Cape Verde, Calheta de São Miguel - The handing out of the presents -The 9th of November 2013 (afternoon)

(...)

We walked towards the fishing bay and turned left and was we were climbing uphill met Ismael, Jamilson, Héricles, Adriana and her sister Hélida, Katiza and Nélida to whom we handed the presents and money for the school needs.

Ismael with his "mother" (left) and Jamilson with his (right).

Héricles with his mother (left). Héricles'smile upon having received the presents (right).

Adriana (left) and Hélida (right) holding the presents sent by their "godmothers".

Veronica's mother (left) and Veronica (right).

Katiza showing the money she was given for the school needs.

Nélida holding her presents and photos (left). Holding the new dress in front of her (right).

I continued walking uphill until I reached Nate's so as to hand out the presents I had brought for her children Leidina, Lou and Elias, once Leinira had already been given hers.

Little Leidina looking at the presents (left). Lou wearing one her new dresses (right).

Elias holding the school material (left) and clothes (right) he was given.

Nate holding the four envelopes with money for the school needs of her children.

I have grown particularly attached to this family for reasons which go beyond the simple fact that I have been "looking after" one of their members. I do enjoy sitting around talking, whenever Nate and some of her children have the time. We did spend some minutes discussing the future objectives of one of her daughters who is attending the university of Law as well as the other girls' long term wishes and dreams. I vowed to come back the following day to join them for lunch.

Ângela (left) and Elizabeth (right).

Cesaltina (left) and Elias (right) eating some corn I had just been offered by Veronica.

We decided to start heading back down so as to be at the pension by three to further continue distributing the presents and the money and although I wasn't panicking yet the truth was that so far I had only been able to hand out whatever I had brought to eleven children since lunch.

I walked into Jessica Joceane's just around the corner where I met her and her mother, to whom I handed the money and the present respectively.

 Jessica Joceane's mother (left) and Jessica Joceane (right).

Before starting to walk up towards the pension I was fortunate enough to have handed the money to both Neuza and Erica's mothers, from whom I learned their children were at school but would go by the pension late in the afternoon.

Neuza's mother (left) and Erica's mother (right).

(To be continued)