Tuesday the the 20th (day 3) was a heavy day for M2A both emotionally and in our schedule. After breakfast we visited Las Hormiguitas in Susuma neighborhood, Matagalpa. Global Glimpse has partnered with them before to help with several projects. The center has programs to help children stay motivated and confident in their education. Children work in the Guanuca Street Market (selling fruit, cleaning shoes, etc.) and at the city’s dump (collecting recyclables for very few cordobas) to financially support their families, leaving little time for their education. To combat this, Las Hormiguitas takes a ‘mobile school’ to those locations, along with educators to work with the kids. We traveled to the dump to help teach them, as well as give them food, water, and a pinata.
It is safe to say that visiting the dump was a very eye opening experience for us. Dirt and trash we don’t even want to touch embodies the lifestyle and playground for these people living in extreme poverty. What is remarkable is that many Glimpsers took note that the families living there seemed happy.
In our debriefing we discussed how wealthy and materialistic our lifestyles are compared to this, and how we tend to be more pessimistic as a result. This experience has shown us how much we take for granted, seeing as people who aren’t able to fulfill their basic human needs are the optimistic and happier ones. Examples of this is how enthusiastic the children were when playing with the pinata and how eager they were to learn.
Later in the day we visited the organization that we are partnering with for our CAP project: Infancia Sin Fronteras. They are an NGO based in Spain in countries including Nicaragua, Bolivia, Honduras, Haiti, and the D.R. They run programs to foster community growth in areas like nutrition and education, especially focusing on children and mothers.
18 centers are located in Matagalpa, offering food, health, and education programs to local children.
Wow, what an eye-opening experience today! Thanks for sharing how your perspective shifted about optimism and happiness with respect to physical possessions. Can’t wait to hear more about your CAP project as that comes together!
Wow! Such an eye opening and humbling experience for all those you. I love the joy you brought to those children in the pictures! Great job guys!!!!
What an experience for all of you, to see how other’s live in other parts of the world, and yet appreciate one and other and thankful for what they have. I hope you guys take this experience to heart, that happiness is within, that has nothing to do with physical possession. Great job and love you guys!!!
What an experience for all of you, to see how people live in other parts of the world, and yet appreciate one and other, and thankful for what they have. I hope you guys take this experience to heart, that happiness is within, and has nothing to do with physical possessions, great job guys!!!
What an enlightening experience for all of you to have. Not many your age can understand the correlation between possessions and happiness or the lack of. Bravo for all of you to take this to heart. ❤️
Wise words from such young minds! Please keep in your hearts what you felt, saw, and experienced. Empathy is a trait that will help you appreciate the lived experiences and subsequent perspectives of others and that is what will shape you into an informed leader; our future is in your hands!
“While you are with us,
you belong not to us,
For your souls dwell in a
place of tomorrow
Which we cannot visit,
Not even in our dreams.’
(Lisa Delpit)
I will be VERY interested in hearing more about your trip – and seeing if you have pics to show us!