Today we head to an interview with the Secretary of Education for all of Barranquilla! Everyone is a bit nervous, as this is an honor to get to meet her. We are joined by the heads of Maria's Escuela Normal Superior. The Secretary is very young and immediately puts us at ease. She speaks in English and tells us Colombia is working very hard to improve its bilingual system of education. She asks us about our experience in the schools and both Maria and I tell her the students were kind and very curious about us. Towards the end we all speak in Spanish with her and thank her for a great experience in Barranquilla.
Next is the hardest part of the day- saying good bye to all of the students we met in Barranquilla. We start with Maria's Escuela Normal Superior at the primary level. The students run to us with hugs and all want their pictures taken with us. A soccer game is in progress at the same time in the courtyard. I ask Ana why the players are only boys, and she says that is by choice: girls can also be on the team. Some of the girls are cheerleaders ( animadores). As a thank you, Maria and I are surprised with beautiful Colombian hand bags woven by indigenous people. Inside the bags are Colombian coconut and coffee candies. Maria and I present the school and Ana with a certificate from IREX, honoring them for hosting us in Barranquilla. We go to the secondary school next and say good bye to the teachers, administration, and students and also present them with a certificate. It is always hard to say good bye and close a chapter. I want to return to Colombia and get to know the country even better. I choose to see this as a beginning and not as an end.