Zero tolerance for the child gangs of Honduras - Telegraph

Zero tolerance for the child gangs of Honduras - Telegraph: "Family life has broken down. In a country of seven million people, half the population is under 18, and hundreds of thousands of children fend for themselves. Fathers are often away, working illegally in the US. Sixty per cent of children never finish primary school, and only one in every 100 will go to university. Child physical and sexual abuse is rife. Street children often have homes to go to, but choose not to. They spend their days scavenging for survival, and their nights high after sniffing glue and paint thinner. Barefoot Jose Antonio, 11, sleeps by the bins at a busy Esso garage. He said he knows how vulnerable he is, and fears that adults will come to rape and kill him, but he will not go home. Many Hondurans see children like Jose Antonio as little more than vermin, prime targets for execution because of public outrage over child crime. The country is awash with guns, with an average of six firearms per household, and Hondurans often have more faith in summary justice that the due process of the courts. Fear of child criminals may be justified. There are four times as many gang members as police officers, and youth gangs are responsible for extortion, rape and mass murder, with some gang leaders as young as 12."

Waiting for Felix

Twenty minutes before midnight, Monday, with more than apprehension hanging in the air. Everyone knows that a hurricane is to hit us soon: will it be a bigger or smaller brother of Mitch -- that is the question on everyone's mind.

I went to buy gas this afternoon at 3 pm. Waited for 30 minutes. Those after me waited much longer. Felix is not supposed to be here for another 36 hours. People are getting worried. The line in the pharmacy was longer than I have ever seen. A friend of mine waited an hour in line to buy some groceries. No one has panicked -- yet. But the air has a greasy feel to it, like some sort of used motor oil slathered through it like an arid vapour. I bet it has a low flashpoint.

But here at Casa Verde, we have our foodstuffs, 15 gallons of fresh drinking water, a BBQ and whisperlite stove, medicine, two stories and a concrete building. But for the first time in the six months that I have lived here, I am wondering what the roof looks like.

Photo Links

For the latest of photo links for Sophia, Darlene and I, take a look at the following two links. Both have different photos and since I am trying to determine which one I prefer, feel free to add your comments.
Flickr
Picassa

Sophia's Photos

Sophia's Photos

EIS Teacher Survey Results

These results are from a recent survey of teachers at the EIS high school. 21 out of 35 teachers responded. No changes have been made. The results and comments are published exactly as they were written. Some of our teachers second language is English, so please do not confuse grammatical errors for inability. Feel free to comment or direct your questions to "dschult at seishn dot com".

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Words of Wisdom

Stephen Colbert
Comedian
Knox College, Galesburg, Ill.

You are about to start the greatest improvisation of all. With no script. No idea what's going to happen, often with people and places you have never seen before. And you are not in control. So say "yes." And if you're lucky, you'll find people who will say "yes" back.

Now will saying "yes" get you in trouble at times? Will saying "yes" lead you to do some foolish things? Yes, it will. But don't be afraid to be a fool. Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the furthest thing from it. Because cynics don't learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say "no." But saying "yes" begins things. Saying "yes" is how things grow. Saying "yes" leads to knowledge. "Yes" is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say "yes."

And that's The Word.

Merry Christmas...

...and Happy Holidays to all.
From Darlene, Sophia and David,
Wishing all of you the best of the season.

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Honduras Greens Slam Pollution - Prensa Latina

Honduras Greens Slam Pollution - Prensa Latina: "Honduras Greens Slam Pollution

Tegucigalpa, Sep 7 (Prensa Latina) Environmental Organizations and people from the locality of Valle del Siria protested the pollution of the water table with cyanide and arsenic.

Faced with evidence of locals with skin, respiratory problems and other afflictions, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry (SERNA) confirmed those reports Wednesday.

According to the ministry, studies by experts from the organization revealed the existence of cyanide over international levels in tests of water in the Valle de Siria, the country's eastern zone.

SERNA Minister Mayra Mejias stated that results of these tests made from August to December 2005 contained illegally high cyanide levels.

The Valle people have repeatedly denounced that some children and adults suffer skin diseases due to the pollution caused by Entremares company, which has open mines."