Monday, April 28, 2014

San Pablo - First Day


Our first teaching day in San Pablo was a success.  Enjoy some of the photos below, and one of the student's reflection of the day.

Today was our first day at our schools. I got into the van headed to San Pablo thinking I was not exactly prepared and didn’t know what to expect.  It turns out I was right. I wasn’t able to fully grasp the simplicity of concrete floors, rickety desks, and the open windows providing a slight breeze in the 95-degree, 65% humidity weather. I wasn’t able to fully grasp the preciousness of the small sweet smiles and how often I would hear, “Miss! Miss!” calling to me from across the room.

San Pablo is a thatch-roofed village nestled in the mountains, 9 miles down a dirt road lined with banana farms. There are five classrooms for grades 1stthrough 8th. The teachers wade through a waist-high river every day from the nearby village of Red Bank. The students are free-spirited but happy to be in school. My hope this week is to let the students know they’re loved, to help them to understand the mathematical concepts that they’re copying into their notebooks, to provide encouragement to the teachers, and to learn more about this beautiful country.

-Kayli Brooks













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