A Day Late

So, as you noticed, I was late getting yesterday's post up...  Here it is:

Today was a full day of escuelas.  We handed out 200 backpacks in 3 different schools!  It was a lot of fun, and very interesting to see how the kids acted differently at each school.  We all felt it was easier to communicate.  I think that was because they used more gestures, plus they had a bit more English training.  We still had a lot fun at all the schools.  The first one we played soccer in the small field during their break. The kids there didn’t all get backpacks.  The students were determined based on need.  One of the boys came into his class and was crying since he didn’t get a backpack.  He started having more fun when I started showing him how to take pictures with my camera.  

We had to head out to the next school, and we had one of the Nicaraguan volunteers, Carla, in our jeep.  Apparently she was one of the top students at the schools, and now she goes to a university.  She is a great example for not only all the students, but the girls especially.  They have an example of what can be accomplished. She goes to classes on the weekend, and then gets a stipend to volunteer during the week.  That is how she gets her schooling paid for.  More systems like that might do a lot for the US students that are trying to make it through school.  Granted, their schooling is a lot less expensive, making it easier for funding.  I do remember Obama talking about a tax rebate or a grant for students that do a certain amount of volunteer work.  It seems to have not been followed through, for now…  The second school seemed a bit more organized, but they were closer to town.  Proximity to an urban area helps get the school noticed and gets them help.  I am sure it also gets teachers easier.  The kids here were really sweet.  We played on the swings and just goofed off.  

We met one boy named David.  He was a very bright kid and very nice.  He is a member of a bicycle club.  He is sitting around waiting for a scholarship to go to High School.  The cost is $230 a year, but that is something that he cannot afford.  He basically has to apply and just wait.  He does help a lot around the school, and the students look up to him.  I think that is great for them to have such a good role model there.  The third school was nice.  It had the most students.  Quite a few of them could speak phrases in English.  I am always amazed at these young kids that are speaking several languages.  We played a type of tag game there.  They really seemed to respond well to us.  They even asked us to wait a bit until they got their work done so we could play more.  When it was time to leave, they were asking whether we were coming back tomorrow.   

Seeing all these kids makes me wonder how a kid from the US would fair in this type of world.  It is so different from the schools that they are used to.  I think about Lana (my girlfriend’s 7yr old daughter) being around these kids.  I am sure she would be playing with them, but would she recognize the differences?  Would she be able to understand why they live and go to school like they do?  I think more kids in the US need to know about the difficulties and differences in other places.  Their eyes would be open to so much more.  I think that they would be very willing to do more for the people in less developed countries if they were to experience it at a young age.  Kids are so much more willing to help, especially other kids.  It would be good to get them to experience what is out here.  The Give A Kid A Backpack organization does a bit of that with having kids in the US write letters when they send in donations.  Those letters are stuffed into random backpacks and the kids can find them and read them.  It is a good way for kids to be involved a little bit, but I would like to see my kids (when I have them) a little more involved.  I would like to take them to countries like this to see what other kids live like.  I think that it would be beneficial for both groups of children.  The hope for me is that my kids would grow up with a drive to help others, and change the world, even if only a small portion.

I will put photos in here later, and the next one will also be posted later.  I haven't had internet or power, so I couldn't get it all done...  I WILL HAVE IT SOON!!!!   btw,  I am coming home in the morning... I am sooo excited to see Heather again!