Life Happens On the Streets

“Life happens on the street,” Matt explained as we drove down Route 1 through Ensenada and into Maneadero. I trusted in his experience; his expertise, but I didn’t have to. What I saw, heard, and smelled (the food alone would bring me back) pointed to vibrancy, to life. I just needed to understand why I was in this community, what I, an elementary school teacher from New Jersey, could offer. We then pulled up to the school.

"From the outside, the school did not appear as my own in suburban South Jersey, but I could immediately spot similarities. It was late Saturday afternoon, but there were children playing soccer in the road in front of the school. Inside, the school had one large classroom sectioned off into two separate learning spaces. One for younger students and the other for students grades 3-6. I asked questions about their day and wandered around. The posters, student work, and encouraging phrases felt familiar. I flipped through student workbooks, enjoying the careful handwriting and smiling at the drawings in the margins. For the differences that I saw, the school was clearly a community of young learners, it was warm and inviting. This is where I wanted to connect.

Like so many others, Shawn took a chance and ventured into a new country to see where he might connect. What he found was the familiar wrapped into the brand new. He found his place to connect.

At Amoveo Group, we empower people for lasting change: We believe lasting change is more likely, for all involved when everyday people contribute beyond donating money.