Nica Journal
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One Ball. Two Friends.
John kicks the soccer ball with a local boy on our way back to the hotel.
End Product
Eight students show off the bracelets they made.
Work in Progress
Selecting beads to for a bracelet modeled after the one on the left.
Taking a Break
Cami breaks her focus to smile while making a bracelet.
Learning From Local Women
This afternoon we learned jewelry making using locally sourced beads from a women's co-op.
Chase Around the Toilet
Andrew plays chase with students at the end of the day around the latrine. Dangerous play!
Community Involvement
School children remained at the end of their school day to help us bring rocks up the hill.
Fire Line
The whole group passes rocks up the hill to fill foundations for retaining walls.
The Occasional Worker
I do occasionally put down the camera to shovel and carry concrete.
Sisyphus of Nicaragua
There is always more concrete needing to be mixed.
Long Lost Sisters?
Cami and a local girl acknowledge their resemblance and pose for a photo.
Tortilla and Beans
Each student was able to cook his or her own tortilla.
Looks Simple
Trying to make a thin, round tortilla proves more difficult than it sounds.
Grinding
Bijoy takes a turn grinding the soaked corn.
Our Hostess
Over the past two days our students were welcomed into a local home to learn how to make tortillas and ask questions about life in the village.
The Walk to School
Each day we ascend a steep hill to the school.
Day Ends
Time lapse of the day's end as we headed off to dinner. Click to watch the 20 second video.
Then Purchase
The ledger showing all of our chocolate purchases. Sorry to ruin your "surprise" gift.
Taste
After listening and looking on our tour of a local chocolate "factory" we were finally able to taste.
Listen
We were introduced to the process of making chocolate before touring the very simple "factory."
Restaurant with a View
A view from our dining room.
Calm Below
The storm clouds broke as we left the work site.
Shoe Duty
Two school children help load our muddy shoes into the truck. Our new routine includes bringing a change of clothes and footwear for the bus.
Recruiting
Crystal teacher, running coach and star chaperone, Andrew Hutchinson, raced some local children before boarding the bus back to town.
Nombres Mismos
Having the same name creates a bond across languages and cultures.
Say Cheese
Sra. Sargent captures smiling students as we clean up after working.
Leaving a Mark
After two days of mixing concrete we left a signature mark that will be covered with red tile.
Hard Work
Five boys admiring the fruit of their labor.
Eco Bricks
Students fill recycled plastic bottles with dirt. These will become an integral part of a retaining wall.
Sunny Work
The sun shone for most of the morning as we mixed concrete for the school floor.
Students as Teachers
Jonathan teaches five students how to complete a craft project.
Insight into Local Life
Jorge translates as the local preschool teacher (woman in red) tells us about her life. She walks six kilometers to school to teach a preschool class on the front porch of a local leader. As a teacher in training her current monthly salary is $35 a month. We are building a new preschool building for her.
Feliz Cumpleaños
We celebrate Sra. Sargent's birthday with a cake from a local bakery.
Ceramica Negra
With our working afternoon rained out we went to learn the art of black pottery, a traditional Nicaraguan craft.
Mud
The word of the day is without a doubt mud. We all got amazingly muddy. Don't worry, we got clean too.
When in Nica...
... stop when there are cows in the road.
Worked
A morning of work left half the bus asleep. The other half made up for the noise, though.
Trench Warfare
Those who were not mixing concrete or doing crafts were digging trenches for a retaining wall.
We Mix. He Pours.
After laying a metal substrate, students mixed concrete and delivered it for the floor of the school.
Caring
One reason that Seeds of Learning is working with this community is their dedication to the community school. Flowers are one manifestation of this love for the school.
Play Is A Universal Language
Kirk and this young girl became fast friends playing games on the floor together long after other students had left for lunch.
Waste No Water
Water is a scarce resource in most communities. We collect rain water to use in mixing concrete.
Amigos
A New Game
With rain dripping from the roof, catching drops became a new game.
Mr. Davis Made Me
The machete is a common tool in Nica (not for our kids). I made Bijoy pose for this photo.
