From March 5-15 I got to travel with the Give a Kid a Backpack Foundation to Nicaragua. With very minimal Spanish background, certain parts of the trip proved to be a bit confusing. Fortunately, I was always able, and offered plenty of help with the language barrier from our group leader, Rosanna as well as Ms. D (a high school teacher from Montverde Academy that joined us on our trip).
The trips that this organization plans are exceptional; a perfect combination of humanitarian aid mixed in with experiencing the culture of the country. We were able to visit the houses of some of the children from the schools we visited, which was an eye opening experience. A Nicaraguan family of twelve will live in a space equivalent to the average size of an American kids room. I vividly remember visiting one of the family’s houses. The house was build entirely of wood scraps, with only torn up sheets dividing the rooms. Most of the family slept on the mudded ground while the others had mattresses made from straw. The house conveyed just how little the people had.
While delivering the backpacks there were times that we got to just hang out and play with the children. The hardest part of the trip was not any of the work involved, nor having to leave family and friends. The most difficult part of the trip came when it was time to say goodbye to these kids whom had just become friends, not knowing if you would ever see them again.
An entire world exists beyond the borders of our American country that desperately needs our help. I hope and pray that this foundation will receive the support it needs to continue in helping school children all over the world. On the Give a Kid a Backpack trip I had the experience of a lifetime, learning things that could not be possible without actually living them.
Brent Rempel
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