I am going to try my best to put some words with this, but I am by no means a wordsmith. For those of you that are new to this community and don't know about OE, please take the time to see what is was all about.
http://www.botl.org/threads/botl-gives-back-operation-esteli-2014.73575/
http://www.botl.org/threads/operation-esteli-2014-final-results.74474/
Gearing up for this trip to visit Nicaragua for the first time the excitement was very high. As a cigar enthusiast this is somewhere that you always hear about and images of grand tobacco fields, rollers at their tables and cigars run ramped in ones mind. The thought of the country and its well being honestly never crossed my mind much before OE was born.
As I learned more and more information of Esteli and its people, my thoughts turned from cigars to families and children. I have never personally visited a 3rd world country before and have only seen images & videos from stories online and T.V. These few experience don't hold anything to the experiences of truly witnessing it first hand.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt
Driving the cobble stone streets and seeing the dilapidated builds, roads that turn into non navigable paths full of holes and garbage and innocent children living in sub par shacks, it really started to sink in, these people need our help.
While at the school we met with the organization Fabretto, where we learned more about them as they also learned about BOTL and what OE was really about. I came into this thinking that they were just helping the children with their educational needs as well as trying to provide them with a solid meal each day. In reality they do so much more.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt
I was taken back and heavily impressed with their drive to help not only the children but also follow up with their whole family. I believe that their mission statement says it all, “Fabretto's mission is to empower children and their families in Nicaragua to reach their full potential and improve their livelihoods through education and nutrition”.
They do this through 5 programs; Early and Primary Education Enrichment, Rural Secondary Education, Vocational and Life Skills Education, Food Security and Nutrition and Community Well-being and Development. The fact that it extends to the family and community as whole made me feel even more confident in OE working with them.
Something that I believe took us all back was the fact the children may start their day with a cup of coffee and toast...if lucky. Then on top of that the school still struggles to provide them with a fully nutritious meal. Most meals consist of just simple rice and beans with a glass of water but maybe once a month they may get to have chicken as well.
Here I am thinking about how I start to get “hangery” if I go to long with out a meal or a snack and they are lucky to have chicken once a month for lunch. At this time I was going from talking with everyone in the office to watching and photographing some children playing in the front of the school. It all started to sink in pretty heavy for me and I sworn something must have gotten into my eyes.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
As I watched the group of children dribble a half flat worn out basketball, smiles were restored with the joy and excitement they had form making a basket. Then to the side a group of boys were playing a game with marbles, the game I am unsure of as it seems it is something they may have invented. They would first try to sink their marble into a little crater in the dirt. Once they did they were then in a race to try and hit the only solid white marble that was randomly throw somewhere in the playing field.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
No steady food for them to eat, no fancy house to go to after school, no fancy electronic gadgets to play with and all of these kids were seemingly carefree, happy and full of life.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
We then crossed the small campus to visit their lunch room. The children stood lined up waiting for their plate and cup in front of a small prep and cooking area. We walked the length of the room past old wooden tables and benches butted up to one another. At the ever end I saw a little girl sitting alone and eating her lunch. I knelt down smiled and proceeded to take a portrait of her. She timidly watched me, as I then showed her the photo her eyes lit up and a smile formed. This... this right here is my most loved and favorite photo I have ever taken of anyone. No it isn't because of how it came out, it isn't a perfectly constructed photo. It gave someone something they have never had before, it told a true story and has so much emotion behind it for me.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
As I took more photos the children began to warm up, they would allow me to snap off a shot and then eagerly wait to see the results. My heart warmed as they all began to smile and laugh, grabbing their friends and wanting a photo of them together. Once again showing me how such a simple thing means so much to these children.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
http://www.botl.org/threads/botl-gives-back-operation-esteli-2014.73575/
http://www.botl.org/threads/operation-esteli-2014-final-results.74474/
Gearing up for this trip to visit Nicaragua for the first time the excitement was very high. As a cigar enthusiast this is somewhere that you always hear about and images of grand tobacco fields, rollers at their tables and cigars run ramped in ones mind. The thought of the country and its well being honestly never crossed my mind much before OE was born.
As I learned more and more information of Esteli and its people, my thoughts turned from cigars to families and children. I have never personally visited a 3rd world country before and have only seen images & videos from stories online and T.V. These few experience don't hold anything to the experiences of truly witnessing it first hand.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt
Driving the cobble stone streets and seeing the dilapidated builds, roads that turn into non navigable paths full of holes and garbage and innocent children living in sub par shacks, it really started to sink in, these people need our help.
While at the school we met with the organization Fabretto, where we learned more about them as they also learned about BOTL and what OE was really about. I came into this thinking that they were just helping the children with their educational needs as well as trying to provide them with a solid meal each day. In reality they do so much more.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt
I was taken back and heavily impressed with their drive to help not only the children but also follow up with their whole family. I believe that their mission statement says it all, “Fabretto's mission is to empower children and their families in Nicaragua to reach their full potential and improve their livelihoods through education and nutrition”.
They do this through 5 programs; Early and Primary Education Enrichment, Rural Secondary Education, Vocational and Life Skills Education, Food Security and Nutrition and Community Well-being and Development. The fact that it extends to the family and community as whole made me feel even more confident in OE working with them.
Something that I believe took us all back was the fact the children may start their day with a cup of coffee and toast...if lucky. Then on top of that the school still struggles to provide them with a fully nutritious meal. Most meals consist of just simple rice and beans with a glass of water but maybe once a month they may get to have chicken as well.
Here I am thinking about how I start to get “hangery” if I go to long with out a meal or a snack and they are lucky to have chicken once a month for lunch. At this time I was going from talking with everyone in the office to watching and photographing some children playing in the front of the school. It all started to sink in pretty heavy for me and I sworn something must have gotten into my eyes.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
As I watched the group of children dribble a half flat worn out basketball, smiles were restored with the joy and excitement they had form making a basket. Then to the side a group of boys were playing a game with marbles, the game I am unsure of as it seems it is something they may have invented. They would first try to sink their marble into a little crater in the dirt. Once they did they were then in a race to try and hit the only solid white marble that was randomly throw somewhere in the playing field.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
No steady food for them to eat, no fancy house to go to after school, no fancy electronic gadgets to play with and all of these kids were seemingly carefree, happy and full of life.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
We then crossed the small campus to visit their lunch room. The children stood lined up waiting for their plate and cup in front of a small prep and cooking area. We walked the length of the room past old wooden tables and benches butted up to one another. At the ever end I saw a little girl sitting alone and eating her lunch. I knelt down smiled and proceeded to take a portrait of her. She timidly watched me, as I then showed her the photo her eyes lit up and a smile formed. This... this right here is my most loved and favorite photo I have ever taken of anyone. No it isn't because of how it came out, it isn't a perfectly constructed photo. It gave someone something they have never had before, it told a true story and has so much emotion behind it for me.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
As I took more photos the children began to warm up, they would allow me to snap off a shot and then eagerly wait to see the results. My heart warmed as they all began to smile and laugh, grabbing their friends and wanting a photo of them together. Once again showing me how such a simple thing means so much to these children.
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
BOTL Operation Esteli by yodismatt, on Flickr
