the lowdown

The kids are so freaking cute. We have a new kid in our class today who is just adorable. Anita and I can't get over it. He wore all green and you kind of just want to put him in your pocket and take him home with you. Anyways, this photo is not of him, not meaning that Alejandro here isn't cute, it's just that this other little boy is just unbelievably cute. Anyways, enough of the word "cute".

After I got a question about the program here, I figured it would be a good idea to kind of explain things better about the organization we are working with because I don't believe I ever tried. So...the organization's main focus is tutoring kids after school to help them with their studies. There is a sponsorship aspect to it, as they seek donors to sponsor certain kids, and the donors essentially pay for their education since these kids' families don't have the money to do so. It's really sad, the level of poverty they live in. They are so cheerful so it's easy to forget the things they don't and can't experience because of their lack of money.

As for the photo classes we are doing, that is an extra component to the tutoring that goes on. It isn't as constant throughout the year, as there have been I believe only a few workshops before ours with visitors/volunteers, and the lady who runs the organization has done a few workshops herself and started the idea. It is great, since it gives kids something more creative to do and helps to encourage them to continue on with the tutoring program since apparently some of them lose motivation or have other commitments like work and drop out of school and the program.

And I'm not positive how each kid gets chosen to be with the organization, but I believe it is in fact a bit of a selection process since they don't have enough facilities for all of the kids, obviously, but they are all from a neighboring barrio, so I imagine it has to do with teachers' recommendations and word of mouth.

As for cameras, all 9 of them have been donated by people for the kids to use - they are the basic little digital cameras. So we are mainly teaching them the creative, compositional side of photography, and less on the technical side. Especially since I have to keep remembering they are all between the ages of 11 and 12. Still a bit young to get too technical, especially when many are still learning to read.

So that's the lowdown on that. Today we endured maybe the hottest day of my life and spent the morning with the class, then we took them down to the market to take photos and after we went to the baseball game but this time only took pictures - didn't play. This was beacuse we had zero energy and I couldn't even imagine putting on one of those smelly gloves since it would limit the amount of fresh air that could reach my body. I'll take fresh air anywhere. I am forgetting to mention the highlight of the day (sarcasm at its best)when we had returned mid-day to the office after our long morning, and the electricty wasn't working, so again, no fans. We pulled out the rocking chairs and sat outside with our soaked towels draped over our bodies. Like old grandmas on a hot summer day. That's us.

Off to bed and no, I will NOT be taking a shower tonight since we have had no water. All day. After so much sweating and heat, no fresh shower. I am off to jump in a puddle.