Because of the awesome generosity of family and friends, I was able to go on a shopping spree at WalMart and purchase school supplies (45 notebooks, pencils, glue, scissors, crayons, pencil sharpeners, whiteboard markers, rulers and abacuses) and recess equipment (basketballs, soccer balls, American footballs, volleyballs, air pump, bat and ball).Glenn and I completed our day at the American School and hopped in a taxi to head over to the Manuel Aguilar Juarez School in Las Granjas, a run-down neighborhood in a very poor area on the outskirts of Tuxtla.
The kids were thrilled to see us! They were very excited to play with their new recess equipment and they couldn't get close enough to Glenn and me. They followed us around and were literally tripping over one another to get as close as possible to their visitors. I'm sure these
students don't often, if ever, see people from other countries and they certainly make a big deal out of it.Glenn ended up putting on five different science shows, visiting each of the five rooms in the school. It's interesting because the classrooms are not divided by age - first grade does not necessarily have the youngest kids. They are divided based upon how many years the student has been in school. For example, Ana is 12 years old, but this is her first year in school so she's in the Level 1 classroom. This could be challenging for a teacher because the maturity level varies a lot from a 6 year old to a 12 year old, but they make do.
The two hours we spent at the school flew by, but we've already discusses returning as Glenn would like to put on another show before we leave Mexico in July. It was one of our favorite experiences while living in Mexico and it sure adds excitement to the kids' day!THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your generosity and kind spirit. You're the big-hearted people that put the smiles on the kids' faces that day.
In a world full of poverty and hunger, we have many reasons to count our blessings.
**With the money donated from friends and family, I was also able to pay for the kids to attend school during the 2007-2008 school year. I will return to Tuxtla from Guatemala next Spring to pay for the following year, as well. The plan is to pay for the Morales kids to attend school through secondary, but I'm hoping I'll have success encouraging them to continue on to the university. Education makes everything possible!
