I was thinking education, but apparently not everyone agrees. Last week, I watched a few boys get locked out of school because their hair was too long. I´m not sure exactly what the rule is but I´m not sure the hair on these guys was even touching their collar. True, they know the rules and should have known to cut their hair before it got too long, but HONESTLY! It is enough of a struggle to keep kids in school past (or even until) 6th grade, is keeping them out really the best solution? It is a widely known fact that the education system in Honduras is struggling. Anything we can do to get these kids a little education (especially once they make it to high shcool) should be a priority. In the US, we have laws to force kids to go to school, that is definitely not the case here. Sadly, those boys probably only missed out on a chance to socialize from 7:30 to noon. It´s hard to watch kids do nothing while at school. In most of the schools I have seen, the kids don´t really do anything after about 11. I mean, they hang out in the school yard, play soccer, and chat. It´s basically recess from 11ish to when they go home. I take a school bus to the colegio. Supposedly, classes end at 12:30, the bus leaves at 12 (with +75% of the kids). It´s a difficult problem to solve from the bottom up. This one needs to come from the top down. Hondurans seem very aware that the education system is less than adequate but it´s such a systematic, structural problem that it´s going to take awhile to fix. Luckily, there are several groups, organizations and individuals trying to improve Honduran education little by little. That was my rant for the week.

I spend my mornings at either the colegio or escuelas getting to know the schools, education system, kids and communities. Here are a few of my kids. You want to know how bad (or good) you are with names? Go to a foreign country and try to learn the names of several hundred kids you only see once a week. I think I remember about 2 so far. Or I rememberthe names, and the faces, but not together.

When I first visited Talanga, the first question I received was "Are there pigs in the streets? Our host mom said there are pigs in the streets." Yes, there are pigs in the streets so Kyler, this pic is for you.

But no, I don´t get a donkey. I know, I´m pissed too! I don´t get a donkey, a horse OR a bike! I´m actually quite disappointed about it. My town is too big for Peace Corps to give me a horse or mule and we aren´t allowed to ride bikes on "main roads". Since the road between town and my schools is considered a main road, I can´t justify needed a bike for work. LAME huge town with resources! At least I have wheat bread!

Things I love right now: hair scrunchies (yes, they are everywhere), the same songs I have been hearing since I arrived, and the fat dog I saw shaped like a pig (98% of the dogs here look like they are about to die from starvation).