Gladys

Today I went to my second day of volunteering at Carita Feliz. I walked down Calle Xalteva at 7:30am, and the skies threatened to open up any second. Kids in their school uniforms sauntered along the sidewalks, and some on bikes as well. As I got closer to Carita Feliz, the sidewalk became dirt puddles, but the houses remained brightly colored, though smaller. CR is on a mud-dirt road. A man had swept up the garbage so the dirt was raked into neat geometrical patterns. I got there early and had a chance to chat with Gladys, the teacher. She described the programs of CR a bit more. They have all kinds of classes- Spanish, English, cooking, dance, music, art, and a preschool. They serve lunch and dinner to the kids, who all come from very poor families. Gladys often brings small gifts for the kids, to motivate them and make them feel good about their work- school supplies, cookies, candy, etc. She bought a piñata today from the kids in the art class to give to kids in her neighborhood who don´t have enough money to buy their own.

I worked with Maria Jose today. She´s in 2nd grade and needs practice reading, so we read La Gigante Egoïste together and she taught me about the seasons in Nicaragua. After class, there was a torrential rainstorm. Gladys sat with me and shared a Rubén Darío poem with me, patiently explaining to me the words I didn´t know. She then said I could borrow the book for the weekend and lent me her umbrella. I feel so lucky to have the chance to work with her.