Meet Karla Romero, Teacher

Karla Romero is a community preschool teacher at Jardines de Oriente (Eastern Gardens) in a community called First of May. She is a dynamic teacher, a woman of abundant energy and a confidence-inspiring smile. In her twelve years teaching in Nicaragua, four in this school, she has had to confront struggles everyday just for the basics. She says it is the earnestness of her students that keeps her spirits high.

Jardines de Oriente preschool is truly a community school. Twelve years ago, the water company in León installed for the first time ever, water and sewer systems in the community. During the execution of the project, the water company built a make-shift shed of wood in which to store all their machines and equipment. It was this building that four community members claimed for the preschool. Although it was built only for temporary storage, those first four teachers had to struggle to hold onto the land and the wooden shed for their community preschool.

After eight years housing classes for young children, the aging wood of this school-shed was no longer suitable for storing materials in the building. It was neither safe nor secure, so with a small bit of help from the Hamburg Sister-city Project, the staff was able to build a concrete one-room building. Luckily the corrugated tin roof of the original shed was still in very good condition and thus was retained as a reminder of the first humble school building.

Now, unfortunately, even the concrete building is aging poorly. The building is precarious because though its walls are made of concrete block, there is no foundation and worse yet, no reinforcing iron bars were used in the construction. The corners are held together by rotting wooden beams nailed into the concrete. Initially the preschool was built partly by masons, but as the building has needed repairs, it was the parents and the teachers who laid brick and secured the building. Poverty and an underpaid police force has contributed to many break-ins. Each night a last duty for the teachers and students is to pack up all the toys and materials and store them in a more secure place. Each morning a ritual unpacking occurs.

Karla has 30-35 students in her class each year. It is a struggle to keep them engaged, because always at least a few come to school without breakfast. The majority of the students' mothers work as vendors in the nearby market for long hard hours. While some children don't eat, others have very strong personalities and they create a lot of conflict in the classroom. Even so, Karla finds that the children take less energy from her than they give back to her in hugs, smiles and other expressions of affection. Karla says it's because of the affection from her students that she loves her job.

Karla was pregnant when she began teaching. She was unmarried. The father of her baby had left for the US as an illegal immigrant. She lived at the time with her parents and constantly felt their negative judgment. It was a very lonely time for her. She threw herself into her work. Teaching was a refuge from the judgements of those around her, because she experienced so much caring and affection from her young students. While she was pregnant, she gave all she had to her students with a karmic belief that the love she gave would be returned to her daughter by someone else. Karla continues to be open to the love in others and she continues giving out all she has. She enjoys the busy energy of the children and the ruckus they make daily.

Karla is one of 62 community preschool teachers who benefit from the teacher education training provided by Project Minnesota/León. In addition to training sessions, monthly events also provide teachers opportunities to plan for the coming months and share ideas with their peers, all of which helps to keep them rejuvenated and motivated. Some of the themes Karla finds particularly useful are training sessions that empower teachers to defend their rights as workers. Because of the life problems and even survival tactics her students must use, Karla also finds themes about human relations and child psychology to be very helpful. She looks forward to the folkloric dance training in this year's schedule for the teachers. They will learn to instruct their students in the music, songs and dance of the folkloric tradition unique to Nicaragua. Her best advice to the facilitators who present the workshops is, "Please give us more than a day. We have lots to learn and we like the give and take of feedback."

The organization which brings all of these teachers together is Movimiento Communal, a local grassroots organization whose major objective is to create strong networks within each community between the preschool teachers, the parents, the health centers and other leaders. Currently Barrio First of May does not have a strong community leader in the area. However, the preschool Parents' Committee has nine members. Their goals this year are to paint the room and replace the roof. Karla says that fencing in the area is too expensive for them. However, recently she told me that certain parents are very motivated to find a way to enclose the area. (I suggested reinforcing the building might be a good priority for the committee as well.) The preschool also enjoys considerable support from the health center next door. When the season for vaccinations rolls around, health center personnel make their first stop at Karla's preschool.

Karla's own personal goals this year are to teach all of her students to read and to write their names. That would make her feel satisfied. Karla asks God to help her accomplish her goals.