Commitment and Dedication - Los Cuarenta Matagalpa

minutes. You should add also the time that takes each kid to get to the start of this path. Of course this is a mud path, and we were lucky today as it didn't rain. They assist to class until 12:00/30 PM and then they have to walk their way UP the hill... The actual classroom is a little house made of wood in the middle of the hill, with no electricity, no water, no very good conditions also, and in spite of this, there they were, everybody sitting down, making some drawings that they decorated after with some corn seeds, little pieces of wood and other stuff they get from the field.

Days before we'd visited the school under construction and we had the chance to meet the head teacher of the school. His name is Pastor Antonio Chavarria Vargas y he is teaching in the community since February of this year. That day we took him in the van to his house as we were visiting a school named Los Milagros, and he lives besides it. Once we arrived he said hi to 2 kids, that turned to be his son and daughter. Then he left home.

Why it's important to know, and as in my case, get surprised and admire Pastor? These are some reasons:

1. First reason is that he walks 10 Km every day, leaving at 5:00 AM from his house so he can arrive on time to teach the kids of Los Cuarenta.
2. Another one is that when the classes are finished at 12:00 PM he must walk AGAIN the 10 km back home.

3. Also because there where 2 teachers before him that only last 1 day at work because of the long way they had to walk every day.

4. Because he is requested from other communities for teaching there, for example Los Milagros, where his Kids are, the one a few steps far from his house... However next year, if the Los Cuarenta community asks for it, he will continue teaching there (as he said "I have a commitment with the Kids and the Community").

5. Also because on weekends he is still doing trainings and has participation within the Adults Education committee so they can make some progress in their education. He also participated in the construction of the Los Milagros Classroom (already finished).

6. Because he receives for his job the amount of 2500 Córdobas, equivalent to USD 135 per month with no difference regarding number of kids or grades he teaches. Can you imagine walking 25 Km a day to reach the school and teach 23 Kids for that Money? In spite of the rains? There are no taxis here... Myself, as many of the people who will read this would be on the list for rejecting the job...

7. Finnaly for his commitment, dedication and example for those 23 kids that must cross a river or walk down the mountain to get their classes, and that with rain, without rain, with heat and sun, with or without food, they had only missed 1 school day.

Fortunatelly the classroom will be ready soon. This will allow more kids from the community to get classes there, as it's being built in a better place and also will have better conditions for them. The terrain for the school was donated by one of the members of the community and additionally we will be building 2 latrines and a Rainwater collector system so they can have water at school.

This has been an example of community, teachers, parents and kids for us. This also shows how important the partnership between WFP and TNT, with their School Feeding Programme support is.