Hola from Esteli,

Last night we started to live like a local by having no electricity (no lights, no fans, and no sockets) and doing bucket showers for 24 hours. Today we visited La Estanzuela and met Dona Nubia and her community. We all had a great time bonding with our assigned families as they were very welcoming and loving. Many of us had memorable moments of making different foods, playing soccer, and other chores.

Today we and our peers learned how happiness still pertains in poverty areas. This was seen first-hand by the locals as they interacted with their family and with their neighbors.

One of the biggest surprises today was the feeling of warmth and openness by the families at the community to us. Another surprising factor was when Dona Nubia thanked “God” for allowing this day to happen.

Everyone was very respectful in regards to the “Living like a Local Day”. This included having beans for all meals of the day (living on 1 dollar a day lifestyle), having no electricity, and having bucket showers. This really showed how everyone embraced the day and the opportunity to live like a local.

(Rishi) The most inspiring person I had met today was my local family, they were the most inspiring because they showed happiness through their interactions they had with one another. Also the way that they made good of what they had, whether it was food or clothing.

(Tejas) The most inspiring person I had met to was Andy and his best friend who I had bonded over soccer, basketball and love for fruit snacks. They had so much happiness in their lives, which shows how no matter the situation you are in, there is always a positive outlook in life.

Being Leader of the Day, was a surprising journey from start to finish. This job was not a joke or a position to take lightly, and we both complemented each other in our leadership qualities. We learned to more assertive in our actions, and when to speak up but also speak less.

We learned to always have a positive outlook in life, and no matter how tired you are, or distressed, it is beneficial to stay motivated and be happy with whatever you have.

Thank you to everyone who has been commenting on the blogs, as we have been reading them out during our nightly meetings. We hope that you continue to read the upcoming blogs and type comments to your child and us.

Yours truly,

Rishi and Tejas