el fuego

In the midst of being exhausted from the first full day at the transition camp earlier in the day. I had recognised a returning student at literacy camp, which was being held at the San Pedro library. 

Sien was a 10 year old boy with a lot lighter skin than most. He was an intelligent young Boy, but also extremely quiet. 

While participating in a group activity that involved moving around the room. Sien had suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He noticed an old news paper from weeks back, headlining the fire that had just destroyed parts of the streets in San Pedro. 

"That picture is of my house, that picture is my house" 

I saw the look in his eyes switch from engaged to afraid, as he lifted the newspaper closer to his face for a better view. He pointed at the picture and looked at me as he spoke. 

I was speechless. At a loss for words at how to respond to a boy who's family had just lost everything. 

The next day I had bonded with a 8 year old Samantha. Samantha came to camp late and was actually the sister of Sien. I remembered Samantha from last year, although she did not remember me. We talked amongst ourselves because she was not ready to fully participate with the group. As she stumbled across stories about her church and school, she brought up the fire. She told me that her house was the first one to burn down. 

She picked up the same newspaper that her brother had the day before and showed me the house where the fire had started. She told me how her house was the first one to catch fire and burn completely to the ground. 

Once I knew how she was impacted I began to ask her questions as if I were interviewing her.

"Where were you during the fire?" 

"I was sleeping, everyone was asleep" 

"What did you do?"

"My mother told me and my brother and my cousin to go to my aunts house" 

Samantha's house was above a shop that her parents owned. She was unable to tell me what was sold at the shop but just that it was a "shop". 

Samantha then told me that people were passing buckets up from the ocean to middle street, where the fire was occurring. I had asked her if the fireman were there, and

she said that they had come but still didn't have a way to put out the fire. 

For those who are unaware, on Monday June 27th an early morning fire destroyed almost an entire block of buildings in San Pedro. 11 buildings were completely destroyed.  A total of 88 people and 27 families were affected. 1000 volunteers helped create an assembly line of buckets filled with water from ocean to the middle street. 

We were brought to the library to teach and run a 2- week literacy camp. However on day 2, I had learned more about the town of San Pedro from Samantha than I was ready for.



Click here to read an article about the fire in San Pedro