Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: Perspectives

Media Credit: Christine Graf/Submitted Photo Eight Cabrini students and two faculty members from the Wolfington Center spent their spring break in Ecuador to participate in an organization called Rostro de Cristo, "The Face of Christ." Students learned to live in solidarity with the community, which helped them understand what poverty was and how to conquer it. Back Row: Jeanie Gustafson and Kevin Burke. Middle Row: Jessica Zawrotny, Renee Roff, Bridget Flynn, Jen Smith, Laura Woods and Raul Yepez. Front Row: Christine Graf, Laura Gorgol and Brian Scelzo.

Imagine walking down a street of dirt, stones, sharp glass, contaminated puddles, and then witnessing children playing soccer barefoot on those same streets. Imagine the aroma of rice and beans lingering out of cane houses; and immediately thanking God that at least today, those children will be fed. A splash of Spanish is heard dancing through the streets into the neighbor's barred-up windows and thin walls. Sweat is pouring down your face as if it will never stop; the heat is unreal. You witness a whole family zip by on a dirt bike; with an infant on the drivers lap.

There is talk of the local hospital and how it only accepts cash; and if you don't have cash well then you might have to bleed to death on the sidewalk outside. As you continue on your way you see a shack with some desks inside and a chalk board. You think this couldn't be…but it is.

The governments one percent of education funding takes care of just that much. Wonder fills your head as you see that the houses are on stilts and then you notice the green water. Someone says the water comes up over houses during the rainy season and in the same five minutes, tells you hospital waste and human waste is dumped in it. A child starts to cry; it seems they have bumped an already broken finger that might have to heal itself.

A lot is going through your head. What am I doing here? Why do people have to live like this? You don't understand why God is letting such poverty exist. What you don't realize is that most of the world lives like this.

Continued...

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