When 95 year-old Diogenes could no longer walk, his daughter Mirla became his full-time caregiver. They and Mirla’s three young children ages 3, 5, and 8 all live together in a small two-room house. She showed us a hot plate outside her back door and said that her cooking space used to be inside the house, but she had to move it outside to make room for Diogenes’ bed. Diogenes receives a small pension from his railroad job which is less than the government payment to senior citizens who don’t have pensions. It is the family’s only reliable source of income. Caring for a father and three small children means that any work Mirla can do to supplement their household budget has to be done from home, so she makes and sells empanadas for the neighborhood once a week and also makes decorative cement pots to sell in front of the house. Diogenes has other children, but they are unable to contribute any assistance, so it falls on Mirla to provide everything for her father. She does it with a cheerful and loving heart. Caring for an elderly parent is an admirable tradition in the Panamanian culture. Mirla’s children are healthy and happy. They were excited about the food delivery, especially the chocolate bars that are donated every month by one of our corporate sponsors, Agros Nosotros. We feel fortunate to be able to assist this family with monthly food support and, with the funds that are provided by all of our generous donors, we are able to add even more deserving families like this one. |
Replies