I met Osiris in August in a sweltering tin-roofed classroom.  Her appearance told of a ten year-old girl in an impoverished community: easy smile, sweet demeanor, dirt under her fingernails and smudges on her dress.  Just before we met, Osiris had taken up Nicaraguan folk dancing.  Enthralled with this artistic expression of Nicaragua’s rich history, she had begun teaching her classmates how to dance.

We met again two months later.  Osiris shared that she and her friends had recently been selected to dance at a local festival.  The pride of her accomplishment radiated through her smile.  When I asked her what she wants to be when she grows up she replied with a smile: “a teacher, so I can help others learn.” Though most adults in her community have less than a 5th grade education, Osiris had fallen in love with learning and teaching.  When Osiris grows up, I hope she can teach in a safe, secure school that our monthly donors helped to bring about.