“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” -Benjamin Franklin
Hello from your leaders of the day: Gene, Albert, and Jeremy! Today, our Glimpsers had the opportunity to be involved in an incredibly ambitious project with the intent of helping the community. Our Community Action Project (CAP) is the culmination of an intense week of intricate planning, discussing, and hoping. After the results of the day, we believe our hard work has most definitely paid off.
We began the day with an early 7:00 wake up call, utilizing Gene’s incredible cover of the song “Newsies,” to motivate the Glimpsers. After a walk to Roma Santa, our Glimpsers enjoyed another amazing meal of breakfast sandwiches, fried eggs, and a variety of fruits. After catching a quick glimpse of the World Cup at breakfast, we quickly headed off to our CAP Project.
Before the project, we had already assigned roles to each Glimpser to cater to our strengths and effectively accomplish the goals we had set for ourselves. Six “Supervisors” were in charge of leading the others and making key decisions for the CAP. Four “Purchasers” had helped us purchase all the materials needed beforehand, which were already transferred to Carlos Garbay the day before. Around 10 “Painters” formed a crew whose goal was to paint the various tires, playground structures, and arrows at the site, while the rest were put into “Manual Labor”, the main crew to work with the champas, or the grass that we were to plant in order to give the students a place to play.
After breakfast, we split up into two buses: the painters went into the smaller bus, with two supervisors, and headed straight to the site to start painting. The manual labor crew, with four supervisors, headed off in the larger bus to get the champas. To obtain the grass we needed, the manual labor crew used hoes to cut rectangles of grass, which were then loaded onto a truck assembly-line style. Afterwards, these were transported to Carlos Garbay, where they were placed on top of the fresh soil recently brought to the school and watered.
Meanwhile, the painters met with Carlos Garbay’s director and acquired the supplies to initiate the working process as soon as possible. Equipped with masks, gloves, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, paint buckets, and brushes, the painting team immediately began painting the numerous tires located around the campus. Under the supervision of the director, our Glimpsers worked efficiently before the manual labor crew arrived. Several of the workers from the manual labor crew then split off to create stencils in order to get a head start on spray painting the arrows around the campus.
Working tirelessly and constantly under the sun, both of the teams’ hard work was visible after spending nearly 4 hours at the site. We had successfully painted 75% of the 110 tires and both of the playground structures we had originally planned, as well as 15% of the arrows. The manual labor crew had filled approximately half of the field with champas. On Monday, we plan to finish painting the remaining tires, arrows, and footprints. We also hope to fill the remainder of the field with the grass.
After heading back to eat a delicious lunch at Roma Santa (fish, rice, and vegetable soup), we headed back to the hotel to review our progress and briefly plan for Monday. Then we had an hour of free time, where several groups of Glimpsers had the chance to go to various shops while others took a shower in order to prepare for English tutoring. We were split into two groups after this free time, where those of us who tutored yesterday remained at the hotel for mandatory relaxation time, while those who relaxed yesterday headed off to tutor English. The two groups reunited at dinner time at Roma Santa.
For dinner, Mama Isabel served us chicken pasta, salad, and herbal tea (good for your skin!). We then returned to the hotel where our Program Coordinator Jerry led a seminar for tomorrow’s activity, in which we will experience working and living like a local. At our nightly meeting, our new GGL’s Clarisse and Nancy L. presented their talent of reciting every Glimpser’s name backwards. We handed off the Leadership torch to them, and are about to get some rest after the long day we had today, expecting another fun and educational day “Living and Working Like a Local” tomorrow.
Big love to all our friends and family,
Gene, Albert, and Jeremy
Will,
I wonder if your crew needs some signs made and installed? You’re the guy for that.
Nice project everyone. Lots of kids will have a nicer place to enjoy. Thanks.
Hi Nancy
Hiya Nancy!! You’re finally going to be Leader of the Day tomorrow! Wish I was there to see your talent heh. You’re probably really tired by now but all of your guys effort is going towards something amazing, so KEEP IT UP!!! Excited to read your blog tomorrow. Even tho we don’t comment on every blog, we’re still caught up on your adventures!!
P.s.- I’m in NYC rn and it smells like SF but I’m still enjoying my time here. Let’s update each other when we get back!
Hi Skyler, it sounds like your having so much fun. Good luck on the rest of your project and I hope you love the rest of your trip. I miss you so much and I can’t wait to hear all of your fabulous stories when you get home.
Good work!! The colorful tire planter would look so beautiful in the park. I liked the phrase mentioned in the post “the mandatory relaxation time” a down time is much appreciated after a hectic day! Keep the good work going, we are so proud of you.
How are you Shreysi? I wonder when would you call next time. Please mention in the next post when will glimpsers get a free day to call home. We are all doing well and already started the countdown for you to come back- love mommy
Skyler (and crew),
The Benjamin Franklin quote is perfect! GREAT job to everyone! Hard work and a beautiful outcome! From the photos the colors make it look happy and inviting 🙂 I know the locals are very appreciative and I’m sure your feelings of accomplishment for them is personally rewarding 🙂 What a fantastic experience for you all! Can’t wait to read more!
Love,
Aunt Sherri
Ben! So sorry I didn’t get in contact with you before you left. You seem to be having a great time and I’m so excited to hear all about it when you get back. Enjoy the rest of the time there because it’ll go by so fast! Can’t wait to hear all about it!
Mrs. Pham
Hello Jeremy and glimpsers,
Wow, this is one of the big project so far.
We think this will be a rewarding experience for all of you and will give you a new look on the world around you. We are sure you all have grown from this experience. All your work mean a lot for the students in that school. Nice work kids!
We miss you and can not wait to see you.
Love you Jeremy!!!
Mom and Dad
Shreysi, even as you may be beginning to wind down the trip, that was a lot of work for one day by the crew. Now you can help me paint our room 😉 carry water and snacks on such adventures. Hope you and friends are keeping healthy. Looking forward to Saturday blog!
Jeremy,
Glad to see that you’re working hard and doing well! It’s awesome that you all are putting in so much work, passion, and effort, and seeing how much you guys could actually get done- truly applaudable! I can’t wait to see you again when you come back, but in the meantime, enjoy yourself (don’t miss home too much haha) and continue changing the world little by little! We’re all very very proud of you ^^
Your favorite cousin,
Elaine
You guys are doing great! Sounds like a lot of fun too, I hope you guys are experiencing new and amazing things and making memories while you’re there :))
Your projects look like they’re shaping out really nicely and it’d be great to hear more about them 😀
GREAT JOB GUYS!!
You’re all doing so great on the project! It is very inspiring to see all your planning and mental hard work transition to physical hard work. Thank you for sharing with us! Plus, the food sounds amazing! Zack, we miss you, love you and can’t wait to get back to video games! Love, the Coughlin Kids! P.S. Hi, Zack!!
Hi Kai,
Looks like you are working hard in that photo! Good thing you were able to rest and lounge for a bit the day before!
Proud of all the work you and the rest of the group are doing. I’m sure the children are very appreciative of all you are doing for them and hope you are feeling a sense of accomplishment as well.
Keep up the good work!
Love, Mom, Dad, Kayla and Aiden