Who needs a school bus?!
March 25, 2026
When you visit Yaró Jordania School in Waslala, the first thing that catches your attention is the number of horses tied up outside. One of them is Canelo, the horse that takes Anderson (10) and his sister Elida (5) to school every morning.
They live deep in the mountains. “En bestia,” as people commonly say in Nicaragua—on horseback. It’s a two-hour journey to get there, which is why they are almost always the last to arrive.
The teacher manages a multigrade classroom, teaching students from first through sixth grade in the same room. Despite the limitations, the children give their very best to learn. They are disciplined, attentive, and responsible.
When we asked to take some photos and invited those who agreed to raise their hands, not a single hand stayed down. They posed happily, smiling and proud alongside their teacher—who, by the way, also arrives on horseback.
“This is my first year in Yaró Jordania. My plan is to stay right here,” he says as he shows us the small room where he lives: a bed, a simple cooking space, and what he needs to prepare his lessons early each day. As he smiles with pride, I can’t help but think that being a teacher definitely requires vocation. But being a teacher in rural communities also requires a big heart.
