These guys take their baseball seriously at the Little Haiti Camp. As soon as it's dark enough, all play will stop and the film will begin.
We began movie night last fall as an experiment. There is so little to do in some of the more isolated camps at night, that movie night has become a big event. My personal goal is to show one film in each of the camps this summer. We cut up watermelon, pop popcorn, and serve bottles of water. After 8-10 hours of picking tomatoes, everyone is ready for a comfortable seat and some entertainment.
10 P.M. in the parking lot at St. Helena Elementary School. Ana is announcing to the world that it's time to go home. For teachers like Ana who work in the Migrant Day school and then 2 nights a week in the OSY program, it can be a long day.
Cristofer has a chocolate cone at Cooky Mookies on the waterfront in Beaufort. On this same day, his baby sister Candalaria was being born.
Itzel is so glad to see Nick at the Orange Grove (Paragon) Camp. Her baby sister is less than a week old. And with her 2 year old brother Cristofer and mother and father all living in one room, she enjoys a much needed diversion of piggy-back. (Thanks so much Sharon for this great photo!)
\A group photo after a class at Little Haiti Camp. We have our greatest number of students at this camp on Landsend Road.Because of their great desire for interaction with our OSY staff, we have decided to show a film at the camp tonight with popcorn and the works. I have found that some of the most teachable moments arise in this types of situations. We shall see.
In every camp there seems to be at least one person who plays the guitar who provides much needed entertainment to his fellow workers. Unfortunately, this camp musician rarely has his own guitar because of the need to travel light while in the United States, or because he doesn't have the financial means to own a guitar. As I have stated on my wish list, I would love to be able to have 10 guitars each year that I could give away to musicians like the one above. Considering the ongoing lack of entertainment in the camps, their relative isolation, and lack of public transportation into town, the importance of music cannot be underestimated.
The first rain in over a month in the lowcountry cooled things down a bit this evening at camp. And because of the rain, the tomato pickers got off work early and therefore had more time to prepare their food for dinner. The bottom line: more time for a big soccer game in the back field of the John Gay Camp on Coffin Point Road. While it was nice to see the guys having a great time, it did make it challenging to try to have class. Sometimes we attempt to make a deal with our OSY students: Give us 30 minutes of your attention, and you can have the rest of the night to play soccer. Because of their love for fútbol, I try to incorporate a soccer ball into our classes. For example, one great way to call on these students is to throw the ball to them and then have them respond to a question. Next, they will throw the ball to another and ask that student another question. Whatever it takes.
The "completely shy" Violeta steps into the Ronald McDonald dental van at Shop Camp as Faith looks on.
Being around Cristofer and Itzel brings out the little kid in my oldest son Zach. I think we should blow bubbles from time to time whether we have little ones around or not.
In addition to cleaning and filling cavities, the staff of the .Ronald McDonald emphasizes the importance of proper dental care.
Sharon enters the 8 by 40 feet mobile dental provided by Ronald McDonald Charities. Although the staff is able to perform dental checks on everyone in the camps regardless of age, they can only provide cleanings and fillings to those who are under the age of 22. If a migrant worker over the age of 21 needs further dental care, he or she is referred to the health clinic on Ball Park Rd. in St. Helena.
The need for donated clothing is great.
It takes courage for a man to join a group of children half his age in order to learn English. I think it would be easier to join many of the others who tend to stand and listen to our lessons from a safe distance away.
I am reminded of the famous quote by Pablo Picasso: It takes a long time to grow young.
Colorful bags of this flour are found in ever camp kitchen we see. The rich smell of the tortillas cooking in the evening is a memorable experience.
One of the many mothers and children in the camps.
With the help of Sharon and Colton, an intern from UNC, students have fun while discovering the power of words.
One of the topics we stress to students of all ages is the importance of being able to handle your own money. This boy at the Bayview Camp enjoys learning more about this important topic.
Lisa Santiago has worked with migrant families for many years in South Carolina and numerous other east coast states. She is affectionately known as Mama Lisa throughout the migrant camps and at the migrant day school at St. Helena Elementary School which begins on June 13, 2011. In this particular photo, Lisa is recruiting families at the Dempsey Camp on Seaside Road.
Sharon, with the help of a 4 year old student, teaches about different parts of the body while we sing "Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." Like so many children in the camps, this boy's knowledge of English is much more developed than that of his parents.
It is such a joy to see students of any age who become excited by holding a book in their hands. One of the services we are able to provide to migrant workers and their children is the distribution of RIF books (Reading is Fundamental).
Beginning at approximately 5:30 in the evening, the buses begin to return from the fields. In this particular scene, the men are returning from picking tomatoes since 8:00 am. The farm workers often use Clorox to remove the tomato stains from their hands and forearms. Since there are no washing machines in the camps, many migrant workers can be found at the local laundry mats in Beaufort late in the evening and much of the day on Sunday.
Although the heat in the camp kitchen can be unbearable, I still am attracted to this place of constant activity and excitement. Every evening the women make the tortillas, the rice, the beans, the sopa de pollo, and numerous other meals that smell delicious. Unfortunately, many of the women are in the kitchen while we are teaching lessons; however, on occasion, we will go into the kitchen and converse as the women are cooking away. This is one of my favorite photos of camp life. It brings the word "joyous" to mind.
The teachable moment. Although a migrant recruiter's first job is to complete the COE (Certificate of Eligibility), Recruiter Nick Taylor takes time to review the alphabet with a student in Shop Camp. Nick is currently in his 3rd year as a recruiter with the Beaufort County Migrant Education Program. I often see Nick working individually or in small groups with some of the younger students in the program. They seem to relate to his friendly manner and similar age.
The magic of the written word. Faith is in her 2nd year as a teacher and recruiter for the migrant program. She enjoys reading to some of the numerous children who live in the migrant camps in Beaufort County. Although tranquil in the hammock, Faith can be rather competitive in a pick-up volleyball game at Paragon /Orange Grove Camp.
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It seems that in every camp there is at least one migrant worker that plays the guitar and sings. I have thought about writing a grant for money to buy ten guitars and then pass them out to the singers and musicians in the camps. In return, these 10 guitar men would be in charge of entertaining the others in the camp on a regular basis. Music often provides a much needed diversion from the difficulties of migrant camp life.
Teacher Sharon Singleton works with Juan Carlos at Shop Camp. Although Sharon looks prepared for swarms of insects with her blue, battery-operated bug repellent around her neck, there truly is no substitute for the greatest repellent of them all: Avon's Skin So Soft.
