Yay, I made it through the first day without getting sunburnt! I probably reapplied sunscreen 15 times within the 6 hour period, but in the end I beat the heat! I didn't really know what to expect as we treked through the mountainous terrain to the preschool, but nothing could prepare me for what I was going to see. It was heartwrenching, tear-jerking, and eye opening, to say the least. The school was just a tin shack that was smaller than the average living room. There were no desks or board to write on, but even worse was the lack of a playground in the make-shift school yard. All I could ever think about in preschool, and probably up until middle school, was "recess". Where were the elaborate junglegym sets, swingsets, tire-swings, and forts built for imagination? These children barely had a school or a place to play. I was more than eager to help these children, well, be children. Afterall, playgrounds are an essential part of a child's growth and development. In a day we built a tire climb and buried tires for them to jump on. During this a child came by, too shy for words, but his smile did the talking and almost brought me to tears. I really wish I could see the rest of the children's faces when they come back to school when they see their new playground, painted in vibrant and fun colors!
-Riley