Food is love

In both Nicaragua and Costa Rica it was clear that cooking and eating are linked as an act of love. Both my host moms went out of their way to prepare wonderful, traditional meals for me.  I ate my way through both countries as a result!  In Nicaragua, Sonia allowed me to wash dishes and cut a few vegetables for a salad, but otherwise, the kitchen was her domain.  My plate overflowed with rich dishes of rice and beans, plantains, fish, salads, and fruits.  Sonia sent Orlando off on daily runs to the market to get the needed supplies.  When I say market, I don't mean a supermarket. They shopped at a huge mostly open air market area not far from the house.  In Costa Rica, Vivian allowed me full access to her kitchen. One night I prepared fresh pesto pasta, salad, and chocolate chip cookies.  Thankfully, the meal was a big hit.  Otherwise, Vivian cooked huge meals for breakfast and dinner.  She made typical Tica dishes that included lots of carbs- rice, pasta, beans, yucca, tortillas, breads, and cake.  I wanted to try everything and did not want to offend her in any way so I ate in abundance.  I definitely felt loved through both mom's culinary efforts.  I took lots of pictures.

Here are a few:

Transition

Leaving my host family in Nicaragua was hard. They had welcomed me warmly in their home and patiently put up with my broken Spanish. We shared many laughs and stories from our lives.  They live a very simple, quiet life in the city. They rarely venture far from their home.  Neither of them work outside the home anymore. Their income consists of what they make from hosting students.  Sonia, my host mom, shared that she did not know when the next students might come. She feared that they would not have anyone until the late spring.  I know they will be fine, however, I felt protective of them.  

As we loaded into the bus and traversed the mountain passes out of Nicaragua into Costa Rica, I felt a little nervous about the next stage in my adventure. I had just begun to feel comfortable roaming the city on my own.  How was the next town going to be? Would the family be as welcoming as Sonia and Orlando were?  I had a lot of time to think during the 8 hour journey.

Almost immediately as we crossed into Costa Rica, I could see economic differences. The streets were paved. Most houses and buildings were constructed with strong materials like brick and stucco or adobe. There was landscaping. In the mountains, a series of huge windmills were scattered through the landscape.  The views were breathtaking. 

Once we arrived in Santo Domingo, the prosperity of Costa Rica was evident. Many cars filled the streets-fancy new models too. Restaurants, stores, and  homes reflected the fact that the residents have money to spend.  Beautiful schools represent the country's emphasis on free education for all.  

When my new host mom, Vivian, picked me up in a taxi, she welcomed me with open arms.  Once again, I was struck by the economic differences when I walked into their home. They have a kitchen with a large stainless steel refrigerator and a washer and dryer. They have two bathrooms with hot water!  They have two bedrooms,an office, and a living room.  It is a comfortable, yet simple home on the edge of a more affluent neighborhood.

I transitioned easily into this new phase as my new family opened their lives to me. Vivian and I spent hours getting to know each other, sharing intimate details of our lives. Her husband, Eric, runs his own computer company so he often worked long days. He also made me feel at home when he was with us.  On the second day, Vivian's nieces, Sophia and Maria Jose, joined us for the rest of my stay.  My days quickly took on a new rhythm of routine:  volunteer work at Lapa Verde Community Center in the mornings and Spanish classes all afternoon.  I didn't hang out much with other students after class, but rather headed home to spend evenings with my host family.

We cooked together, ate and talked late into the night.  It is amazing how quickly I felt so connected.  There are just not enough words to describe the feelings.  The time was too short.

In the coming days, I explored the city of San Jose with Vivian.  As the capital of Costa Rica, it had much to offer. In a day we visited an incredible museum, the beautiful National Theater, and an artisans market.  In each place, I learned about the country's rich culture, biodiversity, and emphasis on education.  

Staying in Santo Domingo was a step back toward the standard of living I have in the U.S.  People are often running or biking on the streets. Beautiful gyms can be found all across the city.  With all of that, also came a big change in the costs to buy goods.  Prices were comparable.  One evening, I talked to Eric about the standard of living in Costa Rica in comparison to Nicaragua and the U.S.  He explained that in Nicaragua the society is divided mostly into two classes- the poor and rich with few in the middle class.  In Costa Rica, there is a large middle class with much less poor and some quite wealthy. It was extremely rare to see a street person in town. There were lots of families with pets and few stray dogs on the street.  Street people and stray animals are abundant in Nicaragua. In fact, a whole community of Nicaraguan and Colombian immigrants have formed a poor community outside of the city here in CR. The medical students in our group spent their volunteer time working there.

My volunteer work in Santo Domingo consisted of planning and running an educational day camp at the community center. I was told that the kids were from working families who could not afford daycare during their winter break. However, it did not appear that the families that came were struggling.  Many of the children attended classes at the community center after school or on Satur days.  Some were taking English classes.  It was a wonderful experience getting to know them as we played together.

My time on the trip has come to an end. I can say that I met many of my goals.  My Spanish has improved tremendously although I have a long way to go. I am motivated to continue studying once I am home. I really don't want to lose the gains I made.  I feel like I will be able to communicate more with my Spanish speaking students and families. I definitely understand more.  I am also energized to continue doing volunteer work in some form.  I want to continue my connection with House of Hope and Granada Christian Education Center.  There is so much to be done.  Through their work, I can see how much influence one life can have on another.  I want to help them in their fight against poverty and human trafficking.  On the local level, I hope to start a community service committee at my school to empower our school community as well.  It is such a gift and blessing to realize that we can all make a difference together.

Here are just a few picture from my time in Costa Rica:

#FFTFellow

Time

I have been carrying around so many thoughts, so much digesting going on in my brain. I just have not had time to write. Since I left Nicaragua, my world has sped up.  My days in Central America are coming to a close. I feel rushed to squeeze in more learning, more connections, more experiences.  The thing is, I just don't have enough time in my day.  I don't want to miss anything.

My final days in Nicaragua included a local celebration of the anniversary of the seizure of power by the Sandanistas.  The FSNL overthrew the rule of Anastasia Somoza Debayle in 1979.  It is a very complicated history filled with stories of corruption and U.S. involvement.  According to some of the sources I read, the original members were nationalistic students who were outraged by the conditions in Nicaragua under Somoza and what they saw as consistent U.S. Intervention in Nicaraguan affairs.  They wanted to improve the conditions for the poor.  Long story short, what started out as a movement of the people, turned into a civil war with U.S.-backed Contra rebels. The FSNL was supported by the Soviets and Cuba. Under Sandinista rule and the leader Daniel Ortega, they have maintained power nationalizing the country's major industries.  From what I understood through my conversations with those willing to talk to me about it, unless you work for the government and are a member of the Sandinista party, it is very difficult to find work.  Our teachers at the Spanish Language School were all professionals from various fields- a lawyer, a psychologist, teachers, who could not find consistent work in their fields.  I was also told that it was very dangerous to speak about the government negatively. People are beaten up, fired, and even killed if they are open about their opposition. It is very complicated. The FSNL has been working to make improvements in education and health, however, the changes have been slow.  As I already shared, many Nicaraguans live in poverty. Many are illiterate despite the statistics the government claims.  Anyway, I had a hard time watching the parade in street by the government employees and FSNL party members knowing how much the general population is oppressed.

I have a lot to learn on top of my Spanish language skills.   #FFTFellow

Here are a few photos of the day:

Perspective

Depending from which point we are looking, our view will be different.  From far away, we can see the big picture. If we are up close, we cannot always see the surrounding view.  I am learning a lot about contrasts and perspective during my time here.  I keep reminding myself that what I see or feel is dependent on my starting point.  

There are so many things I have complained about at home. The list is endless- from minor to big complaints. " This light is too long. The internet is too slow.  The air conditioning is too cold. It is too hot in my classroom. I have a big class this year.  I don't like cleaning my house.  I don't want to make dinner.  My yard is so much work. Who left the garage light on again?! DCF does nothing for kids. College is too expensive. We work too hard....". As I said, the list could go on forever.  My complaints come from the places I am in my life at the time.  

Now that I have been immersed in the culture of Nicaragua for the past two weeks, my perspective has changed a bit.  That is, from this point of time and place, my observations are different.  It has been easy to see the contrasts.  Let me focus on education.  Most schools here are old and very basic structures.  The average class is 50 students in a small room. Students come in two shifts because there just aren't enough schools to teach all the kids at once. Education is free and "mandatory" up to the sixth grade. Because of the overcrowding and lack of resources, many students don't learn to read even by the fourth grade.  Kids can't go to school without a uniform.  Those who are too poor can't afford them.  Kids on the street are prey to sex traffickers.  Lots of kids are homeless,yet there are no orphanages and very little government social services.  Teachers go to mandatory meetings once a month where all teachers from their area meet to plan the curriculum and lessons for the month. All teachers teach the same thing across the country at he same time.  Salaries are low.  I heard several stories about women who could not afford to feed their families even though they taught full time. They prostituted themselves to supplement their income.  

My complaints about school seem pretty ridiculous given what teachers go through here!  I have supplies, desks, books, and materials for my students.  I work with my colleagues to plan our teaching weekly. I have access to technology.  We have a social worker, psychologist, and nurse at my school.  We even have a health center!  All students can eat breakfast and lunch at school for free. If they don't have a uniform, we give them one.  Teachers are paid a decent wage (at least in comparison).  The system is far from perfect....but offers much more than in Nicaragua.  That is not to say that I will no longer strive to improve what we do have.  On the contrary, this motivates me even more to seek out excellence!

My day at Granada Christian Education Center provided another example of how there are some things around the world that are not measured by differences, but by unity.  The parents and children that joined us, came with love and hope for the future.  They came because they care about their family's welfare. They came because of the school community. They came to support what we were doing. They came to learn.  

The smiles and giggles speak the same language. The mom's reached across to help us as we fumbled with words. We helped them to see how even lacking in their own formal education, they have the power to help their kids to learn.  Even without books, they can develop reading skills and storytelling.  

Worlds apart, yet not so far away when I think about my school community.  So many perspectives to consider....

Preparation

We loaded onto the bus early this morning to make our way out to Granada Christian Education Center for our next volunteer site orientation.  I really didn't know what the day would hold.  I knew we were headed into a very poor area on the outskirts of the city, a place called Pantanal.  The name means swamp.  It is a neighborhood that is literally built on a swamp. The government of Nicaragua started giving plots of land to the poor to help alleviate the housing problem in the city. As the tourism grew in the city, housing became less affordable and inaccessible for many so they moved to Pantanal.  Over the past 10 years, 10,000 people have moved there. Many live in homes they built with whatever they could scavenge-wood, plastic, sheets of metal. Some built homes with cinder blocks through the help of aid agencies.  The average home is 150 square feet with up to 10 family members living in the cramped space. Many have electricity and some have running water. The area is characterized by poverty and with poverty comes a whole other set of problems. The unemployment rate is very high (I can't remember the exact percentage).  Eight out of ten men struggle with substance abuse. Many adults and children are addicted to sniffing glue to stave off the pangs of hunger. The rates of teenage pregnancy and incest are also very high. Many women are left to support their families alone. Gangs have formed as a common part of the community.

In the middle of this, is an incredibly beautiful school that was started three years ago with the help of many volunteers. Some Christian missionaries working with those struggling with addiction had a vision to break the cycle through education. They started with only six students the first year. Now they have around 60 pre-school, kindergarten, and first grade students. The hope is to add a new grade each year for the next 10 years. The children come from the neighborhoods surrounding the property. Parents must pay $1.80 a month for the private schooling.  This may not seem like much, but with an average salary of $2 a day, it is a sacrifice.  There are a few public schools in the area, but they are far and the conditions are very poor. Class sizes average 50 students to one teacher.  Schools have very limited resources.  Few are able to achieve much under those conditions.  At GCEC, the classes are limited to 25.  The students receive instruction in both Spanish and English.  They are taught in ways that are not common in the Nicaraguan public schools.

Why charge when the families struggle so much to make ends meet?  The school staff described how the payment is a way to have the parents "buy in".  The school is based on the "hand up" philosophy rather than the "hand out".  They are committing to their child's education as an investment in the family.  Young people are expected to help support their families. This is truly an investment into the future of the entire family.  With the bilingual education, the children will have greater opportunities for earning power.  They can earn much more money as translators or workers in bilingual companies.  As a result, families will choose one of their children to send to the school.  They cannot afford to send more than one.  The actual cost is around $45 a month, but it is paid through donations.  In addition, the  school provides jobs to family members as they are able to. They have a sports ministry for older boys as a prevention program to keep the boys out of the gangs and away from the cycle of addiction.

For 4 hours a day, the little ones come to learn in this oasis in the swamp.  They are loved and cared for.  Their families are supported on many levels as well.  In fact, our role as educators is to provide workshops for the families so they can learn how to support their child's learning at home.  With no books in the homes and many parents with limited to no literacy skills, we will be starting at the pre-literacy stage.  We plan to teach parents how to have conversations leading to storytelling in their everyday situations.  Math instruction will include basic number sense games using objects from their homes like beans or rice.  

As an educator, I am struck by the obstacles teachers and students face here.  Training and resources are very limited. Even at this beautiful, new school they don't have electricity. The school has to be protected by a security guard to insure the safety of the students and teachers.  Yet, once again, there is hope.  The net of possibilities is cast far beyond the walls of the classrooms.  The future vision includes adult literacy, job training, and small business production.

All of this can be done through partnerships with a variety of groups. Graduate students at the University of Virginia Schools of Engineering and Architecture designed the blueprint for the school after weeks of intense onsite study of the environmental conditions.  Church groups came to build alongside of construction workers. Sponsors send donations from all over to fund the work of the missionaries and teachers. Non-profit groups in the area work together to pool resources for common goals.

At the core of it all is faith. Faith in God and faith in humanity.  Faith in the common good.  One brick at a time, one child at a time, one family at a time, the world is becoming a better place. 

I am so humbled to be able to be a part of it.  Not only do I have the privilege of working with parents, but I was able to bring money from my students and staff to help supply some of the physical needs here.

Thankful heart once again. #FFTFellow

Power in Creation

I am back in Granada, ready to embark on our next volunteer project.  Before I am caught up in the intensity of the work in the coming days, I wanted to share some more of the photos from our weekend of rest.  The power in the natural beauty of creation never ceases to amaze me.  Every day we have the opportunity to take it in.  Whether large or small, there is something beautiful to take hold of as long as we are not too busy, stressed, or simply distracted.  At Playa Gigante, the beauty was just that-Gigantic.  We couldn't miss it-the expanse of the beaches, the warm water, the multi-colored rocks, the sunset, the dramatic landscape, the smiles of the locals.  #FFTFellow#Playagigantewonders

World of Experiences in a Week

Hard to believe it has been a week already since I arrived in Nicaragua.  Hard to believe it has only been a week since I arrived in Nicaragua.  In many ways the time has flown by and in others it has been so packed that I cannot fathom that only seven days have passed.  The volunteer experiences, the host family time, the Spanish lessons, and the exploration of the area have filled my brain and heart to overflowing.  I am learning so much! The lessons most certainly have not been limited to the Spanish classes.  I have seen the horror of human indecency and experienced the expanse of human kindness. I have seen the beauty in history and the grime smeared all over the present.  I have witnessed the poor in the city and countryside.  I have also glimpsed the life of the rich and famous. Now, I am enjoying some time away at the beach (La Playa Gigante) to rest and reflect on it all.  It has been a whirlwind of contrasts: life here and at home, the difference in power between men and women, the daily living between those who have and those who do not.  One day at a time, one week at a time, un poco a un poco- I am growing and transforming.  So thankful for this opportunity and all that it brings #FFTFund