Today’s theme of the day was on poverty. We learned about the differences in how poverty affects the United States compared to Nicaragua. We also were able to learn what the cycle of poverty is and ways to try to break that cycle. Something that surprised me the most was the amounts of people that are poor yet still live happy lives.  That was astounding. But, the hardest thing to see was a little girl who went with her family to work and pick up recycled materials at the dump of Leon. While a worker was speaking, the little girl was standing next to her. Her clothes were covered in flies, and her face was covered in dirt. She didn’t even flinch as the swarms of flies landed on her and crawled over her body; it was completely normal for her—that is her life. She is only four years old at the most. It was a really dramatic experience to see how normal that lifestyle is for them and how little we do to try to help it.

I am very proud that the group was extremely respectful while at the dump and didn’t look disgusted and really tried to contain their true feelings of discomfort in front of the workers at the dump. The most inspiring person I met today was the administrator of the dump, Rose.  Her story was very motivating, and it proved that even though she has been surrounded by hardship, she never quit and tried to overcome all obstacles.

Being El Lider Del Dia today was a new experience, which I actually enjoyed. It’s hard being in charge of a group of your peers, but its also kind of nice to learn how to take that responsibility. I learned that I am a very calm person during difficult situations and can handle problems in a group but what I need to work on is being a bit more assertive. Over all, after visiting the dump and watching a very inspiring documentary on breaking the cycle of poverty I was very emotional but motivated to strive to do more for those who have less than us. The word of the day for me was HOPE.

Leon Landfill

Leon Landfill

photo 4

Rose, Landfill Administrator

Rose, Landfill Administrator