A better life?

A few weeks ago I went with Padre German to a home in Dulce Nombre. The woman who lives there with a family has a nice garden plot around the house. But inside the house was a kit for a drip irrigation system with a brand new plastic barrel for water.

I was surprised because these are not cheap. But then saw that it was a part of the Vida Mejor, a program of aid from the Honduran government.

The government is giving out these kits, but I don’t know how much follow-up there will be or assistance to install the systems.

In the meantime the local health center has no medicine.

Is that una vida major, a better life?

Or is it a way to try to buy the hearts and minds of the people – giving them things, even if they may not really need them or know how to use them?

Today a friend shared this photo on her Facebook page:

Every pregnant woman who comes for a cesarean, please bring

• a set of surgical clothing
• 2 pairs of sterile gloves #7.5
• 2 pairs of sterile gloves #7.0
• 2 pairs of sterile gloves #8.0
• 1 Vicril (suture) 4-0 cortante (?)
• 2 Cromico 2-0 (possibly cat gut sutures)
• 7 Cromico 1-0 (possibly cat gut sutures)
• 1 Vicril (suture) 1-0 redondo (ring style)
• 20 gauzes
• 2 rolls Esparadrapo (adhesive tape)
• 2 syringes 10cc

The note in the cloud reads: Due to the situation of the hospital, thanks for understanding. 

 My medical Spanish is almost nil. If anyone knows how to translate the terms better, let me know and I’ll correct them immediately.

No. I don’t understand.

Money is available for give-aways, but medicines are not available.

I don’t understand.

But I do understand why thousands of Hondurans were out on the streets in the last few days – including a thousand last night in Santa Rosa de Copán. Here's the New York Times report.

UPDATE: Here's a good analysis of the situation by Honduras Culture and Politics.

There are reliable reports that the corruption that existed in the IHSS, the Honduran Social Security Institute, that is in charge of public hospitals and other social services. The ex-director was jailed.

But there are more recent reports that funds were diverted to the political campaigns of the National Party – the party now in power. As a result people have come out on the streets.

What will become of this, I don’t know. But I understand the anger and frustration.

And I know that injustice prevails – and that the poor have no medicine because of corruption and malfeasance.