Hola mi amors! I am writing to you from CEPAD in Managua, Nicaragua. I have had the privilege of staying here for the past few days, using it as a post to venture out into a new, wonderful world here in Central America. The more I explore and discover here, the more I grow to love the country. Everything from enjoying multiple discussions with people here who have experienced these things first hand, who have granted us the opportunity to listen to them, and give of us their time to explain why Nicaragua is in the situation it is in, and things that are being done to try to help these people out.
Since I have gotten here, I have felt a vast array of emotions. Sadness, hopelessness, love, respect, hope, fear, guilt, disappointment, joy, anger, and that’s just the beginning. Never have I seen such extensive poverty, despite all of my adventures to different parts of the world, yet still these people are as hopeful and resilient as any I have met. No matter where I turn I can see the need these people have.
Increasingly I feel the need for something to be done here, some policy that needs to be changed, some aid sent, some system that takes so much from these people to be disassembled and reversed. These people who love so much, who know so much joy, and so much pain, should be allowed to, or empowered to help themselves.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Strength
Yesterday we went to a community called “la choleca,” which has about 24,000 people (1,200 families) living in and off the dump in Managua. Try to think for a moment about what that could look like in the US. We have all seen “trash pickers” who take furniture off peoples’ lawns or looking for scrap metal to turn in for money, and maybe once in your life you have seen someone dig recently thrown away food out of the trash to eat, but you could not even imagine a community of people living off the rest of the city’s trash.
As we pull into the entrance of the dump there are a few men at the sides of the street looking through the little bit of trash there, we were told it is usually full of trash but today was an empty day. We continue driving down the dirt road and in the distance you can see the piles of trash in the dump. We don’t get a very clear view of the size of the dump, but we saw enough. There were many people at the gate of the dump going through trash, pulling out anything from plastic bottles, plastic bags, metal, copper, aluminum, paper, food, bones, and toys. There are children from the ages of 2 and up walking around and seeing what they can find too. This was the hardest part to see – very small children, in dirty clothes, with dirty faces, looking through a small pile of trash on the street for something to eat or play with.
People there work very hard, but don’t get much for that work. Today, for every 100lbs of plastic bottles you get 1 cordoba, which is equal to 5 cents. It used to be 24 cordobas ($1.20) but with the falling economy, the price for plastic dropped.
We kept driving into the community where there are houses. This is the section of people who live off the dump, but not in the dump. About 200 of the families actually live inside the dump. Our guide Yamileth, was a single mother, with two daughters, who lived in the dump.
She told us her and her children slept in a barrel.
Yamileth collected copper, metal, and of course food. The hardest part for her, especially in telling the story, was her concern for her two girls. She did not want them to grow up living in the dump. Yamileth looked for a job outside of the dump and finally found one packaging art, which is across town from the dump. She traveled everyday to work, but heard from other women who worked there in the past, that the job did not lead you to anything more than packing. She took this as a challenge to prove herself and show that she was different. Yamileth came up with a way to package the art so that it would not break; kids said they could play soccer with the art after she was done with it, and it still wouldn’t break.
Because of her hard work, Yamileth was slowly moving up the ranks and now is the director of this packing business. She told us that at first it was scary because she didn’t know what to do with all this new money she was making. Then she began building her home now, which she calls a palace. For those of you in the US who think you have a small room to live in, I bet your room is the size of Yamileth’s house. She is so grateful to have a floor and walls, with “the softest beds,” and some electricity.
Yamileth’s story does not stop there. She has become a community organizer also. She is the unofficial pharmacy of the community, where people who are sick can come to her home, day or night, to see what is wrong with them. Yamileth has a box she showed us, which is about 12 inches by 4 inches, and has a few medical supplies in it: hydration packets, blood sampling kit, and the drugs for malaria.
Along with that, she also took the lead in fixing the gang problem in their community. In the beginning 90s there was a lot of violence that came with the gangs, so to the women of the community decided to try and stop it. After the asking the kids what would help them, they said respect and sports. So, Yamileth was elected to be in charge of organizing soccer (having never played in her life). In order to play, all of the kids had to hand in their weapons: guns, slingshots, and knives. Yamileth tells a story about the first soccer game played in the new league where two kids ran into each other which started a uproar of the crowd. The kids, who were supposed to turn in their weapons, took out more. The police that were there were scared and Yamileth said she didn’t know what to do. She thought about running, but decided that she needed to do something more. She said she just screamed, “What are you doing? Is this what you brought me all this way for?” All the kids got quiet, then turned to each other and said she was right and started shaking hands. Since then there haven’t been any more gangs in the community and the one neighborhood was so good at soccer that they won many tournaments outside of their league.
Yamileth’s story was very moving. She started living in a dump with her two children, and even when she made the money to get out of the dump, she stayed and helped the community. It is hard to describe what we saw and felt on this trip; it is almost unbelievable, or incomprehensible for anyone who has not seen it themselves. The experience made me think about what I, and most people in the US, complain about. It is a day and place I will never forget.
Adios,
Britt
As we pull into the entrance of the dump there are a few men at the sides of the street looking through the little bit of trash there, we were told it is usually full of trash but today was an empty day. We continue driving down the dirt road and in the distance you can see the piles of trash in the dump. We don’t get a very clear view of the size of the dump, but we saw enough. There were many people at the gate of the dump going through trash, pulling out anything from plastic bottles, plastic bags, metal, copper, aluminum, paper, food, bones, and toys. There are children from the ages of 2 and up walking around and seeing what they can find too. This was the hardest part to see – very small children, in dirty clothes, with dirty faces, looking through a small pile of trash on the street for something to eat or play with.
People there work very hard, but don’t get much for that work. Today, for every 100lbs of plastic bottles you get 1 cordoba, which is equal to 5 cents. It used to be 24 cordobas ($1.20) but with the falling economy, the price for plastic dropped.
We kept driving into the community where there are houses. This is the section of people who live off the dump, but not in the dump. About 200 of the families actually live inside the dump. Our guide Yamileth, was a single mother, with two daughters, who lived in the dump.
She told us her and her children slept in a barrel.
Yamileth collected copper, metal, and of course food. The hardest part for her, especially in telling the story, was her concern for her two girls. She did not want them to grow up living in the dump. Yamileth looked for a job outside of the dump and finally found one packaging art, which is across town from the dump. She traveled everyday to work, but heard from other women who worked there in the past, that the job did not lead you to anything more than packing. She took this as a challenge to prove herself and show that she was different. Yamileth came up with a way to package the art so that it would not break; kids said they could play soccer with the art after she was done with it, and it still wouldn’t break.
Because of her hard work, Yamileth was slowly moving up the ranks and now is the director of this packing business. She told us that at first it was scary because she didn’t know what to do with all this new money she was making. Then she began building her home now, which she calls a palace. For those of you in the US who think you have a small room to live in, I bet your room is the size of Yamileth’s house. She is so grateful to have a floor and walls, with “the softest beds,” and some electricity.
Yamileth’s story does not stop there. She has become a community organizer also. She is the unofficial pharmacy of the community, where people who are sick can come to her home, day or night, to see what is wrong with them. Yamileth has a box she showed us, which is about 12 inches by 4 inches, and has a few medical supplies in it: hydration packets, blood sampling kit, and the drugs for malaria.
Along with that, she also took the lead in fixing the gang problem in their community. In the beginning 90s there was a lot of violence that came with the gangs, so to the women of the community decided to try and stop it. After the asking the kids what would help them, they said respect and sports. So, Yamileth was elected to be in charge of organizing soccer (having never played in her life). In order to play, all of the kids had to hand in their weapons: guns, slingshots, and knives. Yamileth tells a story about the first soccer game played in the new league where two kids ran into each other which started a uproar of the crowd. The kids, who were supposed to turn in their weapons, took out more. The police that were there were scared and Yamileth said she didn’t know what to do. She thought about running, but decided that she needed to do something more. She said she just screamed, “What are you doing? Is this what you brought me all this way for?” All the kids got quiet, then turned to each other and said she was right and started shaking hands. Since then there haven’t been any more gangs in the community and the one neighborhood was so good at soccer that they won many tournaments outside of their league.
Yamileth’s story was very moving. She started living in a dump with her two children, and even when she made the money to get out of the dump, she stayed and helped the community. It is hard to describe what we saw and felt on this trip; it is almost unbelievable, or incomprehensible for anyone who has not seen it themselves. The experience made me think about what I, and most people in the US, complain about. It is a day and place I will never forget.
Adios,
Britt
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Days 1 and 2 in Managua, Nicaragua
Day 1
Hola! We arrived in Managua, Nicaragua on Monday June 8th at about 12:00 CT. Our Witness for Peace(WFP) guides for the stay, Patty and Galen, picked us up and brought us to our home for most of our stay here. CEPAD is a hostel that has about 75 beds, lots of roof covered open space, a few very nice security guards, and a staff who runs and cleans the common space. The girls and boys are split into two rooms right next to each other. In each room there is a bathroom and a bed for each person. So far, everyone has slept very well despite the heat. There is a parrot in the common space here named Jeptio who can say a few things like "hola," "hello," and "aye papi."
Every meal at CEPAD is cooked for us by Blanca - a woman who has been cooking for WFP for a long time. We have had very good food so far (rice, beans, chicken, plantains, potatoes, salad, and fruit juice).
After settling in, Patty and Galen began educating us on the history and culture of Nicaragua. The political and economic history is very important in understanding the people here. Hopefully someone will write a post on this history and the huge influence the US had/has in the politics of Nicaragua, but for now I do not have the time.
The first night Todd, Jon, and I went to visit a community called Batahola, where Todd stayed last time he was here. This was the first chance we had to really talk to Nicaraguans (Nicas). The family he stayed with was so nice and patient with us; they spoke very slow and used many hand motions to help us understand what they were saying. One of my concerns in coming on the trip was my poor Spanish speaking skills, but so far I have been able to communicate when I try (Todd and Natasha have done much of the speaking when needed though).
Day 2
We woke up early, had breakfast, learned a little more, and then headed out on a historical tour of Managua. For our time here, we have a van that will take us everywhere we are scheduled to go with WFP (very nice driver Luis and it is air conditioned). Patty and Galen gave us a tour of some historical sites such as the cathedral, the old and new congress buildings, the "white house" of Nicaragua, the Peace Park, many monuments, and we ended at the site of an old Palace at Lake Tiscapa.
Most interesting for me was the Peace Park (El Parque de Paz), a park developed, in 1990, by President Violeta Chamorro (first woman president in Latin America) after the end of the Contra war. After elected she offered amnesty and money to those who would turn their guns in and cemented all of the weapons into the ground at the park as a symbol that the country would be peaceful. The conditions of the park now are disappointing. It is run down, the fountain has no water, the buildings were abandoned, and some monuments vandalized - so much for peace.
On our way to the sites I really saw how poor some of the people in the country are and what they will do to get a few cordobas (20 cordobas = 1 dollar). A woman came up to the window of our van with a small child in her hands. The windows are tinted so she, and the child, put their faces up to their windows as she tapped gently asking for one minute of our time. It was disheartening to see a woman and child needing money so bad that they were just walking through the streets asking. I know we see begging for money in America, but its not the same here. EVERY corner there is someone working for money (selling water, making grasshoppers out of the long grasses, or just asking).
Today, Day 3, we are going to talk to a woman who is a community organizer at her home and then visit a health clinic. Should be one of the most eye-opening days on the trip. Look for the next post about today (I'm sure we will all have things to say about it) and for some of the history we have learned about what role our country has played in the lives of Nicas.
Thank you for reading!!!!
Adios,
Britt
Hola! We arrived in Managua, Nicaragua on Monday June 8th at about 12:00 CT. Our Witness for Peace(WFP) guides for the stay, Patty and Galen, picked us up and brought us to our home for most of our stay here. CEPAD is a hostel that has about 75 beds, lots of roof covered open space, a few very nice security guards, and a staff who runs and cleans the common space. The girls and boys are split into two rooms right next to each other. In each room there is a bathroom and a bed for each person. So far, everyone has slept very well despite the heat. There is a parrot in the common space here named Jeptio who can say a few things like "hola," "hello," and "aye papi."
Every meal at CEPAD is cooked for us by Blanca - a woman who has been cooking for WFP for a long time. We have had very good food so far (rice, beans, chicken, plantains, potatoes, salad, and fruit juice).
After settling in, Patty and Galen began educating us on the history and culture of Nicaragua. The political and economic history is very important in understanding the people here. Hopefully someone will write a post on this history and the huge influence the US had/has in the politics of Nicaragua, but for now I do not have the time.
The first night Todd, Jon, and I went to visit a community called Batahola, where Todd stayed last time he was here. This was the first chance we had to really talk to Nicaraguans (Nicas). The family he stayed with was so nice and patient with us; they spoke very slow and used many hand motions to help us understand what they were saying. One of my concerns in coming on the trip was my poor Spanish speaking skills, but so far I have been able to communicate when I try (Todd and Natasha have done much of the speaking when needed though).
Day 2
We woke up early, had breakfast, learned a little more, and then headed out on a historical tour of Managua. For our time here, we have a van that will take us everywhere we are scheduled to go with WFP (very nice driver Luis and it is air conditioned). Patty and Galen gave us a tour of some historical sites such as the cathedral, the old and new congress buildings, the "white house" of Nicaragua, the Peace Park, many monuments, and we ended at the site of an old Palace at Lake Tiscapa.
Most interesting for me was the Peace Park (El Parque de Paz), a park developed, in 1990, by President Violeta Chamorro (first woman president in Latin America) after the end of the Contra war. After elected she offered amnesty and money to those who would turn their guns in and cemented all of the weapons into the ground at the park as a symbol that the country would be peaceful. The conditions of the park now are disappointing. It is run down, the fountain has no water, the buildings were abandoned, and some monuments vandalized - so much for peace.
On our way to the sites I really saw how poor some of the people in the country are and what they will do to get a few cordobas (20 cordobas = 1 dollar). A woman came up to the window of our van with a small child in her hands. The windows are tinted so she, and the child, put their faces up to their windows as she tapped gently asking for one minute of our time. It was disheartening to see a woman and child needing money so bad that they were just walking through the streets asking. I know we see begging for money in America, but its not the same here. EVERY corner there is someone working for money (selling water, making grasshoppers out of the long grasses, or just asking).
Today, Day 3, we are going to talk to a woman who is a community organizer at her home and then visit a health clinic. Should be one of the most eye-opening days on the trip. Look for the next post about today (I'm sure we will all have things to say about it) and for some of the history we have learned about what role our country has played in the lives of Nicas.
Thank you for reading!!!!
Adios,
Britt
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Welcome
Hello Bonners and the World,
Welcome to Bonneragua! From June 8th to 19th, 2009 5 Bonner Scholars and 2 staff members will be participating in a delegation on international inequalities in Managua, Nicaragua. We are going to bring understanding to why such extreme poverty exists in the developing world and bring back that newly gained knowledge to TCNJ.
Internet access for the group may be limited from time to time but we will be doing our best to keep this blog updated with pictures and journal entries on our adventures.
Welcome to Bonneragua! From June 8th to 19th, 2009 5 Bonner Scholars and 2 staff members will be participating in a delegation on international inequalities in Managua, Nicaragua. We are going to bring understanding to why such extreme poverty exists in the developing world and bring back that newly gained knowledge to TCNJ.
Internet access for the group may be limited from time to time but we will be doing our best to keep this blog updated with pictures and journal entries on our adventures.
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