I try to participate in a volunteer trip once a year as a way to reset, refocus and remind myself of all of the luxuries I have so that I don't take them for granted. The first thing I did when I arrived at the Cross Cultural Solutions [CCS] Home Base in Cartago was begin to research the tourist activities I want to complete in my free time. I know why I'm here, but the first 24 hrs after arriving I definitely didn't have my priorities in order.
I'm technically the only volunteer in Cartago this week. There are four incredible young women [Ashley, Emilie, Ivory and Jaiya] that have made longer term commitments to CCS whom are also staying at the home base. Ashley and Jaiya are completing a 6 month internship and entering their 6th week. Emilie and Ivory were just hired by CCS full time, arrived yesterday as well, and will be here in Cartago for the next 12 months. All of us are beginning new work assignments tomorrow and were briefed about the Daycare centers we'll be supporting. We each have different assignments and I was given the most challenging placement by far.
This year CCS began to implement a new curriculum for the Daycare's the organization partners with the government to support. I'll be at Ninos Creciendo Juntos y Felices Daycare this week and the 2nd volunteer assigned to this placement thus far. The other facilities have established partnerships with CCS, along with files containing helpful information ranging from names/ages to aptitude by subject matter for each child. The shelf for the Daycare I'll be working at currently has 10 empty binders [for now]. After reading my CCS file, the Community Mother [Tia] for the Daycare I'm assigned to requested that I help implement a Technology and Sports specific program for her home.
Shit. Got. Real. the moment that info was shared during Orientation. Let's just say I decided to postpone the tourist excursion I planned for myself today so that I can start planning for the week.
I'm embracing the challenge and also truly grateful for the opportunity to begin to scratch the surface by helping to introduce the two areas I'm most passionate about into the existing CCS Daycare curriculum. It's humbling and definitely an unforeseen gift that I'll honor and do the best I can with this week.
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