On Friday, August 4, a missionary group consisting of eight tenth-grade students and ten adults organized through Education Equals Hope* (E=H) arrived at the Hogarcito (orphanage) in San Ramón for a morning of community service. The Education Committee members organized activities as suggested by the Hogarcito’s Directora.
The CAA and E=H volunteers pulled weeds, prepared a traditional garden plot, planted a mandarina lemon tree, and installed three vertical hanging gardens that included potted herbs. The children will be able to plant more flowers, herbs, and vegetables and learn to care for plants. This required A LOT of elbow grease! Volunteers also installed a new water line and faucet near the new garden area. In addition, another group sanded, prepped, and painted the library’s metal security gate! Whew!
The CAA and E=H volunteers pulled weeds, prepared a traditional garden plot, planted a mandarina lemon tree, and installed three vertical hanging gardens that included potted herbs. The children will be able to plant more flowers, herbs, and vegetables and learn to care for plants. This required A LOT of elbow grease! Volunteers also installed a new water line and faucet near the new garden area. In addition, another group sanded, prepped, and painted the library’s metal security gate! Whew!
By 10am, the volunteers shifted their focus to the Hogarcito children (up to 12 years old), and held a fiesta for them. This included two piñatas (one for the smaller kids and one for the larger ones), cupcakes, and presents brought from South Carolina for each child. The Education Committee also donated seeds for planting, books, and crayons for the library. Thanks to Linda Dwyer for baking the delicious cupcakes—a real sweet treat! After the fiesta, the young adults and Hogarcito children played games, and a rousing game of soccer. The Hogarcito children closed it out by besting their new friends with the final kick! Goooooalllllllll!
Members of the Education Program, Johanna Fernandez/Victor Vasquez, with Jacqueline Ramirez Araya, stopped by to meet the Hogarcito staff, the E=H team members, and enjoy watching the kids engage in games/festivities.
At 11:45am, the group moved on to their next community service project at Faithful Servant Mission.
Members of the Education Program, Johanna Fernandez/Victor Vasquez, with Jacqueline Ramirez Araya, stopped by to meet the Hogarcito staff, the E=H team members, and enjoy watching the kids engage in games/festivities.
At 11:45am, the group moved on to their next community service project at Faithful Servant Mission.
On Sunday, the group from E=H plus four of our CAA scholarship students and our two program interns enjoyed an afternoon of fun and cultural interchange with the U.S. students at Balneario Las Musas. Terry Handler, Mary Huber, Johanna Fernandez y Victor Vasquez, Andrea Carter, and Dustin Dresser joined Scott to welcome and visit with the group from South Carolina and Quito, Ecuador. The young adults played games in the pool, hiked the trails, swam in the waterfall pool, and some tried out the rappelling. Lots of “Spanglish” and smiles were exchanged between the U.S. and C.R. students, and a rowdy game of “Marco-Polo-tag-you’re-it” was played in the pool.
Scott McAnally, Leader of the Education Committee, sends his appreciation to CAA member and tour director, Dustin Dresser, and his family for hosting the E=H group at Hostel Sabana and getting them to Isla Tortuga, a ziplining tour, and all over the area.
The Education = Hope group reported that the Tortuga tour and ziplines were their favorite fun activities, but the Hogarcito experience and the Faithful Servant Mission visit to the home of a Bajo Tejares family were the most impactful memories of the trip. Scott sends his thanks to the volunteers who made our visitors feel welcome and those that helped to brighten the lives of children in San Ramon.
* The CAA Education Committee partners with Education = Hope, a 501c3 not for profit located in Fort Mills, South Carolina. E = H has a parallel mission of providing education to children in the Americas and Africa. Its website is http://educationequalshope.org/.
Scott McAnally, Leader of the Education Committee, sends his appreciation to CAA member and tour director, Dustin Dresser, and his family for hosting the E=H group at Hostel Sabana and getting them to Isla Tortuga, a ziplining tour, and all over the area.
The Education = Hope group reported that the Tortuga tour and ziplines were their favorite fun activities, but the Hogarcito experience and the Faithful Servant Mission visit to the home of a Bajo Tejares family were the most impactful memories of the trip. Scott sends his thanks to the volunteers who made our visitors feel welcome and those that helped to brighten the lives of children in San Ramon.
* The CAA Education Committee partners with Education = Hope, a 501c3 not for profit located in Fort Mills, South Carolina. E = H has a parallel mission of providing education to children in the Americas and Africa. Its website is http://educationequalshope.org/.
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