Anger Volcano and Education

Yesterday we went into a remote village near the volcano. The villagers gathered their sick to see us, as their opportunity to see a doctor is almost impossible for the weak and very sick and very difficult for the others. Its hard to describe the feelings of walking through the villages and going inside the tiny grass huts and seeing disabled men and women who are just not able to get out. They are always so brave, grateful and happy that it absolutely breaks your heart. Or the feeling of soaking in hotsprings with lush green vegetation crawling up the steep red cliffs on one side with the waves crashing in front and the Angry Volcano grumbling and exploding behind. While we were there we met a lady who spoke very good english. She had learned to speak english in NZ, she had been there for the past three years working. Assuming the tiny little girl she held was her first baby I asked her about it. She said no she had five pikininis. Her oldest was about seven or eight she said. She asked if they were with her. She said no she left them with her mother to tend while she was gone. I asked her why she went. She said it was so that she could earn the vatu so her little children and I am assuming other village children could go to school. She said it is so very hard and many of the villagers wish to send their children but have no way. In this village, there is absolutely no way to earn any vatu unless they send away their people. Her story is so familiar to many of the people here.