June 3, 2009

From May 11- 25, fourteen biology students, along with professors Drs. Troy Nash and Mike Rischbieter, went on a Maymester tour of the Amazon. While on the trip, they visited a school in Ecuador to have a cultural exchange and to help the school by providing school supplies such as paper, crayons, pencils, and scissors.

While there, the PC students and professors learned that the school had recently had several incidents of vandalism. They decided to help further by providing locks for the school doors.

Plyler Hamilton, pictured wearing the visor in the middle of the above picture, provided this journal entry of the Maymester experience at the Ecuadorian school.

From Plyler Hamilton, biology major

When we first set off in the canoe to head to the school, I didn't really know what to expect. We arrived at the docking area off el Rio Napo, and I was shocked to see the building that these students went to school in. I had assumed that it would not look anything like our schools, but I certainly didn't expect a one-room, open- air school house with a metal roof and fencing to cover the windows.

Once inside, I realized that there was no possible way a good, quality education could be made in a school like this. There was only one teacher for students from kindergarten all the way up to through high school.  The desks were small and intended to be shared by two or three students. There was no electricity, bathroom, or any other amenities that we have and take for granted in the US.

However, it was astounding to hear the favorite subjects of these students: One loved math, a few like language, and others enjoyed the sciences (which made all of us biology nerds proud!). Taking a closer look around the room, I saw some of the work that the students had made hanging on the fence windows and on the ceiling. There were Mother's day cards, pictures of cats and dogs, and different wooden crafts like boats and airplanes. It was amazing to see the work that these students were able to produce even with everything they had going against them.

After we handed out the peanut butter sandwiches and drinks, I was further amazed to see the generosity of these children. Each of them received about three sandwiches, and many of them took a sandwich to the parents who were watching from outside. One little boy actually took the extras and put them in his desk to save for later!

The joy on the faces of these children was enough to make anyone's day!

They genuinely appreciated our gifts. Once the snack was over, they poured over the books that we brought them. Although all of the books were in English, they still attempted to read each and every word.  The boy who said math was his favorite subject found an addition and subtraction book and began working problems!

I'm not sure that children here in the States appreciate the quality of education they receive, but I'm sure that one trip to the Amazon will make them realize how lucky they truly are.