We started our day off with a homey breakfast of pancakes. Then we took a bus to the dump, where we got to tour the dump. The dump collects all of the trash from Constanza, which is a lot of trash. Some of the people we met lived at the dump or were contracted by city hall. After talking with the people of the dump for a little, we flew some kites. The kites we brought weren´t working well, so the people there made their own kites. Everyone had so much fun flying the kites, there was even a little competition for whose kite could stay in the air the longest. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take pictures of the experience. We came back to the hotel to reflect on what we had seen. We talked about what are some of the causes of poverty, how poverty is different here than back home, and how we can have an impact on breaking the cycle of poverty. Then we got to take a much needed shower before lunch. 

Next we had a mental warm up to prepare us for going to a low income school. Once we got there, the principal of the school shared her story along with stories of past students and the impact education can have on children. Then we split up into groups for face and mural painting and playing sports. We did get the chance to take a group photo with the principal and all of the kids. After that, we took a bus straight to English tutoring. Some people had some pretty challenging classes but class ended early because there was rain. We walked back to the hotel and made it back before it started to rain again. We had a fantastic dinner and then we closed out with a short nightly meeting. We are super excited about our second free day tomorrow!

Cheyanne Macklin, Oak Park/River Forest High School

Jaryah Jackson, Evanston Township High School