Summer School!
“Claire, this kid wants to see my bra.”
“That’s great Sarah”
Ah, it’s good to be back in Granada. After a week inter-school term break I got back to Nicaragua to start work on an activity camp organised for all the little ones who fall into the 5-12 age group. But because we’re such stupid softies that age rage was stretched from 2 to 15.
Our main job was to run fun activities for our troop in the community centre next to La Prusia school, one of the schools La Esperanza sends volunteers to. After our usual crazy bus ride we had a ten minute walk through the Nicaraguan countryside with a volcano behind us to reach our place of work.
We usually started our day with some games in the field. We kept trying to go earlier and earlier to avoid the crazy sun (which seems to be much larger and stronger here) but summer in Nicaragua is a hard thing to evade! So we worked through it, came in just before the really little ones looked like they were about to pass out.
After sport we had art. That ranged from airplane-making, to doing what you want depending on how the amazing staff (Tijs, Sarah and myself) were feeling. The day usually ended with story time, a time for us all to come together and chill out. Or in some cases a time for tree climbing and beating someone smaller than oneself!
The star of the show is undoubtedly Paulo. This guy must have only celebrated his second birthday pretty recently, he wasn’t able to walk but waddle, and not much else. Paulo amazes us by being the most placid baby, possibly of all time. The kids push him over, take his toys and drink his bottle, and he just stands there looking stunned. We had a talk on looking after the environment and he sat there on his chair the whole time, looking a lot more interested than the big kids.
He is also the smartest baby I’ve ever met. When he gets hungry he points to his baby bag. And if one does not get the hint he goes over, takes the bag and places in front of someone he knows can make up his milk formula. This person usually comes in the shape of his 6 year old sister Karin, who seems to be his main carer. When we once suggested the activity camp may not be the best place for a 2 year old, she too stayed at home to mind him. So Paulo was welcomed back. It’s crazy, people in Ireland go so mad sterilizing baby things, and then you see these kids with their bottles with dirt permanent stuck to the top and a hole so big in the drinking bit that the other kids can stick their fingers in.
One of the highlights of the camp came when Sarah was kind enough to give Paulo a sugar loaded juice. This happened at the same time the child was given his first multi-vitamin tablet, which he chewed and sucked at until it was gone. Although I´m sure these things are great with their vitamins and what-not, they rival the juice in sugar content! The two were enough to push little Paulo over the edge. In a matter of minutes he had lost his pants, covered himself with water and waged war on everyone. He ran around punching and kicking the air, then running so fast he`d fall over dramatically with his legs flying up behind him. He was still high when he starting making his way home, wearing only a tee-shrt. Really don`t want to know what his mother thought of us after that!
After two weeks of good wholesome fun it was time to bid farewell to Granada, and Nicaragua. I made quite an impressive exit at 5am one Friday morning. The taxi rode up with his tinted windows and reaggaton (Latino hiphop) music blaring, and we roared through the streets. Music didn`t stop for the whole hour long drive. Not sure I want to hear raeggaton for a while again!
Where the magic happens. The community centre in La Prusia
Tijs herding the crowd
Sarah sets up a game
Rare time we got one of them working
Sarah deciding whether the tablets would be ok for a baby.
Paulo before sugar high
And after….
This may have also been taken during the sugar high….
Tags: 8 - Nicaragua, Granada, nicaragua, Travel, Volunteering
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Summer School! » TravelBlog Archive » Claire takes on the world….
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Summer School! » TravelBlog Archive » Claire takes on the world….