a grey day

Today I awoke to flashes of lightening followed closely by growling thunder. Then came the rains and the outlook for the day took on a beautiful shade of grey.Here in Bolivia the number of children and young people with HIV / AIDS is increasing. The numbers are still quite small and one would think “manageable”; however, when such is the case we tend not to do anything with the thought that since it is small either (a) there are more important and pressing matters to address or (b) someone must already have taken care of it.

The problem here is that only recently has the awareness of the lack of services for these children surfaced and to date, though there are some things “in process”, there is not centre nor organization focusing on the specific needs of children with HIV / AIDS.

The foundation I am working for has made it a priority to investigate the situation on a local and national level and seek support in order to open up the first centres in Bolivia for these children. The problem with AIDS is that it is a “growing” problem in several ways and the more time that passes the more difficult and expensive the response will be.

I enjoy my work. It drains me and at times makes me ask all sorts of questions – mostly concerning faith – yet this is healthy living. For me it is important that what I do is part of who I am and that I do not draw divisions where they really do not exist. That way I can hurt when something sad is going on in the lives of one of the children we are taking care of, and I can rejoice when one of these children is rejoicing.

I am not sure the point of this post, except to express that I am being effected a lot lately by by my work for the better or worse I cannot judge myself. I try to avoid judgment of myself and others, yet our world is quite ill and sometimes it is hard to ignore the dying. I am being elusive, I don’t really want to write about some of the things that are getting to me, but things have me asking a lot of questions, that’s all.