fall 11 / 24:3 - Grand Canyon River Guides

Building houses in Nicaragua.babies. And so I talked to some friends in town, andgot the idea that…I just asked them, “What could I doto help this little girl? Could I get her English classes?What could I do?” A friend of mine recommended thatI see about paying for private school for her in town,which would be a much better education, and it’ll puther in contact with people who know about a future,who know about an alternate future. So I went andtalked to the grandmother and the mother and I talkedto Ana Regina all together, and I said…I kind of liedin the beginning and I said, “I’m part of a group in theUnited States that provides scholarships…” Becausethe one thing you don’t want to do is kind of pop intothese towns and be the fairy godmother, that you’re thisindividual person who provides money for things. It’sbetter if it’s an actual group—even though it was justme. (laughs) And they were very excited, because thefirst thing was, “Do you even want to do this? Is thatsomething you would want to do?” And she had a grinon her face a mile wide. It was so beautiful to see. Shereally wanted to do it. So over the course of the nextfew weeks, I got her set up, I paid her tuition, I boughther uniforms and her school supplies, and shoes, anda backpack, and all the stuff she needs to go to school.And she needs a little extra tutoring to get caught upwith the level that they’re gonna be at. And the totalwhopping price for an entire year, all her clothing,school supplies, everything, plus extra tutoring, wasabout $300—a little less than $300.So on the way home—well actually, even before Istarted going home, I was there, and I thought, “Okay,this time it is just me, but why not start an actualgroup, an actual program? Why not get donations,maybe even turn it into a nonprofit so people candonate and it’s tax deductible.” So I decided to do that.We’re called One at a Time, with one standing for OneNew Education. It’s not just for Latin America, it’s notjust for Nicaragua, it’s for anybody, if anybody meetssomebody when they’re traveling, a young woman—I really want this to be for young women, becausethey really are the glue that holds these communitiestogether, usually, and they don’t have a lot of optionsother than havingbabies—which is fine,but I think that it wouldbe wonderful to have aneducation first and see ifthere’s other things youwant to do before, or inaddition to having babies.So anyway, we’re goingto see where it goes, andI’m just super-excitedabout it, and Ana Reginawill be our poster childAna Regina if it works out. And itpage 40grand canyon river guides