Nicasia Brings a Taste of Home to the Classroom
Before the sun even touches the sky in Santiago del Estero, Nicasia is already up. She walks through quiet classrooms, sets the kettle on the stove, sweeps the dust from the floor, and gets ready to welcome the 58 children who bring life back to the school each morning.
Nicasia isn’t just the school’s caretaker. She’s the cook, the comfort, the unofficial godmother—and part of the soul of the rural school in Taco Isla. From Monday to Friday, she lives there—among chalk, notebooks, and the scent of food in the air. Because in this school, lunch isn’t just a break. It’s often the most important meal of the day.
“Polenta and cheese make the kids happy. That’s the only recipe I need,” she says, with a smile you can hear in her voice.
Where Nothing’s Left Over, But Love Is Always Enough
Families live far away, and what little there is, is shared. Fresh fruit is rare. Meat isn’t a given. But Nicasia turns simple ingredients into unforgettable moments. She cooks with what she has—and with all her heart.
The parents’ association, the teachers, and Nicasia all do whatever it takes to make sure there’s always a hot meal on the table. Because they know that a hungry child can’t focus. But a full stomach and a cared-for heart? That’s how dreams grow.
A Life Split in Two
Every weekend, Nicasia returns home. Her daughters and five grandchildren are waiting. She packs her bag, crosses dirt roads, and trades her apron for hugs. But by Monday morning, she’s already back—ready for another week. Another pot of chicken and rice. Another round of morning maté in the kitchen.
More Than a Staff Member
Nicasia doesn’t have a social media profile or selfies with hashtags. But her presence is everywhere—in the clean plates, in the backpacks neatly hung, in the laughter that fills the air after lunch.
She’s one of those women who may never make the news, but quietly hold the country together, day after day.
Thank you, Nicasia, for your quiet strength, your steady hands, and your enormous heart. For reminding us that when there’s love, what little we have is enough. And sometimes, even more than enough.