Tuesday, May 25, 2010

La Carpiso

If you have ever lifted a rock out of the water and cracked it open on the ground you might have wondered two things. One, how long has the rock been in the water and why has the water not penetrated to the heart of the rock.

When I walked around La Carpiso I wondered how long has humanity been surrounded by terrible misery and yet as a whole the people’s despair has not truly penetrated our collective heart. (At least enough to call us to universal action.) I’m as guilty as anyone of this spiritual crime, but I met Gail today and she has dedicated her life to doing something about the lives of the people in La Carpiso. Many people can empathize, but few take real action like she has done.

La Carpiso is a sprawling shanty-like town outside of San Jose. The people of La Carpiso were, initially, exclusively, from Nicaragua. These immigrants came to Costa Rica in the 1980's to escape immeasurable poverty and misery inflicted upon them by revolution, natural disaster and poverty. They came in search of a better life, and despite the appearance of the shanty-town, they have built a community. The Costa Rican government has assisted, but groups like Gails’ Foundacion Humanitaria (www.crhf.org) are fighting the good fight to make a direct and immediate difference in people’s lives.

We spent the afternoon meeting the kids at the day school and helping to build beds for those who need them. After a few hours of helping, I took a step back and watched the city. Despite the terrible living conditions, which have improved enormously over the years, there was a powerful sense of community. ALthough the people are poor, they are at home in this community.

For me there were many lessons to be learned beyond the obvious ones which compelled me to make a donation when I get back to the US. The hidden lessons were in the stories of the children and how my future students might come from similar, if not nearly as bad, of living conditions. How do we in the U.S. balance integrating communities for the greater good without destroying the connectivity that each particular community enjoys.

Is shipping kids across town a good idea when it takes kids out of their communities? We know the education system is not equal in the U.S. To think otherwise is delusional. If you grow up in a zip code that has money you have an enormous advantage. The cycle of inequity can be broken but it is not easy. It is a continuous loop of poor education that leads to more poverty and the continuation of inequity. However, is it fair to take kids from well to do areas and put them in more challenging districts? I guess those are questions for the politicians.

As a future teacher I have to ask: How can I improve kids ability to learn in my classroom. How can I be a better teacher to those that are out of there element. How can I take what I will learn and have learned so far in Costa Rica and create a working strategy for my classroom?

The last week or so I have been dealing with the questions, over the next few days I hope to begin to formulate some answers to some of these issues that will face me soon as a teacher.

2 comments:

  1. Obviously, now you are experiencing the exciting transformation that comes from doing teaching, missionary work or ministry in a foreign culture. The key is discovery of what is in the hearts of the rural people. What will win their TRUST, not just their respect?

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