By Grace Masback and Sydney Palmer

WANT Original Content

With it’s bright blue oceans and rich Spanish colonial history, Nicaragua serves as an undervalued prime vacation spot for beach lovers and history buffs alike. But there is a side of Nicaragua most foreign travelers never see. The slums and impoverished families, the flies covering skinny cattle hides, and children kicking around ball shaped trash in a street game of fútbol. In March of last year I had the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua with my family for a service trip. Over the course of a week we worked in the village of el Trohilo where we helped in the local school and played sports like soccer and baseball with the local children. Many of the kids had never had access to a phone or iPad and when they saw our devices they were entranced. They enjoyed, as many do, taking “selfies” and you can see their excited faces below. This photo essay captures the curiosity and playfulness of the Nicaraguan children I met on my journey. All the photos are taken by the children of el Trohilo.