A different side of Trinidad

Last week, I got to take a field trip across town to a couple of the poorest neighborhoods in Trinidad with the Secondary 3 (11th grade) class. They were doing a project, interviewing residents about their living conditions as an example to show them how the poorest of the poor live. This is what most of Trinidad looked like 10-15 years ago.



It was so hard for me to see all of these people living in such poverty. None of them had running water or telephone service and some didn't even have electricity. It's places like this that just don't exist in the US.

A couple other volunteers who were along as well, had a look inside the neighborhood school, and said the classrooms had no fans, windows with bars and some didn't even have teachers! It's no wonder that Bolivia ranks among the most uneducated population in the world. Most people can read and write and do basic arithmetic, but aside from that, skills are limited usually.


It's times like these that I thank God I am blessed to have good living conditions -- even here in Trinidad.