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Today, we woke up earlier than usual so we could get ready to explore the neighborhood of Sor Maria Romero. Our main objective was to learn more about the Hope Project and discover what we would like to do for our Community Action Project (CAP). The Hope Project, led by Farrel Burton, is an organization that brings food and school supplies for the children of Romero, as well as shelter for their families. The goal of this organization is to learn more about the children’s stories and change their lives one at a time. While this organization has only been around for four years, the Hope Project has evolved from simply giving food to children living in the streets to sponsoring 145 children so that they can become independent and have the opportunity to pursue their dreams of becoming doctors, teachers, bankers, etc.

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Visiting Sor Maria Romero has definitely been an eye-opening experience. Prior to this field trip, none of us had any idea that there were so many people living in such extreme poverty. Many of the kids lacked basic necessities that we often take for granted, such as water, shelter, food, and education. However, despite such conditions, the children still showed a lot of compassion and joy. Even before we got off the bus, the children stood by the entrance of the neighborhood and welcomed us to their home. Although we only spent a few hours with the children, we all had a lot of fun playing soccer, breaking the piñata, coloring and drawing pictures, taking pictures, and serving lunch. Most importantly, we had a great time, gained a new perspective, and shared our love for each other.

Besides learning about the Hope Project and the Sor Maria Romero community, we also explored more in Matagalpa. We ate our first Eskimo (ice cream), drank lots of coffee at a local café, and successfully held our second English tutoring session. While today has sadly come to an end, all of us Glimpsers will remember that “we may not be able to do everything, but we can always do something.”

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