Gift From God (and America)

Regalo de Dios, or Gift from God. Ironically, this is one of the poorest barrios of Medellin, and it is where American Mark (Marcos) Kasemen has been running his charity, Angeles de Medellin for the last decade or so. It's strange, having been exposed so far only to the most civilised side of Colombia, to be in a place where water runs on a good day. 

Marcos has organised a Halloween party for the local kids, and some 1,800 turn up for sweets, fruit, gifts, face painting and a haunted house (filled with terrifying gringos in drag). Volunteers are a mixture of Colombians and extranjeros, aged from 8 to around 40.  Marcos instructs us in the strangest Spanglish I think I will ever hear, but the message is crystal to us all.  

I'm not that child-minded, but seeing how happy these little guys are to get a handful of sweets is moving, especially against this harsh backdrop of movie-set poverty. Although the extravaganza officially starts at 11am, when we arrive at 9.30am to set up, the line is already around the block. Marcos is greeted with shrieks and hugs from children and grown-ups alike. We barely pause for breath before 4pm when the last of everything is gone. 

It's heartbreaking, but also inspiring to see how one man can make such a difference.  To find out more about the wonderful work Marcos has done, visit his site and Facebook pages. 

http://angelesdemedellin.blogspot.com/