April 2020 - Health Bridges International

Putting the Pieces Together

April 28, 2020/in Blog

Fractals are amazing. They represent a core concept in nature. They summarize all that is complex and poetic about life and the world we live. From the whole are the pieces and from the pieces is the whole.

The concept of fractals struck me today. We have a small neighborhood restaurant just down the block from our home in Portland. The restaurant wasn’t open for more than 2 months when the pandemic hit. Within a matter of days, the windows were papered, their neon sign shut off, and an announcement was prominently placed on the front door – “Closed by order of the Governor. We’ll be back. Until then, follow-us on Instagram.” Just like that – a single handwritten sign brought to an end what was assuredly months of preparation and a lifetime of savings. Read more

Building Bridges

April 22, 2020/in Blog, COVID-19

Gedeon, one of the boys in our Casa Girasoles program, paints amazing works of culture and inspiration. He was recently accepted to one of Perú’s most acclaimed art schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it really hard to stay focused on all the immediate and urgent needs – and plan for the bigger future. This is particularly important when it comes to building opportunities for the older boys who ‘graduate’ from the Casa Girasoles program. They are getting older – in-spite of the social isolation and mandatory quarantine, and we need to help them build bridges to the next phase of their lives.

Ideally, every boy in our Casa Girasoles Program would apply and be granted a government supported scholarship to study at university. The challenge – not all the boys are best matched to a university education; and, the program is extremely competitive. As such, we face a daunting challenge of building our own graduation program.

We’re fortunate to be in partnership with Paths of Hope and their amazing team of Kate and Billy Greenman. Together we’re working on a plan for the older boys – but everything has been stalled with COVID-19. So, without a lot of formal programs – we’re taking it case-by-case, boy-by-boy.

Yesterday I had a call with a faith-based NGO that runs a program in Cusco. They accept young adults transitioning from orphanages or homes. In addition to helping with school enrollment – university, technical or trade school – they also provide housing, case support, psychological therapy and life skills development. It’s a great program. They’ve graciously accepted three boys from our Casa Girasoles in the Sacred Valley. Read more

It is not suppose to be easy

April 12, 2020/in Blog, COVID-19

Boys at the Casa Girasoles participating in school lessons during COVID-19.

Things are really tough. I am convinced this is true for all 7.5 billion people on the planet. The challenges are, however, more profound and impactful for the poor of this world. This is especially true for the people we serve in Perú. The families living in extreme poverty with children living with disabilities and medically fragile conditions are really struggling. They are hard pressed to figure out how to make each day manageable.

The boys in our Casa Girasoles homes are safe, well fed and protected, but the challenges of social isolation are starting to weigh heavy on them. For a child who has lived so much of their life on constant hyper-vigilance, always ready to protect themself from injury our harm – the current state of the world can be too much. There are more outbursts. More temper-tantrums for the little ones. More strong words from the older boys. Things are tough. Read more

Finding a New Normal

April 4, 2020/in Blog

It’s hard enough figuring out the 6-foot rule that now governors our lives. Let alone trying to determine how to go about life in the age of social isolation, quarantines, and mandatory restrictions. The fleeting moments of “normal” are quickly usurped by the overwhelming realization there is no normal as we have known it for most of our lives.

Finding a new normal is the focus. Finding a new way to connect with the people on our team who are on the ground and facing great challenges in meeting the needs of the families we serve. Helping the staff at the Casa Girasoles find some level of normalcy for the children in our homes. Normalcy that includes laughing and playing, and just being kids.

Chop Wood, Carry Water

April 1, 2020/in Blog

When I was in college, a mentor gave me a book. It changed my life. The book, a Buddhist meditation on building a life of commitment, has never felt more pertinent.

Chop Wood, Carry Water is an exploration of the idea that the most divine moments of life come not in the glamorous and glorious – but in the mundane and routine. It is meditation on finding spiritual awakening through a commitment to the daily experiences of life . . . . chopping wood and carrying water. Read more

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