La Carpio #2

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

After an early breakfast at 6:30, we boarded the bus and headed to La Carpio once again. We stopped at one of the main buildings of the Humanitarian Foundation before heading to a smaller center, a daycare whose walls were covered in beautiful murals painted in countless different colors. Gloria, the head of the daycare, received us warmly and told us a little bit about her and the center. She runs the place all by herself and prepares lesson plans for every week and makes different snacks for the children every day. The kids began to arrive at 9:30, when the daycare opens, and left at 11:30, when the daycare closes. However, Gloria always stays until around 1:00 to clean and prepare activities for the following day. She also proudly presented to us graduation pictures of kids who were going to a different center to continue their education this year. Then, we began to play with the kids. Some children ran to the art station, others to play with dolls, and others to do puzzles and build Legos. Harker students colored with the children, played “house” with dolls and stuffed animals of all kinds, and built teetering towers out of Legos with the kids. The children were lively and were always talking and laughing; the experience was a gift for everyone involved and we all enjoyed it very much. After exchanging our last hugs and said our final goodbyes, we returned to the main building to see a play based on a true story about a Nicaraguan immigrant. 

The play was put on by some women who were once helped by the Humanitarian Foundation. It told the story of a young Nicaraguan girl, about 13, named Felicita. Her family grew corn and her father gave her the job of keeping the birds away from the crops. One day, as Felicita was keeping the birds away, a friend approached her and told her that a handsome boy named Pedro, whom she had never met before, claimed that he loved her. After a few days, Pedro came to her father to ask for his permission to be Felicita’s boyfriend. Felicita, wanting to leave her difficult life behind, agreed to be his girlfriend. Surprisingly, her father agreed as well. He would not allow her to go to school and have her learn to read and write, but Felicita was allowed to leave with a man he did not know because it would mean one less mouth to feed. Pedro and Felicita had a grand wedding, and everyone in the village was invited. However, as the years passed, Pedro began to change. He became an alcoholic, abused his wife, and did not care for their child. Tired of this, Felicita fled to Costa Rica in search of a better life. The Humanitarian Foundation provided her shelter and helped her get back on her feet and have a better life. This play is based on a true story and the real Felicita played the father in the skit. She now owns a business growing and selling mangoes. The other women in the play were also refugees seeking a better life in La Carpio. Their story tells of struggles and difficulties, but also inspires us all to work harder and fight for a brighter future for ourselves and those to come after us. 

Written by Emily Tan and Claire Jin