Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!
 

Many of you may remember me fundraising earlier in the year in order to make my way over here! It has been an amazing experience, but the reality of the situation at my school is a difficult one: We just got a photocopy "machine", which is actually a desktop copier so is difficuit to make copies with, and the teachers have to pay for each photocopy so it is normal for teachers to charge the students (but I am still very American in this way and pay out of my own pocket). The students don't have their own text books. There are generally 10-12 out-of-date textbook the teachers rent from the library that the students share amongst them in groups. They never have pencils or erasers (a lot of throwing sharpeners, erasers, and pencils during class and exams in order to share). The desks are falling apart if not already fallen apart. In fact, there are not enough desks for all the students so we lose class time while they hunt down desks or chairs. My students end up writing and taking exams using their backpacks and pieces of broken wood as desktops. It is generally in the mid-90s if not warmer with 80-90% humidity; the classrooms are sweltering since one or no celing fans work in the rooms. There are no Spanish-English dictionaries for my students to use. The soccer balls? They are falling apart. But, honestly, their spirit is out of this world. 

I will be honest, it gets to a point where things just function and I forget how bad the situation really is. It becomes normal for students to sit in plastic lawnchairs during class. No books? I get really creative! Lots of posters. I spend so much time at the giant stores to buy school supplies (a guilty pleasure). But I need to do something. 

Dictionaries. The kids wan

 

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Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!