During a wander around Antigua one day I stumbled on a little boy. still in diapers, who had apparently mastered his mother’s cell phone.
A few days later I saw him again and was able to take another photo of him.
This time I stopped and talked to his mother, Juana. I offered to have the photos printed for her. She was very pleased. Juana and her husband, Fernando, eek out a living selling lottery tickets by central park in Antigua. Six days a week they can be found on the same corner, 5th and 5th. if you happen to be there. They are Maya Kaqchikel and speak both Kaqchikel and Spanish. The family lives in nearby San Miguel Dueñas and travels by chicken bus six days a week. The two older children, Elena and Diego, attend school in Antigua while their parents work. Juanito, too young to go to school, hangs out with his parents. Often when I pass by I buy some lottery tickets and then give them back to Juana. My hope is that one day they will have a winning ticket.
Last Christmas I told them that I had a few things for the family for Christmas. Juana gave me their WhatsApp number so we could coordinate a time to meet when all the children would be there. She told me to communicate with Fernando because she could not read. I was able to share more photos of the children via WhatsApp as well.
Three beautiful, bright, healthy children with two devoted parents and all the potential in the world and little chance of a better life because of the circumstances of their birth. Only with incredible determination is a child able to satisfy his or her curiosity in a government school that has no books, no internet. Little Juanito might be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs given half a chance.
Recently Juanito turned three and his father sent me this photo. Sadly, my plate is full and I don’t have the time left to lift up yet another family. My hope is that someone else will come along and see these children as worthy of a little extra help. In the meantime I will keep buying lottery tickets that I return to their mother and providing some things for the children that they might not otherwise have.
The world would be a better place with more Joan Barretts. I hope those children get a chance at a life they deserve.