Hola from Nicaragua! We are Jennifer and Likha and we were today’s Leaders of the Day. This morning, we woke everyone up at 6:30 AM. We started off the day with some breakfast quesadillas and gallo pinto made by our very generous host. After breakfast, we started our last walk to Las Hormiguitas to finish our CAP. Once we arrived to Las Hormiguitas, we immediately began working on the final details of our project that included; designing inside and outside the bathrooms, painting the area where the panels are stored, laying out the concrete, and cleaning up the entire area we worked in.

As today’s leaders, we had to step up to make choices for the entire group, especially because it was the last day we had to work on this project. In some of the bathrooms we were able to create a vine and leaf pattern, and in the other rooms we created an underwater theme. Outside of the bathrooms and near the area where the panels are, we added designs and finished painting the walls green. The construction team finished laying out all of the concrete and leveling out the floor. After the floor and the walls dried, we as a program worked together to think of inspirational words and phrases to write on the walls for the students to read everyday. We included phrases like; “You are worth it,” “You are beautiful,” and “You can do it!”

In all honesty, a majority of us had thought that the project was not going to be finished in time. However, after three long days filled with hard work and stress, we finished the entire project. Once we finally finished, the financial director of Las Hormiguitas gave us thanks for all the time and energy we put into the project. We were able to look at the outcome and take pictures with the CAP before we walked out of the building for the very last time. We sat there and stared at all of our hard work from the past three days with the best feeling. We saw our hard work really pay off.

After we got home from Las Hormiguitas, at around 4:30 PM, we relaxed for a short amount of time before we ate dinner at around 5:00 PM. After dinner, we got ready for our last day of English tutoring. We left the hostel for our final walk to the school at 5:45 PM. We started our tutoring around 6:00. Since today was the last day of tutoring, we had a special ceremony and talent show for the last half of the class. At 7, we gave certificates to all of the students for participating in English tutoring lessons. After all of the certificates were passed out to all of the students, we had a talent show! All of the talents shown tonight were special and entertaining. There were some that sang, played their guitars, and some that read poetry as their talent. However, once the talent show was over, we all said our last goodbyes, exchanged contact information, and walked back to the hostel.

We finished our day out with our nightly meeting and a self reflection. Overall, after being Leaders of the Day, we both learned that we have to step out of our comfort zones sometimes to be able to get the group together and make important choices for the entire group. Even if we felt unsure about the CAP, we were extremely proud of ourselves to finally finish the project and make an impact on the local students that go to Las Hormiguitas everyday.

(Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Gabe from Mae!!!)