Blog #6 - Ñeque

Interacting with the kids at Ñeque y más Ñeque was incredibly rewarding yesterday even though it was only our first day. To be able to share thoughts and ideas and to be able to laugh and smile with children who don't speak any (or very little) English was an opportunity I never could have imagined I would have. The rewards of working with the children at Ñeque included learning how to communicate in a way that was easy to understand for both parties. It was a reward to feel like I was improving the lives of both the classmates around me and the children we were playing with. 

For those who do not know Spanish very well, communicating with the kids could be very difficult. I am lucky enough to know enough Spanish to have a simple conversation with the children, but when words failed me, I overcame the language barrier by using nonverbal cues. Another challenge was being aware of the possible ethnocentric thoughts that could come into my mind about the status of childrens' parents and reasons why they're unable to care for their children in the afternoon. 


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