A few of us have chosen to work at Panamá, an elementary school which has become a special project of La Mariposa: a.k.a. Paulette Goudge, the woman behind it all. Panamá is located high in the hills of the near volcano Masaya , and for this very little can grow there: the ash is only hospitable for pineapple and cactus fruits, which need little water.
Not only is the land challenging for agriculture, but the gasses from the volcano cause respiratory problems as well. Furthermore, the altitude makes it impossible for any sort of ground water; so water must be brought up a few times a week to the school and the community via a pair of oxen. Right now the oxen are recuperating from castration, so water is brought by truck of hand cart in smaller quantities.
All that’s the back story to the school there, which serves about 100 students morning and afternoon (students go for half the day only, with younger one in the morning). A few impressions:
The children are so eager to learn. They are proud of their notebooks, their pencils, their book bags and their rulers. They are proud of reading words, maps, los signos (signs) of mathematic. They beam energy: playing fotból in the school yard, raising their hands to answer a question in class, rushing to the front of the room to have their finger pricked to be tested for malaria. They laugh at seeing their pictures reflected back in our digital cameras, and take turns posing for us, adopting tough stances of boxers and soccer stars, or making the victory sign of peace.
We spent some time in the library reading to those who are learning, or for those who already have some skills, they read to us ~ and corrected our pronunciation when we read gringo Spanish. An excellent bi-lateral exchange!
We will spend the next few mornings here – and this afternoon I will practice my math vocabulary . . .it’s back to second grade for me, with pleasure.
Elana
I miss those kids...:(
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