Today we continued our CAP project. After we finished securing the last pieces of gypsum, we began to paint the walls white and blue. When lunchtime came along, we stopped and passed out our lunches (we bought some for the dads and our English tutoring students that helped us). We had a hamburger patty with tomato sauce, rice, and salad. After lunch, we continued painting. When we finished, the students of the school recited two poems. Thanks to the sudden rain, two dances were canceled.

In the very beginning of our project, we thought it would be very difficult to finish it within two and a half days, but with the help of four dads from the school community, it became a lot more manageable. Through this experience, we learned to not waste anything. With the money everyone had donated, we needed to make sure that we didn’t waste any of the materials we bought. The dads that helped us build the classroom made use of almost every piece of wood. They connected the smaller pieces of wood together securely, making sure no wood was wasted. Thanks to the expertise and help of the dads, as well as that of our English Tutoring students, we were able to finish everything on time.

As for my experience of being the leader of the day, I was very nervous about being the leader. Even though it was a bit difficult for me to be the leader, everyone was very encouraging and positive. Being the leader made me realize that since I’m so used to letting others lead, it was harder for me to try to lead. I learned that I should try going out of my comfort zone more often and push myself to do more things.

Group photo with the community members who made our CAP project possible!

Diana hard at work painting the classroom blue and white to honor both the school’s color scheme and the Nicaraguan flag.

Jennifer putting in work!

Joanna takes a turn with the paint roller.

The intermediate class celebrated a student’s birthday on the final day of tutoring. Happy birthday, Glenda!