Hi! My name is Heather Schacher and I go to Andrew Hill High School in San Jose, California. When I first heard of Global Glimpse, I was really motivated to be a part of such a program where students could help change the world and make a difference. I never expected that I would learn that making a difference in the world does not require changing it, but requires understanding the way it works.

Today was “Living on a Dollar a Day”, and very quickly I learned how much of the simple things I take for granted at my home back in the United States. Last night myself and the group were thrown completely out of our comfort zone when without much warning, the group was told that we would have to go the night without electricity or running water. Little candles became our best friends as we got ready for bed. I couldn’t say the same for the single bucket of water we were given for our shower… This morning we all woke up bright and early and began our day with our adopted families in the small community of Isiqui. Each glimpser got a taste of what life was like in Isiqui with activities like washing clothes on a wash board, and making tortillas from scratch. It took only a matter of hours for each one of us to feel like part of the family.

After having lunch with our families, we said goodbye and headed to the field in the center of the community to play with all the children. Seeing the children’s glowing smiles as they collected candy from the Pinata, or ran around playing tag, was the highlight of the day for many us.

Words cannot describe the experience that each of us had today with our separate families. For many of us, such a simple life is hard to comprehend, especially since we are so used to the hustle and bustle of our lives back home. What is I learned today, is that richness is not about how much stuff a person has, but how happy they are. The people in Isiqui may not have many “things”, but they sure are the happiest bunch of people I have seen! “Living on Dollar a Day” definitely opened our eyes to what is truly important in life, and reminded us what life is really about.

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