One of the two stops to donate supplies was a rural school outside of Trinidad de Cuba. It had been raining and mud had overtaken the schoolyard. The children had been sent home but when our bus appeared, they came running back to the schoolhouse. Some even stopped to put on their school uniforms.
They gathered in one classroom and greeted us. We took a tour of the four room schoolhouse and then presented our school supplies to the principal. The children were overjoyed; they sang to us and we sang to them. The school was very clean and neat but lacked most amenities that our schools here take for granted. They did have TVs in each room for beamed-in classes but not for internet activity.
This was a very humbling experience. What a difference my packets of encouragement stickers would make is beyond my comprehension. Others had crayons, rulers, notebooks, storybooks, etc. It was like a big party with lots of gifts.
In spite of the weather and the muddy spare conditions of the school, the children were so happy. This is what we found all over the island and it was not what I had expected. Whether or not we were bearing gifts, we were always greeted as friends and as Americans there was no ill will.
