Where love grows

ALMA - Aqui es donde crece el amor - Spanish for 'here is where love grows.'
The words are painted in cursive red letters in a plain white room smaller than many North American bathrooms, at an orphanage of about 50 toddlers and young children in Guatemala.
That phrase, a tree with hand-print leaves and a selection of books and playthings, serve as a lingering reminder of the one week a group of young Nova Scotians visited this Central American country for no other reason than to do good.
And for Charlotte Green, that one day spent at FundaniÑos orphanage - where she and others built this library in memory of her son Keigan Lucas, lost in a tragic car crash last summer - was the emotional culmination of a week of hard work and charity.
She was a mother who'd lost a child, surrounded by children who'd lost their mothers and fathers - but neither their loss nor hers marked the day.
"It was extremely emotional. I watched the video today and just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes," she said. "It was hard … It was probably one of the harder things that I've done since August."
The caretakers at FundaÑinos had some idea that the library they were building was to be in memory of Keigan, but they didn't know the whole story.
And Green remarked that her story changed their outlook on the significance of the library. They just kept telling her, "thank you for sharing a part of your heritage with us."
The children present sang her a song and presented her with a keepsake picture with a verse. She felt joy at the same time as sadness, she said.
"And it was a good day for me - because as soon as the room cleared out a little bit, the kids were at the bookshelf, looking at their new books.
"Just to see that happen, and to see it all come together, it was an amazing experience. I'm so happy that I was a part of it."
In the library, they hung a picture of Keigan below another Spanish phrase, declaring the room in his memory. A selection of his favourite books adorn another shelf, held upright by two of his boots serving as bookends.
Green, who'd travelled with Northumberland Regional High School Students - Rotary Interact members - had already spent more than a week in Guatemala, and visited a total of four orphanages.
It's instilled a desire in her to do more for these children.
She had been paired with a young boy from another orphanage, which translates its name as Life Unlimited. She brought him a pair of soccer cleats and shin guards. Now, it's a small gesture, and Green admits the cleats didn't cost very much, but to that boy, they were priceless.
"I showed up the next day. I said hi to him and he said hi back. Then he ran around the corner and came back two seconds later with his soccer ball and his cleats on. It's amazing to be able to provide that kind of joy for one child." she said.
"I feel like I did something, but I feel like there's so much more that needs to be done. I've already spoken to people and am already thinking ahead to the next fundraiser in Keigan's memory so that we'll have more money to do more."