Day 3

This is Elizando. He has kind of adopted me. He worked his little behind off yesterday. He said that he was supposed to go to school from 12 till 5, but at about 12:30 he showed back up and we never could get him to explain why he wasn't in class. Every time we asked he evaded the subject or ran off with the wheelbarrow.

He is 10 years ald and has 5 brothers and one sister. One brother is younger than him (8) and his sister is 23.

Today I know he went to class in the afternoon, because when we walked by getting ready to leave for the day, he was at the door to the classroom, saying "Ricardo" and waving.

Omar told me that the school only goes up to 7th grade and then the kids have to go to a different town to school. Most of them don't go.

The town this school is in is very, very poor, even by Nicaraguan standards and the homes in the area do not have electricity or running water. This house looks like a mansion compared to most of them. Some are made completely of tin and I have even seen one that was just sticks in the ground with plastic tarps around it and a tin roof.

Today we worked mostly preparing rebar for the construction of the feeding center. Tedious work that hurts your fingers and your back. I may be more tired today than after all the dirt moving yesterday. But all is good.