So, I drove an hour to the little town of Piñalejo, where the center is, and picked up two women who work with the centers.   We then drove another half an hour on a dirt path, fording two streams on the way, to the village of Montañita.  We pulled up to the school, a very humble building of crumbling cement, just in time for lunch (9:30 am).   They eat early because many kids haven't eaten at home.   So, how do you gather a meeting in a Honduran village?   Send the kids!   We sent the 6th graders to go and find their mothers, and soon a group of women gathered.   We described the program to them and told them we would be back in a week to weigh all the children to determine if they were malnourished or not.   They are to invite all their friends and spread the word that we are coming.   No TV, radio or posters here ....strictly word of mouth.

We were just getting ready to leave, and as an afterthought, I mentioned to the women that if there were any children with developmental delays, two year olds that couldn't walk, babies that couldn't use their hands well, one year olds that weren't crawling, etc., I would like to see them, too.   One of the women said her granddaughter was two and not yet walking and asked if I would go and see her.   So, we hiked straight up this mountain for another 45 minutes, through the woods overlooking this gorgeous mountain terrain, to meet her granddaughter.   We finally arrived at the house, an adobe building with a dirt floor, and a wood burning stove built of adobe in the corner, where the mom was cooking rice and beans.   This little girl was 25 months old and looked like a 6 month old.   She weighed 17 pounds, and couldn't walk because she was so severely malnourished.   She had the pot-belly of severe malnutrition, and huge eyes. She was drinking a lot of sugar water, or rice water, but wasn't old enough to eat enough beans to keep her well nourished.   We spoke to her mother, and promised to come back the next week and take them to the nitration center.   On the way back I admired the gorgeous view.   But, as I looked down into the mountain valley I couldn't help but think of all the other children hidden in humble homes in this vast expanse of mountain terrain....