Calheta de São Miguel, Santiago island - Cape Verde - (Day 1 early afternoon) - The handing out of the presents (cont.) - The 25th of February 2017

We had lunch at Nate's, which was very tasty (as it always is) but soon started the distribution again, this time to one of Nate's daughters, Leidina, who had just been back from the Carnival parade.

Leidina

We couldn't help taking a photo with some of the family members, whom we have developed a good relationship with over the years, despite the fact that there were some missing.

Ângela, Cesaltina, Leinira, Leidina, Naté and Elisabeth with Noëlle (on the left) and with me on the right with Elias on the stairs.

Because two of the neighbouring girls (Lily and Silvia) who normally collect the presents at Nate's weren't expected to come we handed their presents out to the eldest girl of the family, Elizabeth. It would soon be Isidora and Iolanda's turn to have their presents before we headed back down on our way to the pension to further distribute some of the presents we had left behind.

Isidora

Iolanda

We came across some of the village children and because some of them had just got themselves "godparents" we decided to walk back to the pension with them, as they were dying to see what had been brought for them.

If on one hand the handing out of the presents is always emotional, it is more so when they get presents for the first time, this being the case of Elizandro, Elizabeth, Alicia, Eliana and Edneia, who unexpectedly found out they both had the same "godparents". It is "painful" to tell some of the children, who hopefully approach me that I haven't managed to get them "godparents" yet, despite the fact that I and Lucia bought new clothes and toys for all of them, which I added to some which Beta, Elsa, Catia, Adelaide and Dulce had given me before.

Elizabeth and her sister Alicia (underneath on the right) who got themselves two different "godparents (one each).

Elizandro, who got himself two "godmothers" (mother and daughter)

Eliana and Edneia who got themselves the support of  Rita Santos' brother and wife.

Eveline (who unfortunately didn't get herself a "godparent" this time).

A little boy who got himself and adolescent "godmother" who will provide him with clothes and toys till he goes to school.

Jamilson (who has had a "godmother" for the last two years) with his mother;

(To be continued)

Calheta de São Miguel, Santiago island - Cape Verde - (Day 1 late morning) - The handing out of the presents - The 25th of February 2017

Soon after we left the Carnival parade and in order to make the distribution of the presents easier, with Noelle's help, I spread the presents in the bedroom according to (basically) gender, age and number of years in the project.

We set off to the harbour area with two backpacks on our backs to distribute within one specific location where we would be having lunch at. A boat was coming ashore so I hanged around just to photograph the fishermen.

Before we made our way uphill we stopped by Dona Celeste briefly, so as to offer her a neckless and some earrings together with a bottle of blessed water from Lourdes, once Celeste is a rather pious lady.

Half way up the hill we came across a guitar player and a singer, whose voice we immediately fell in  love with. We stayed under the shade of a tree just listening to a sequence of mornas before we decided we had to head upwards, due to the limited amount of time, despite the fact that most of the younger children we had presents for were still parading, as we could see them heading to Veneza village from afar.

The first girl I came across was Veronica, whom I gave a bracelet to apart from a note book from her "godmother" and money for the school needs. Malica, her younger sister was given presents for the second time, though this time they were from a " real godmother" and not me.

Verónica

Malica

It was Luana's turn afterwards ... and despite the fact that she doesn't show how happy she gets whenever she is handed out something from Lúcia, her "godmother" we know she does feel happily "disturbed".

Luana and her mother

As we reached Leinira's (my first "goddaughter ever) I gave her the clothes I had bought for her, before heading to the neighbour's where I handed out the presents to Jéssica Joceane and those to her niece, Jaqueline, whose mother was very happy to have got someone to provide for her daughter.

Leinira

Jaquelina and her mother

Jéssica Joceane (left)