Today, Simon's Grade 3 class went on a field trip to the Mururui Slum. Just 15 minutes from where we live and go to school is a "town" where people shop, work, live, go to school. Simon's class raised money to purchase school supplies for a Kindergarten class. They had backpacks made by a group of women called Jacaranda Creations (an organization that works out of the Mururui slum) and filled it with notebooks, pencils, erasers.
We went to the school and spent time reading and colouring with them. One little girl stared at Simon the whole time -- probably because he was the only white child in the group. Simon was amazed at how crowded the classroom was and how few supplies they work with. I am not sure if he fully understood the dichotomy between our life and their's but he was at least exposed to another way of life here.
The boys also had some fun in the sewing shop next door to the Kindergarten class. A group of women works there to create beautiful aprons, placemats, wall hangings, handbags. Because electricity is unreliable (or non-existent) they use the "old-fashioned" Singer pedal sewing machine.
No comments:
Post a Comment