Arrival and Introductions

We have officially arrived in the glorious country of Nicaragua. After a rather long day of travel, we are slowly settling into this non climate controlled country. It was quite a shock when we exited the air conditioned airport and entered into the very large sauna. Excitedly, the perspiration began as many of us entered into our first foreign experience. The excitement literally streamed from our bodies as we began witnessing the differences between the United States and the third world. 

Promptly, we met our leader, Andres, our driver, Freddie, and Paolo, the leader of the project we will be working. We also have Tanya, a native Nicaraguan, that is helping Paolo and our troupe.  We are surrounded by a variety of characters that will help us make the most of our experience and keep us safe and sound. Especially Freddie, who enjoys chatting with the locals and borrowing parakeets for us to hold and enjoy. 

The retreat center is beautiful, with its jungle-esque atmosphere and wonderful assortment of creatures. Exotic birds sing joyously at the top of their lungs all hours of the day. The bugs enjoy invading our rooms, and the single rooster acts as five different alarms during the course of the night. It creates melody that all of us just cannot help but keep awake and absorb. Although, many of us enjoy harmonizing with all of these sounds by screaming in horror and running away like banshees at the existence of the bugs that only seek to welcome us with open arms - or pinchers, stingers, etc. 

Our first official day in Nicaragua began with the delicious meal of rice and beans. Freddie then escorted us to our place of focus for the week. We will be working at the Centro Educativo José Artigas. It is a school located in the city of Sandino - begun after Managua was destroyed by the 1976 earthquake.  The school teaches 2,000 children - children that go to school for the half the day and wade in the garbage for the rest of it. It is our duty , this week, to make a small contribution to help them arise from having to work in the oppressive conditions of the dump.

The goals of this week include building a toilet for the kindergarten, cleaning the school, playing with the kids, and teaching. Right now, the kindergarteners have nowhere to go the bathroom and their waste covers the ground of the school. This becomes a problem when it rains and the entire school floods - endangering the health of all the students. It is up to us and three other groups to build this restroom and connect it to the central plumbing. It will involve much of our strength to hit the dirt with a pick axe and shovel the waste away. It is a challenge that we are excited to conquer. 

Along with discovering what the week will bring, we also had the chance to peer into the lives of two families and the conditions in which they live. 

Our first observation came with a woman that lives in a family of ten. Of the ten, only two receive a steady income for the family. Many of the family members are only small children, living in a rather tiny house with a tin roof, hastily thrown together walls, and only two beds. Two of the family members have to go to other houses to sleep. They shower with a bucket in a small cubicle in the backyard and have to go to the bathroom in a hole in the ground. Where the family lives, one house abuts another - each complete with empty dirt yards and barbed wire. It is amazing how kind and welcoming these people can be despite these poor accommodations - something that will keep amazing us as the week progresses.  

From a little far off, a little boy squeaked some words in Spanish, of which I could only make out the word "agua." Blankly staring at him in reply, he grinned happily and sauntered to the back of his house. As the rest of the group followed his lead after a little bit, I noticed that he was at the sink, filling up cups of water for all of us. Although a small gesture and one we could not accept, we could not help but be touched by this small gesture. 

This little boy is part of the second family of four we visited - consisting of a mother, her husband and their two young children. They live in a quaint two room tin house, complete with two beds, a couch, wardrobe and small TV with the kitchen, shower and bathroom outside. The husband generates a revenue of barely $20 a week at a factory, and his wife stays at home with her children instead of working. She used to work, but the people that looked after her children would mistreat them. Because they love their children so much, she and her husband sacrifice a second source of income in order to give their children a better life - a very honorable and heroic deed. 

Along with this experience, we drove through the garbage dump of Sandino. Miles upon miles of garbage stretched before our eyes as black birds sifted though the garbage alongside the people, the skinny horses and roaming dogs. The people rummage through the rubbish - looking for scraps to sell to live from day to day. Yet, they smiled and waved at us as we observed their daily routine. Although we find it disgusting and disturbing, they accept their fate, make the best of it, and live their lives the best that they can. 

Despite these conditions that these people live in, we can already see their love and acceptance shine through on our first day here.  The kids immediately gave us hugs and high pitched "holas" when we entered the school. As we drove around the two cities, our merry waving caused the people to burst into radiant smiles. The change in their demeanor shows that we can make a difference in their lives. We have accepted that challenge and will put all of our efforts into the week ahead. It is time to go forth and set the world on fire...