I dont want to draw too many conclusions yet, but voluntering has been a bit dissappointing.  I’m hopeful it will get a lot better next week when La Esperanza takes over a couple of public schools entirely for summer school.  Meanwhile it looks like I have the rest of this week off because the school year just ended.  I attended 2 last day of schools at 2 schools in Pantanal Monday and today.  Today I actually got to work with some first graders with some spelling before the despedida (farewell) activities began.  Yesterday was all despedida for the 2 hours I was there. Pantanal is the biggest barrio with the fewest paved roads and most crime.  I walked home alone yesterday, about 45 minutes, somehow didnt get lost, greated everyone who made eye contact with my fake grunted “buenos” to act as if I belong here, and never felt a moment of fear. Although I decided not to stop to take any pictures on the walk.  I was also wearing my La Esperanza t-shirt, which is well recognized and appears to be well respected.  Most locals say its safe to go anywhere during the day, but definitely avoid Pantanal at night.

Although I still want to pursue some sort of house building project, I’m not too hopeful. The effort to start some project myself, including fundraising, seems like a risk.  Meanwhile I’m thinking La Esperanza offers the good chance to inspire some 1st – 5th graders to stick with their education. That seems like a bird in the hand compared to a bueracratic path toward a lot of hard manual labor.

Below are pictures of the school from yesterday, Nueva Esperanza.  The 3rd one is of the newly constructed computer lab I went to last week in the same neighborhood. Its 4 block walls, a gate and a carport like roof structure on posts. So its not rain proof at all and Hurricane Otto meant no computer class last Thursday and Friday. I was there Tues/Wed and we brought 20 notebooks and 20 tablets and had 2 1-hr after school sessions with some very rowdy 6-9 yeal old kids. After threats of getting kicked out, most were very into the simple “how to use a mouse” exercises, some were very skilled and bored and a few really struggled.  I helped a few bored kids skip ahead to to math exercises before my 20 year old local university student supervisor scolded the kids. More about these “ayudantes” later.