Tiane Elle Kneerim

October 17, 2014

The Transformative Power of Peace and Education for a Community

As an intern for Podcasts for Peace this summer, I was immersed in a Nicaraguan-based organization that places the value of education at its core. Aside from preparing daily lessons that I taught fully in Spanish to groups of children in tiny, dirt-floor homes about ballet, singing, or literature, I found myself doing the majority of the learning. The level of patience and excitement exuding from these children who often went hungry, or had experienced some form of abuse, inspired me to impart everything that I could in the three short months that I had with them. I left this summer with the realization that education does not follow a linear path. On the contrary, it comes in all forms from all types of people, with any variety of backgrounds, locations, or settings. I left knowing that I would always be able to call the Podcasts community one of my many homes, but ultimately, I left dying to go back.