Moreau Center Social Justice Programs

Nicaragua

Nicaragua 2017 blog #5

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Hola from Granada, Nicaragua!

What a great place to begin to gain closure after our long journey throughout central Nicaragua. Mimosas on the beach in the morning, a few long days laughing and swimming in the Laguna de Apoyo, and even a shot at the dance floor of the local discotecha on Saturday night! We’re kidding…mostly. However, as the trip has come to an end we have had the chance to reflect on some of the most impactful aspects of the journey.
Over the last few days we put our finishing touches on the walls of the school we helped Seeds of Learning construct, performed a song and dance as a sign of gratitude towards the students at the elementary school, took on a new perspective of Matagalpa from a hilltop outlook just outside the city, had some wonderful ethnic cuisine at a restaurant owned by the coordinators from Seeds of Learning, and said some hard goodbyes, hopefully temporary, to our friends in Matagalpa.
Upon arrival in Granada, despite sore hands and backs from the construction, we all agreed that we would do it all over again if we had the chance. Between free time spent swimming, shopping, walking around downtown Granada and short naps, we took time to recount all the amazing experiences we had the opportunity to take part in.
We’re happy to be headed home, but we are incredibly thankful for three life-altering weeks.

Sincerely,
Nate

Nicaragua 2017 blog #4

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Hola! Matagalpa is treating us well so far. We have spent the week doing construction work at a local school, and doing crafts and activities with the students. So far we have made octopi out of paper plates, bracelets, hand puppets, played with bubbles, and done lots of coloring. At the construction site we have been assisting in mixing cement, laying bricks, digging trenches, and bending rebar.

We usually work until noon and then our afternoons are filled with speakers and visiting local community leaders to gain more perspective on what life is like in Matagalpa. Our second day we went to a jewelry workshop in a community called Plomo where a group of women made pieces out of dried seeds.

Yesterday we listened to a presentation from a local surgeon about public health and the revolution in Nicaragua. We were all really inspired with the struggles and perseverance of health care professionals like him during the revolution.

Today we visited a mountainous community called El Progresso where we got to see some previous work of UP students, learned how to make tortillas, played with local school children, and got to meet some more community members. Tonight we prepared for a farewell performance to the community of El Tule where we have been doing construction work and helping out in the classrooms. We’re really excited to get to show our appreciation to the community that has been so welcoming and kind to us!

Nicaragua 2017 Blog #3

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Hola from Matagalpa, Nicaragua!

After a week of living in La Concepcion we said farewell to our homestay families on Saturday morning. We all learned a lot and will remember this experience forever, and emotions raged from family to family. Some of us were able to deeply connect and create relationships, making saying goodbye difficult. For others, this was more of an experience of personal growth. But overall, we all learned more than we could ever have imagined about being a member of this tight knit community of La Concepcion…

With our bags packed and strapped to the roof of two vans, we drove off to Matagalpa to begin our time working with Seeds of Learning. The three hour drive took us through lush green landscapes, small towns, and industrial areas. After arriving in the bustling and vibrant city, we drove around the city center looking for our hostel – the result of minimal street signs ands addresses… Luckily Jorge, one of our leaders from Seeds of Learning, came to our rescue and guided us to our beautiful hostel… We were welcomed to our new home for the week with an amazing lunch followed by a short orientation at the SOL library, located a couple blocks away. This library, started by SOL, offers a space for some of the children in the city with extra educational opportunities through an after school program. Here students have access to shelves of books – unlike in most Nicaraguan schools – and engage in creative arts and science projects, This program is relatively new and growing, and we all are excited to learn more about its impact on the community by seeing it in action this upcoming week.

We wrapped up Saturday with a big group reflection, reviewing our week in La Concepsions and our experience living in our home stays. To say our group discussion was insightful is quite the understatement. We touched on large scale topics like what it means to be human, what we feel our life purpose is, and what matter most. We all acknowledged how grateful we are for this experience.

Sunday morning, after a yummy french toast breakfast on the hostel balcony, many of us headed to Mass at the nearby Cathedral. This was a special service, as the archbishop was visiting, a nun was renewing her 50 year vow to the church, and there were special for prayers for Venezuela in their time in need. Although the two hour service was a bit long, we all found it to be an amazing experience to share together.

After Mass, we all went to lunch at a nearby cafe and headed to a Ceramic Workshop. Here we learned about a unique type of pottery – black pottery. This practice hat has been passed down from generation to generation within a family in this city and is one of the few remaining parts of the native Matagalpan culture. Now the business is run by a few sisters and we were lucky to meet one of them and learn some pottery skills. We were also able to make our own pieces of pottery and are excited to see how they turned out. This was a great experience to learn about another artistic aspect of the Nicaraguan culture.

Later on in the day, we met back up at the Library to watch a documentary about the educational system in Nicaragua. The film followed a few students from different backgrounds and regions as they navigated the difficulties of the school system, which include lack of resources, difficult university entrance exams, and poorly paid teachers. Although it was frustrating to learn more about the shocking reality, especially after our first hand experiences and connections in La Conception, we all feel inspired to work with SOL this week contributing to the community!

Stay tuned for more updates!
– Elise, Rainey, and Autumn

 

Nicaragua 2017 Blog #2

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Hi everyone!

We arrived here in La Concepción on Sunday, May 14 (Happy Mother’s Day!!) after a 45 minute drive from Masaya. We had a brief introduction with Hazel, the director of La Mariposa language school, then it was time to meet our host families that we would be living with for the coming week. That night we got to know our families and were exposed to the lives of the average Nicaraguan. The majority of us had latrines outside the home, were served traditional Nicaraguan dishes, learned how to do laundry by hand, and quickly learned the difficulties of not having running water.

Monday began the week of volunteer work we would be doing in the community. An average day looked like service in a daycare, cultural center, ecological reserve, or local public school. The second half of the day we would engage in Spanish classes with La Mariposa. Our group was split into two groups where we would alternate between service and language school. This was a difficult adjustment, as we had all gotten used to spending time in each other’s company. Luckily we all were able to take a lunch break in the middle of the day to have a meal together and reflect on these experiences.

As the week progressed with the language school, many of us noticed improvements in our Spanish speaking ability and found it easier to communicate with our host families and make connections with the children we have been working with. Even though the living conditions were surprisingly difficult for some of us, we were all ready to help each other and learn from this experience. The service work we have engaged in allowed us to gain various perspectives of life in Nicaragua. Many of us appreciated the opportunity to use our Spanish in real world interaction.

The highlight for many of us came on the excursion we took Thursday night to El Volcan Masaya. We were extremely lucky to be in Nicaragua when the volcano is the most active it has been in over 15 years. Looking into the volcano was a truly magical sight. You were able to see volcanic lava and smoke. We were all stunned and left speechless by this sight.

Tomorrow we head to Matagalpa for another week of service. Many of us are disappointed to be leaving the people we have met here but we are still excited to be moving onto a new place and new experiences!

~ Emily and Faith

   

Nicaragua 2017 Blog #1

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Hello everyone!

Well, we’re here! We arrived on Wednesday, May 10th and hit the ground running. Starting Thursday morning, we went on a scavenger hunt around Masaya, our first location. Our host from Carpe Diem, Kevin, organized the hunt to familiarize us with the town. We were given tasks that involved interacting with locals, going to the popular markets in the city, and finding other historical or unique locations within Masaya. Some of the places we visited were El Mercado Viejo and El Mercado Nuevo which were full of authentic Nicaraguan art as well as fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, and other essentials.

After the scavenger hunt, we discovered what soon became one of our favorite places: a smoothie shop located in El Parque Central. Since then, this has become a frequent hangout spot over the last three days where we have played frisbee, hung out together, and even joined a Zumba class that was put on by the locals. The second day  we were here we woke up and hiked to a fortress called “Coyotepe”. Although the fortress had beautiful views of Masaya, Lake Nicaragua, and Volcano of Masaya, it also has a haunting past. During our tour of the fortress, our tour guide discussed the history and conflicts between the liberals and the conservatives. Essentially, the fortress was home to political prisoners that were tortured and ultimately never to be seen again. Walking through the passages where prisoners were held was unsettling and to see and hear the conditions in which the prisoners endured, coupled by the United States’ role in perpetuating the evil that occurred in the fortress and Nicaragua during these years of warfare.

Today, our morning commenced with an early morning excursion to FUPROSOMUNIC (Foundation Solar Project for Nicaraguan Women) farm. This farm was founded by an extraordinary Nicaraguan woman named Mercedes, who has served in the military, and earned both her undergraduate and Master’s degrees in chemical engineering. At the farm we helped create trenches for terrace farming and created bio intensive beds. In addition, we also harvested oregano and other herbs. We also received a historical lesson from Greg, Mercedes’ partner and husband. After which they showed us their solar powered furnace room and stoves, along with the rest of their sustainable farm. In addition to agriculture and farming, Mercedes works to promote women’s rights and hosts workshops to teach women in the community how to build the solar powered ovens and lead more Eco-friendly lifestyles.

Tomorrow morning, we will be heading to Mass and then going to our home stays in La Concepcion. Because of this, we will not have Internet connection until May 21st.

See you then!

-Celeste, Maggie, & Summer