Today the group was able to get immersed in the community in La Piedra. We split into three groups - construction and teaching older and younger children. The younger children were around five to eight years old, and the older children were around ten to thirteen years old.
The construction team had a very busy day. They were hard at work helping to mix cement, move cinder blocks, and lay the groundwork for a future playground for the kids. One of the projects we are helping to build is a guest house for future volunteers, and today they finished the roof, which is an amazing accomplishment in the short amount of time we were there. While the day was physically demanding, it was rewarding to see our efforts pay off and have a lasting effect on the community.
One group taught the older children the English words for colors, numbers, and basic math. They made activities for the children to keep them engaged, such as a scavenger hunt, drawing, and a fun exam that tested what they learned that day. All of the children performed extremely well and remembered much of what we presented to them. We also rewarded them with lollipops for their hard work, and the candy was certainty a huge hit!
The other group working with the younger children taught them the alphabet in both Spanish and English, asking them how to spell words in both languages to review the letters they learned. After, the group taught numbers from 0-20, focusing on the numbers 0-10 and playing interactive games to help them reiterate the information. The children enjoyed circling numbers on the board and getting up to do actions like spinning around three times or clapping their hands seven times.
After lunch, the groups continued their work, and we also added a music class to the teaching. We sang with them and taught them basic piano skills, such as playing the C Major scale. Isabel was very impressed with the eagerness, desire, and persistence of her students to play the piano.
Overall, today was an extremely engaging day with the residents of constructing and teaching, done also finding time to organize the pharmaceutical supplies and help cook and serve a delicious lunch for the children and volunteers. We are excited to continue making progress throughout the week and get to know the community on a deeper level.
Roshni and Isabel :)
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