Today was day 4 supporting the people of Nicaragua and we (Marcella Peixoto and Karolyne Silva) were responsible for children’s therapy. Although we have seen our team members tirelessly interact with the children for the past couple of days, we weren’t necessarily prepared for how emotionally invested we would become in a such a short period of time.
Our responsibilities were to keep the children entertained and happy while they, along with their parents, waited in line for medical attention. Some of the activities involved were soccer, jumping rope, tag, and volleyball. At first, the kids were very timid but as the day went by, they became more comfortable with us and really enjoyed the activities we were able to set up for the day. Each and every one of them had a different story and were appreciative of our efforts.
We had the pleasure to encounter several incredible children however our new friend, Randall, really stood out to us today. He is a 12 year old Nicaráguan native who came with his mother to seek out professional help. Randall was so enthusiastic to get the chance to play with all the other kids but also eager to learn more about our team. He even took the time to communicate with us through translation apps. He shared that he is incredibly passionate about creative editing and makes his own video content through different applications. He enjoys drawing, anime, and his favorites are Naruto and Dragon Ball Z. Towards the end of the day, Randall surprised us with an incredible act of kindness by running to a store nearby and buying local candy for our team with his own hard earned money. He also took it upon himself to bring our team water from his house next door. We were moved by Randall’s kindness and emotional intelligence at such a young age.
It was finally time to say our goodbyes. Our team started packing boxes and preparing to get back on the road. What we didn’t realize is just how hard that goodbye would be. We had just spent an entire day playing with the children and getting to know them, only to realize that would be the extent of it. We won’t know from this point forward what will happen, or who they will become. We can only hope that they continue to be their authentic selves and never let the light from their eyes fade away. And hopefully… one day get to see Randall’s name on the big screen!
Our responsibilities were to keep the children entertained and happy while they, along with their parents, waited in line for medical attention. Some of the activities involved were soccer, jumping rope, tag, and volleyball. At first, the kids were very timid but as the day went by, they became more comfortable with us and really enjoyed the activities we were able to set up for the day. Each and every one of them had a different story and were appreciative of our efforts.
We had the pleasure to encounter several incredible children however our new friend, Randall, really stood out to us today. He is a 12 year old Nicaráguan native who came with his mother to seek out professional help. Randall was so enthusiastic to get the chance to play with all the other kids but also eager to learn more about our team. He even took the time to communicate with us through translation apps. He shared that he is incredibly passionate about creative editing and makes his own video content through different applications. He enjoys drawing, anime, and his favorites are Naruto and Dragon Ball Z. Towards the end of the day, Randall surprised us with an incredible act of kindness by running to a store nearby and buying local candy for our team with his own hard earned money. He also took it upon himself to bring our team water from his house next door. We were moved by Randall’s kindness and emotional intelligence at such a young age.
It was finally time to say our goodbyes. Our team started packing boxes and preparing to get back on the road. What we didn’t realize is just how hard that goodbye would be. We had just spent an entire day playing with the children and getting to know them, only to realize that would be the extent of it. We won’t know from this point forward what will happen, or who they will become. We can only hope that they continue to be their authentic selves and never let the light from their eyes fade away. And hopefully… one day get to see Randall’s name on the big screen!