Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 19 OcTOber 2017

Puerto Rico youth stranded with school still out from storm

I’d like to go to school,” system has been pushed to
he said as he took a break no sooner than Oct. 30.
from riding his bike past It’s not just the elementary
downed power lines and and secondary schools.
tree limbs in San Juan. Universities and trade
The storm swept across the schools are also closed or
island Sept. 20, causing at on limited schedules, forc-
least 48 deaths, accord- ing young people to put
ing to the official tally. It their lives on hold or move
caused widespread flood- to the U.S. mainland to pur-
ing and knocked out the sue their dreams.
entire power grid for the Luis Sierra, a 19-year-old
island of 3.4 million people. studying to be a chef,
All 1,113 public schools re- spent a recent afternoon,
main closed, though 167 shirtless in the blazing after-
have served as community noon sun, keeping an eye
centers for children and on his family’s stuff at an-
elderly people to spend other school-turned-shelter
part of each day and get in Toa Baja, west of San
breakfast and lunch. The Juan. The school where
education department he studies says it won’t re-
announced Wednesday sume until August. “I’ve lost
that it was raising the num- this year,” he said.Some of
In this Friday, Oct. 13, 2017 photo, children journal about Hurricane Maria at Ramon Marin Sola ber of campuses used in the public schools in better
Elementary School which opened its doors as a daytime community center after the passing of this way to 190.An addi- shape are being used as
Hurricane Maria in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Some children are writing about what they bought
before the storm and what they lost, and what they hope for their home. tional 99 schools are being community centers, where
(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) used as shelters for about students can come to play
5,000 people sleeping in and eat a hot meal cooked
By BEN FOX around a soccer ball and what was left of the fam- classrooms like the Arroyo by the school cafeteria
COLLEEN LONG run through the hallways. ily’s clothes in a plastic gar- family.As authorities try to staff.In darkened class-
Associated Press They are bored and in- bage pail. “I miss studying.” figure out how to re-open rooms at the Ramon Marin
HATILLO, Puerto Rico (AP) creasingly frustrated, a It’s not any easier on her the schools, they must con- Sola elementary school, as
— Alanys Arroyo and her combination widely felt mother, Yahaira Lugo, front the fact that about 70 rain poured down outside,
little brothers have been by young people across who has started to despair have been too damaged fourth-graders played Con-
cooped up in a school for Puerto Rico as the island re- about how to keep her by the storm to reopen, nect Four and Parcheesi.
weeks, but they aren’t in mains stuck in place nearly four children occupied. some with foundations un- Others worked on a Hurri-
class. They’ve been living in a month after the hurri- “What do I do with them dermined by landslides, cane Maria journal, writing
a campus-turned-shelter in cane. all day?” she said. “There’s and many have no regular about what they bought
western Puerto Rico since Most schools remain nothing. No TV. No internet. water service. Few, if any, before the storm and what
Hurricane Maria flooded closed, leaving kids to pass Our books are gone and have power. they lost, and what they
their home and destroyed the time playing on top- there’s no place to go.” Teachers were supposed hope for their homes.
their belongings, trying to pled trees or using precious Kids will be kids and many to report back to their as- “We’re trying teach them
pass the time while their phone battery on video seem to be making the signed schools Monday to how to be happy again,”
family waits for help to re- games, waiting for life to re- most of what for some at prepare for a resumption said school director Zoraya
place the apartment it lost turn to normal as the adults least feels like an extended of classes next week, but Cruz. “We’re not worried
in the storm. around them struggle to vacation. But 15-year-old Education Secretary Ju- about the curriculum right
Fifteen-year-old Arroyo put their own lives back to- Andy Gualdado says the lia Keleher now concedes now. We want them to feel
reads or helps her mother gether. novelty has worn off and that was too ambitious comfortable and safe.”
clean the classroom where “The days are long,” Ala- he misses friends he used and only some will open. Nine-year-old Celiz Torres
they sleep. The boys kick nys said as she washed to talk to every day. “Now, The start date for the entire said she helped her moth-
Sao Paulo schools to ad processed pellets to meals er with trying to clean their
house to pass the time be-
fore school started, but she
Associated Press Sao Paulo Mayor Joao Earlier this month, Doria an- ers can be eaten directly. jumped at the chance to
SAO PAULO (AP) — Doria said Wednesday he nounced an agreement Doria did not specify which go back to school, even
Some public schools in expects several schools to with a processing com- would be given to schools. for a few hours. “I missed
Brazil’s biggest city will be- begin incorporating the pany as part of a hunger- Brazil made great strides at my friends and my teach-
gin augmenting meals for food pellets into meals by fighting initiative. reducing extreme poverty ers,” she said.Many stu-
children with pellets made the end of the month. The pellets are made of de- this century. dents and young people
of reprocessed food items Human rights groups have hydrated leftovers. However, the current eco- left for the mainland U.S.,
that were close to expira- criticized the pellets, saying Some are mixed into other nomic crisis is affecting mil- though the exact number
tion. they are degrading. foods, like cakes, while oth- lions of families.q is not yet known. q