Tuesday June 28, 2016 – I now know that climbing a mountain takes a lot of bravery, physical endurance, and personal trust to know that you can make it.
After a 7 mile hike up the Blue Mountain that began at midnight, I was relieved that we made it to the top and was proud of reaching such a big accomplishment. While a group of us were excited to reach the top, we were also pretty sleepy and cold, in what felt like 20-degree weather at the peak of the mountain. I felt good because I was able to press through my fear of heights after praying at one of our mid checkpoints. The hike down felt faster because we knew where we were going and the sun was rising. Seeing the sun rise was beautiful, but I kept on thinking, “It’s not bringing me any heat…it’s still cold!”
When we returned home, we quickly had to pack our bags and get ready for our trip to Kingston.
Once in Kingston, everyone settled down and we enjoyed our dinner before meeting up with our local host organization, the Bennetts form KBC Learning. The Bennetts came to discuss what our project in Kingston was all about and gave their personal perspectives on various problems being faced in Jamaican communities. The meeting was long but informational, because it showed us how social entrepreneurship can help the kids in Maxfield Park, the Childrens’ Home. I was particularly struck by the similarities in our education system with the problems that many Jamaicans have to access higher education if they fail to pass their own version of a national standardized test. This matters to me because I feel education needs to be taken seriously and all students deserve to get a quality free education regardless of their class or their test scores.
By the end of the night, I felt relieved that I reached up the mountain, but more importantly, I looked forward to meeting the kids at Maxfield Park and beginning the process of solving problems in our communities.
Peyton S., Eastern Senior High School