Happy Holidays

December 20, 2007

As Christmas is only 5 days away, El Menco remains unchanged, except for a set of lights, and slightly more traffic in the streets. Christmas is a large holiday here in Nicaragua, but one that one must afford to celebrate. I have seen no decorated trees, no presents, only the houses are more full with visiting family members. More people attend church, but unless you lived here and noticed these subtlties, you wouldn’t know Christmas was here. I sit at my computer and watch a dog scarf down a few pieces of rice left from my meal while Kai plays on the porch with 5 brothers. A cow moo’s to its companions in the street, and the roosters wander in search of hens, who in turn search for bugs to eat. El Menco is still El Menco.

Other parts of Nicaragua are in full swing. The capitol has a 40 ft tree decorated in the middle of a rotunda, complete with a fence and armed guards. The main shopping mall, which is just like US malls, is complete with a tree of the same size, spanning two stories, with Santa dropping from a hot air balloon (also complete with a fence and armed guards). I visited briefly Sunday with Kai when we dropped my boyfriend Jason off at the airport after a brief but wonderful 5 day visit. Kai was shocked to see the Christmas tree and all of the presents. I was shocked to see high prices- more than what I’d pay in the US, in a toy store. The next day, Monday, I had a meeting with the Mayor of Buenos Aires, the department that contains El Menco. My co-workers picked me up in Managua, and I make a brief stop in the Mall to dash in to buy a carefully selected toy for Kai while he waited in the car. Even a Christmas present is something I have to consider. I was very fortunate to find an educational toy store with imported European products, which was both a curse and a blessing. A blessing because it had some well made educational toys that Kai really enjoyed. A curse because not only would these toys set him apart from all of the kids in El Menco, but also because we’d have to be very careful with it, as other kids don’t treat toys well here. My other options however often display plastic automatic weapons, guns, monster trucks, etc., all made in China. Kai has gotten one or two of these before (not the guns- you all know me better than that), all which have broken within a week of getting them. I settled on a cloth doll and a separate outfit to dress her in. Kai has recently become obsessed with bodies, and loves to dress and undress dolls. When asked what his choice would be, he chose a girl doll over a boy (Amanda over Brian that is). So there you all have it, you know what Kai is getting for Christmas, and the simple dilemma over the choice. Just one example of many daily dilemmas involving the best decision for Kai in the situation.

My meeting with the Mayor, a woman by the name of Zela Diaz Mora, went very well. The Millennium Village Project was a new idea for her, but she thought it wonderful, and was very supportive. It was clear that she has a great working relationship with Juan de Dios, my co-worker and Assistant Project Coordinator for ANF. She went so far as to call me an angel for El Menco, for working here and spending so much time in the community, which then allowed me to confirm my fear of providing false hope for the people. My simple association with ANF, the organization that so quickly transformed the lives of so many, has many hoping for new houses, and wells to pull water from, ending their endless treks to the lake with 5 gallon buckets. I feel my time here dwindling, as my work intensifies. I have always offered total transparency to the people I’m working with, and I’m wondering if it’s wrong to have done so. For each time I report meetings with other organizations, such as the United Nations, it inspires more hope in their eyes that their reality may change. While in truth, the real change will happen after I am gone, and only if the ANF and others continue the project. I have no reason to believe that they won’t, but it is literally the lives of the people here that I have the ability to change, or not change. It is a weight I feel, for I don’t want to fail them. I have asked for a doctor for their health clinic, a teacher for the school in El Islote, medical supplies to be delivered to the clinic, and for new houses and wells for the people of El Cerrito and El Islote for the immediate future. These are easy needs to recognize as priorities. I am in the process of working with local organizations and understanding the needs better in El Menco to do some long-term planning for sustainable projects that will improve the quality of life here. These people often travel miles to meet with me and spend time in activities that reveal more about their reality. They give their time and energy, and I only hope that there will be enough strength behind our plans that they may see the results of their work, their dreams, and their hopes for a better future.

They say Christmas is sad here because the people can’t afford material things, but I see more people visiting with each other, passing their days telling stories. They are celebrating the religious aspect in church, and through family. I think of the craze in the United States, the expectations of toys by many children, demands made, demands met. I think how so many parents try to make up for any shortcomings as parents through the purchase of material items, as if voids can be filled with toys. And they can I believe- momentarily. They are quick cures for larger epidemics that plague our material culture. While Christmas may be sad here to some, I can say that it is relaxed. The cows are still brought home at night, the kids still play in the sandy streets, and rather than empty houses, the lights and candles burn through the night showing smiling faces enjoying companionship.

For all of you, I wish you a blessed holiday. I hope that you gather those that you love around you and celebrate the things that count- love, family, friends, health, and living true to yourself. Not only remember that there are other less fortunate people in the world, but that you are connected to them in so many ways, and that you have the ability to change things, even if but a little, for the better. Kai and I send you our love and prayers!

December 6, 2007

Today was interesting. I awoke to Kai telling me that there was a dead dog outside the house. Dona Carmen, our next door neighbor, without looking said it was probably sleeping. An hour later, I walked around to that side of our house, and sure enough, there was the dog from across the street, dead as could be. I went and got Dona Carmen, and she immediately recognized the dog from across the street. The owners came over, looked at the dog, and got a rope. They tied the rope to the dogs hind feet, and three little girls drug it across the street and back to their house, without much fuss. They figured it was poisoned, as it was in good health compared to most dogs here. As it seems the dogs have some communication between themselves, I can only imagine what gossip must be going on in their language of who killed their comrade. I figured it wasn’t a great way to start the day.
Needless to say, our day went surprisingly well. We had a combined meeting with El Islote and El Cerrito, on the northern side of El Menco. Again, we had good participation from this group. The numbers for this meeting continue to stay strong. Today we began to look at the 8 Millennium Goals, learn more about them, and learn what are priorities for the community. We broke into groups, and each group picked a goal written on a piece of paper from a bag. They then had to act out their goal while the rest of the people guessed what it was. I was a bit concerned about this activity, wondering if they’d be able to do it, but they came through with some great skits, with props and all! Afterward we discussed more about the goals, and listed them in order of importance. 1 being the most important, 10 being the least important. Here’s what they concluded:

Millennium Goal Priorities for El Islote and El Cerrito

Develop a global partnership for development. (This was localized. They decided that without formulating a vision and a plan for development, they’ll never be able to address the other issues.)
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
Achieve universal primary education.
Promote gender equality and empower women.
Ensure environmental sustainability.
Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other serious diseases.
Improve maternal health.
Reduce child mortality.

For numbers 6-8 the group concluded that they don’t really have problems with these goals in the community.

I also thought I’d tell you about an activity we did last week. Working sector by sector, we listed all of the assets that the community had- from trees for firewood to schools and churches. We came up with a large list of over 100 assets to the community. This is an interesting activity to do with people. When asked to list their problems, they can go on forever, but when starting with assets, it inspires thought and appreciation, as well as the basis for potential future projects. At first most lists began with 10 things, but as they thought more, many things surfaced. Here´s what the Millennium Village Committee listed as the top ten assets to the community:

Top Ten Assets in El Menco

New latrines
Primary School
Health Center
People own property.
New houses
Love
Lake Nicaragua
People know how to read and write
The churches
Feeding program for children

December 9, 2007

I also thought I´d share with you a community tour that was conducted yesterday. A leader from El Cerrito took people from Las Piedras and Santa Barbara to the other side, so they could get to know the community better. The group was mostly women, which was good because they so seldomly get out of the house.

Kai and I take a trip to Le Flor Reserve.

Kai and I headed to the beach for a little bit of fun and work this last weekend. It was my first time at a Nicaragua beach, and it was beautiful, not to mention amazing surf. And yes, Kai is really sleeping in that picture. One of many things he´s mastered. Actually I´ll create you a quick list of new skills Kai´s mastered:

1. Sleeping or standing on croweded busses.

2. Riding in backs of pick-up trucks on dirt roads (a favorite)

3. Riding on the middle bar of a bike while we bike to meetings

4. Not stepping on cow or horse poop in the road.

5. Sleeping under a mosquito net

6. Taking a bath in a bucket (I still heat up water for him though)

7. Not petting dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, frogs, etc without asking first.

8. How to communicate basic Spanish words.

9. How to leave the house quickly so mosquitos don´t come in.

10. How to put his toilet paper in the trash- not the toilet!

Kai at the Black Cat Cafe. San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Contact Us!

Hi out there!
To all of you reading this blog, please let us know what you think! Remember that you can comment after each entry, and the comments are sent directly to my email. They aren't posted publically. So let us know what you think!
-Elizabeth and Kai

This week has been a long one, as I am trying to rethink ways of working successfully in El Menco. My work in three out of four sectors proves to be worthwhile, while the largest sector of Las Piedras still contributes little. Yesterday we had an interesting situation, and a difficult one that still isn’t resolved. We had a group of Rotary Club members visit in late afternoon, bringing gifts for the children of the people who benefited from the housing project. This was a great group of people who have been involved in this community for several years. They came from Ohio, Iowa, Cape Cod, etc, and knew this community before the housing project. The community knew they were coming, as two of ANF’s project staff came around 2pm. Dona Carmen, the woman that looks after Kai and I had also walked around the entire sector telling people that they were invited to meet the Rotary group. I’m sure something was said about people bringing gifts as well. I was unaware of the gift aspect of this visit, and as I went to begin my meeting in the afternoon, there were about 100 people waiting. Last week I had only 15 people participating, so I was glad that Dona Carmen had supported me in getting the people together. As I began, my enthusiasm soon faded, as the group of 100 soon moved away from me and began to socialize. For the most part, they weren’t interested in my meeting. They were there to get something from the Rotaries. I was left with a group of about 13 people, who worked on an activity where they list all of the assets of their community. Several hours wore on, and we concluded the meeting. No Rotary group yet. We finally had contact with them, and they were 10 minutes away. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, they only had about 45 minutes of daylight. They came in a medium sized tour bus, and took a quick drive to see the new houses, and to show some of the first-time visitors what the old houses looked like. We stopped at a water station set up by ANF, where people can pump water and do laundry, and at the beach. I’m sure that the group would have liked to have more time. By the time it came to give out the supplies that this nice group of folks had packed and personally traveled with, over 200 people had gathered. One of the strings attached to these shoe boxes, which contained school supplies, clothes, a ball, etc, was that they were only for the beneficiaries of the houses, and that the children had to be attending school. What complicated the situation was that kids are currently out on vacation for the rest of the month, and no teachers were present to give a list of the kids in class. There were more kids than what they had supplies for, so after careful consideration, the group sent their supply truck back to Managua, where the supplies will wait until next week to be delivered by another Rotary group. The Rotary group left disappointed, as I know they were excited to see all of these children get these gifts that they had put so much time and effort into preparing. However, I think they made a good decision, because they would have also seen all the other kids’ sadness because they didn’t get anything.

It’s even more complicated than this. When Kai and I arrived, we brought a bag full of school supplies from our community in Ashland to the school for the teachers to distribute. Of course we didn’t have enough for every child, so we were hoping the school would utilize them for all of the kids. We later found out that the teachers had not given things out evenly. I don’t know the truth in this. I saw supplies being utilized in the preschool, but was told that kids were given things that didn’t even attend school. There are also many children who aren’t sent to school. Some by choice, but many by circumstance. Many parents can’t afford supplies for all of their children, so often the younger ones are kept home. Some parents simply need their children’s help at the house, and keep them to work.

Another interesting aspect is that only ½ of the community has benefited from the housing project, and I think we’ve finally figured out why. Felix and I were discussing this, and he informed me that when they started researching the demographics of El Menco, they worked with another organization, and hired someone from the community to go house to house and conduct a census. This local person simply conducted the census in the side of the community that has easy access and never traveled the 6km to the other more impoverished side. Therefore, ANF thought they had complete data, and were a little confused when I started working with the other side. El Menco, of course is all four sectors. Many people in Las Piedras seem to think that the only place of value is their sector. It has caused some justified tension in the community, as the people from El Islote and El Cerrito, whom haven’t worked with ANF have never known why they weren’t helped. Our goal at this point is to try to fundraise for houses and wells for them by early 2008.

Felix and I also had an interesting conversation about the difficulty of doing aid work with populations that are altogether ungrateful, and at times, downright selfish. This evening was a great example, where we see that people won’t attend meetings unless they are promised something. I see several things. For one, this section of our community has several generations of dysfunctional families. Families of parents who have abandoned their kids, who have been left to be taken care of by other family members. Families of children having children, as most women in our community become mothers between the ages of 13-16 years old. Many marry at that age as well, but parenting skills are almost non-existent. Social skills are poor, and in general, people don’t treat others with compassion.

Second, their lives were changed so dramatically with houses, wells, and latrines, all within the same year, that they haven’t really understood the implications. They’ve never received anything like this, and even though things have been explained, I feel that the idea of having to co-pay on their house, let alone on a sliding scale, is so new to them, they will need a lot of explaining.

Also, it is difficult to identify leaders in a community from a distance, such as is the case with ANF or any other organization working with similar aid projects. ANF has relied on several leaders identified by the community to tell people about meetings. What I have realized though, is that in Las Piedras, those leaders have certain alliances, and although they tell many people, they are not necessarily looking out for everyone. Organizing the community needs transparent, direct communication that serves everyone, such as postering the community in various popular spots.

All in all, no doubt the work ANF does benefits hundreds of thousands of people, which is bringing people out of poverty every day. I think that they will find that if they invested in building an education team, that they would start seeing more sustainable results, and would have a closer understanding and connection with their beneficiaries. In general, I believe their projects would be more successful.

Community Leaders stand with their visions for the future.

Community leaders came together, bringing their visions of their future that they drew. We connected them, section by section, to have one big drawing. We discussed what we liked, what was possible. It was interesting that they all drew what they already knew. It's very hard for them to imagine a future with such projects like women's cooperatives. We're currently trying to arrange a tour of sustainable projects that are successful for them to get some ideas of what they may want to be involved with.

At the end of the week, volunteers from each sector came together to form a committee for the Millennium Village Project. They met in the center of the community, coming by foot, by bike, horse and boat. All of the sectors presented their work during the week with each other, learning more about their collective history, and visions of the future. While this community has one name, it actually has four diverse and divided sections. One of our more immediate goals is to create more unity between sectors.

The River of Time

This activity was also done in each sector. The people wrote a timeline of their history, and then told stories that connected them to each other. In this way the people collectively engage in storytelling, and sharing their reality. Many shared stories of their poverty, their first time learning to read, or adventures on Lake Nicaragua.

After creating a list of human rights, the groups presented their people, and what they needed.

The section in Las Piedras decides what they think every person needs to be healthy, an excercise in human rights.

Kai in our "bathtub"

Community Meeting

November 16 2007
As I lay in my hammock writing on my front porch, I can see Kai playing at the basketball court across the road in the last minutes of daylight. Today was one of the most productive days I’ve had since being here, and it feels good to be moving forward. Our meeting today was great, with leaders from all sections of the community coming together to learn about the Millennium Village. I had much support from ANF with the 3 out of 5 project staff present. There were teenagers to elders present all of which got involved through interactive activities and small group discussions about their priorities with the Millennium Goals. I now have one meeting in each of the sectors per week, totaling 4. A committee formed of leaders from all sectors that will continue to work on projects after I am gone. They will come together with me on Saturdays to share all of their work throughout the sectors during the week. The Saturday meeting is open to all, but there is a core committed group. The group is excited to work toward the Millennium Goals, and hopefully Nayda cleared up any misconceptions about the work that ANF does.
After the meeting the Executive Director from Partners of the Americas called, and arranged to meet with me and Alvaro, the Executive Director from ANF in two weeks. I have hopes to create a sister city relationship between El Menco and Ashland, WI. I believe that with the support of these organizations, we can provide transportation and communication between the two. That is my hope anyway. Then I’ll have to work more on the Ashland end. Knowing that there are organizations supporting the people here is important though. Perhaps in the future volunteers could work here. All is good news!
Also, I hear that Pamela, the little girl with the fever is ok. The fever broke overnight. It’s amazing what a little bit of the right medicine can do sometimes.

Le Islote- finally

November 15, 2007
Today was very full. I rest in my house with thoughts about the reality here. Kai and I visited the poorest part of our community today, Le Islote, which is actually a very isolated community of its own. Unlike the other three sectors of the community, La Piedra, Santa Barbara, and El Cerrito, this community hasn’t benefited from the help of ANF. Le Islote is a peninsula that at times becomes an island, depending on the shifting sand. To get there we traveled through an inland estuary by wooden boat for about 45 minutes. The estuary is beautiful and full of wildlife. Once at Le Islote, we came ashore at one of the fisherman’s houses, Luis. Luis is considered a leader here, and was glad to show us around. There is no electricity, and houses are made out of plastic and reeds, or if you’re lucky scrap wood and metal. Families gather water to drink from the lake. There was no sign of cattle or pigs, only chickens to eat. The community itself consists of 14 houses, and around 75-78 people. Luis lives in a small metal house, wrapped with bits of newspaper to block the wind, which is the strongest this time of year. He said that he and 9 family members share the house, two of which were elders in their 80’s. FISE, a Nicaraguan project, installed latrines 1 month ago, which has improved conditions quite a bit. Luis asked if we’d like to see their school, so we followed him the length of the beach to a little wooden shack with a dirt floor. There was a metal roof full of holes and the only light came when the door was open. Their teacher left, leaving 32 kids with no education. They had little hope of finding someone else, as no one in their community has the education to teach, and it’s hard to entice someone to come and live under such conditions. If people get sick, they have to make it to my part of the community via boat, usually with just oars. There is no option for emergencies. They would have to take a 45 minute boat ride (assuming the boat has a motor), and then try to find a ride to Rivas, a city with a hospital about another 45 minute drive. Family structure here is very traditional, with the fathers being responsible for all income and decisions, and the women and kids at home doing all housework. Women are constantly busy washing and cleaning because after all, we are in the tropics. Sweeping and cleaning your house and clothes are a daily business, as mold grows fast, and all kinds of critters inhabit the house, from toads to chickens.
We invited Luis to attend a meeting of community leaders tomorrow, at the church across from my house. ANF Project Staff will be conducting the meeting and formally introducing the Millennium Village Project and its implications to this community. With a population of 500 or so, in 4 different sub-communities, all quite different, I’ve got my work cut out for me, and I’m glad for ANF support. I’ve had smaller meetings, explaining my project and gathering support, but the idea of a Millennium Village has to be introduced by ANF, so as the community feels like they have support beyond my time here. It has taken some time just to come to this understanding with ANF, but now with clarification from the United Nations, I feel that we’re finally able to present a clear idea, and leave it in the community’s hands as to whether they wish to strive to be a Millennium Village. My primary objective then, is to bring the voice of the community to ANF through activities and strategic planning. They will then have to take the next steps and gain more governmental support.
On our way back to La Piedra, our part of El Menco, we traveled out into Lake Nicaragua amongst 8-10 foot waves and went around 2 protected islands. Kai loved it, rocking amongst the waves and getting soaked!
We returned home, ate a late lunch, and walked to the soccer field. Upon realizing that the game was over, we stopped by the health center on the way home. My friend Christian, a nurse, greeted us, and said she wasn’t doing too well because as she was staying late painting the center, a family brought her a very, very sick girl. Pamela is 2 years old, and had a fever of about 105 degrees F. She was completely lethargic. Christian had some Acedimedifin in liquid drops, but it wasn’t any match for the fever. There were no cars heading out to the entrance, and not many busses running to Rivas. With not much hope, I invited the family to my house to immerse the girl in cold water, as I have a small basin that worked. The family lived pretty far from the health center, so they took me up on the offer. We immediately stripped the girl down and put her in a tub, while she whimpered, not completely conscious. I grabbed some liquid Ibuprofen that I brought for Kai, and we immediately gave a dose to Pamela. Three baths and 40 minutes later, we had the fever down to about 103. Pamela came around and ate a piece of watermelon and started talking a little. Another half hour and we had the fever at about 102. With no other option, we sent them home with instructions for medication. I hope she improves over night, but it’s hard to know. The family doesn’t have a thermometer, so they don’t know how high the fever really is. Christian is only 24 years old, and usually works with another nurse, who is on vacation. She nervously returned to Dona Carmen’s house, where she stays during the week. The family plans on taking Pamela to the hospital at 6am, when the first ride leaves the community. I hope it’s not something more serious like Malaria, and I pray her fever breaks in the night. It’s so hard to see young kids so sick.
This is the reality here, and certainly I appreciate my privilege. If Kai were that sick I could afford an ambulance or a taxi from here to the hospital. This community suffers greatly though, especially the kids, as there is virtually no children’s medicine in the health center, or elsewhere in Nicaragua.
Well, as the night closes in, I’m ready to retire. Tomorrow is our meeting, and I want to be refreshed. Pamela is in my prayers.

Meeting with the United Nations

This morning we had a very successful meeting with the United Nations office. Neyda Pereira, ANF's project manager, Felix Valdivia: ANF Project Staff, and I met with Semia Tapia: Coordinator of Economic Development and Volunteer Coordinator Marzia Baldassari to inform them of ANF's initiative and request resources- specifically visual to assist us in introducing the global Millennium Village Project to the community of El Menco. They had many suggestions, most of which we're already engaged in, such as working with the leaders and teachers in the community, and getting some investment from them. One of their big concerns is our coordination with the municipal Mayor of Buenes Aires. The UN has offered support with organizing a meeting between the UN, ANF, and this mayor to coordinate efforts and seek more governmental support for sustaining the project. Government buy-in to the development of the community is one of the key elements to the entire Millennium Village Project. Hopefully by delivering the vision and goals of El Menco to ANF and the UN, we will begin the long-term process of support and sustainability for this project, and provide a model for others.

Kai at Managua Backpackers Inn

What a nice little oasis, the Managua Backpackers Inn. Kai had a lot of fun here, and it is a great place to stay while in Managua!

Me and my friend Jazmin in Managua

Still in the City

After a long day at work yesterday, we got an audience with the UN- Monday. So, as it goes, Kai and I are in the capitol for the weekend, and are enjoying ourselves staying with friends whom I met when I worked here in 2002. Today we will move to a hotel and give them a break. Our project is finally starting to take shape, as I am understanding the greater vision for ANF. They have not been officially recognized as aiding the first Millennium Village in Latin America, but are hoping for that soon. They have a good working relationship with the UN, and are hoping that with my presence and work that the UN will recognize them, drawing more attention to the broader work that ANF does. Both the goals of ANF and the Millennium Goals allign. I am excited and very curious about the UN office here. We are hoping they might have some resources to use in our meeting with El Menco community leaders next week, such as a video or visual aids about Millennium Villages. Many people do not know how to read or write, so we are trying to move beyond those barriers together.

After learning more about the infrastructure of El Menco, and its sub-communities, I’m headed to the capitol city of Managua, to meet with ANF’s project staff. I’ve asked for their help in preparing a presentation to the community about the United Nation’s Millennium Villages. We’ve also decided to formally contact the UN and ask for some support. We’re hoping that they might have a video about the Millennium Village Project in Spanish. I’m

also hoping to seek out a good bookstore and try to find some books on Popular Education in Spanish. We’ll see what turns up. I didn’t realize that the staff at ANF are just learning about Millennium Villages as well. I’m also realizing that they are great a responding to poverty with projects, but they don’t engage in education. This whole project is a new adventure for them, as well as me. Hopefully our time in Managua will be productive, and we’ll all learn a lot and develop a good workshop for the leaders in this community.

On another note, Kai attended his second day of pre-school today. He only attends for about 2 hours a day, and is learning about primary and secondary colors. The kids are ecstatic about their new school supplies (thanks to all those in Ashland and my folks who contributed). The preschool kids were painting with their new paint sets, and the teacher was making shapes for them to paint with her new rulers. The only things she had before were some crayons, paper, and a little clay. They honestly have so little. Next week they start letters. Kai enjoys his time in class, but can’t wait until recess (understandable). Later today, one of the leaders here, Warren showed us the other side of the community via horse. Kai and I left on a 3 hour adventure with this 19 year old who already carries a lot of responsibility. It turns out that the other side of the community is very isolated- about 6km from our area. There is no electricity there, and in many places no roads. People use boats on the lake, motorcycles, bikes, horses, or walk. The houses are all made of boards and metal nailed together. I imagine it looks much like our area did before all of the houses were updated by ANF. It’s beautiful there, in El Cerrito, close to a forest reserve. Most people make their living fishing, picking watermelon, or working on small papaya farms. We returned in time to watch the sunset and enjoy the breeze off the lake, and I feel better having more of an understanding of the community, and the distance and differences between sections.

What is Leptos

Kai and I have officially completed our first week in El Menco, and it has been slow going. We haven’t ventured out into the community very much, which is spread among 4 sectors along the beach. On Saturday we were supposed to travel to a small island to visit a community and educate them about a bacterial virus that is killing people. The big wooded boat was loaded with nurses, and there wasn’t room for us. We watched as teenagers made themselves some notecards and headed out into different parts of the community for the day, educating people house by house. Today I went swimming with one of the girls who was a part of the activity, and she went down to the beach without her shoes, one of the things that she just told others not to do. She laughed and said that she didn’t like to wear her shoes, which are flip flops- what everyone in this fishing community wears. The other night there was a major fish kill in the lake, and when we went for a swim, we were surrounded by dying fish. The water stank, and the kids were all just plucking the fish from the water to cook. They said it happens, but wasn’t common. This morning there were dead fish all along the beach. I’ve seen larger kills before in Lake Erie, and it’s very surreal.

Kai and I travel to the colonial city of Grenada tomorrow, which is gorgeous, despite having been burned down several times and rebuilt. We are looking forward to getting out of our community for a bit, and getting some variation in diet. I’m hoping to eat some greens, which are very rare here. Our staple diet includes red beans, rice, and a variation of plaintain, eggs, or bread. Breakfast lunch and dinner!

I am hoping to meet with members of ANF tomorrow or Tuesday as well. I’ve been having difficulty knowing where to begin with my project, as the Millinium Village Project was not explained to the community before I got here. Thus, the community has no knowledge of what I’m working with as far as the big picture goes. They don’t want to be a Millenium Village, because they don’t know what one is. It’s hard to work under these circumstances, and I’ve asked from some support from ANF. Hopefully we’ll be able to get a day long workshop with the leaders of this community. I’m learning more about ANF’s work as I’m here. They’ve only been working in this community for the last year and a half from what I understand, and have provided over 120 houses and many more latrines to families in need. The mayor of this province decided who got the houses, and it has caused some frustration in the community for those who didn’t get houses. I am feeling that perhaps because of such a short working relationship in the community, people may not be interested in working with me unless they are benefiting in some tangible way. I will write when I know more. I was hoping that this village had been introduced to the idea of Millenium Villages before I arrived, and was aware of what was involved, but there is much work to be done yet…

Pictures of El Menco

Welcome to El Menco

10/30/07

Today is our third day in El Menco, the community we’ll be working in for the next three months. Our first days have been just settling in, and learning about the community. Kai is doing well, and is so excited to have kids to play with. Life here is very slow, and we’re adjusting from the fast pace in Managua and the United States. Many of the people in the community don’t have work, so they pass the day visiting and sitting around. The kids go to school from 7am to 12pm, with a ½ hour break at 9am. El Menco is about 480 people and growing. Although the community is growing, it still remains very impoverished. Many of the children are malnourished, as there is not enough employment to feed the families. Apparently there was a large farm that employed a lot of men from El Menco, but it had financial problems and failed. Now many are looking for ways to make an income.

Our house is right at the entrance to the community, next to one of the leaders’ houses, Dona Carmen. Dona Carmen is an amazingly strong woman, who has lived a tough life. Her house is the first you come to, and is always full of people coming to visit or get something to eat. She is like our mother here. She cooks for us and is basically our gateway into the community. Our house is a pre-fabricated house designed here in Nicaragua. It has cement fiber walls with three rooms and a cement floor. There are windows in every room, with no screens but bars, as is typical. When I leave the house, I close and lock the windows and padlock the door. Strange coming from leaving my keys in my car and my house open. When we moved in, ANF had a septic tank installed, and plumbing hooked up. We’re the only house that has it. However there are problems that come with this situation. Toilet paper can’t go in these systems, and Kai was flushing the paper. Before we knew it, the toilet was clogged, and the valve got stuck and stayed open, so the entire septic tank is full. In a matter of 24 hours, we shut down the entire system. Now the only solution is to have someone from the capital come and empty the tank- something not common in el campo. The ANF has taken much precaution to ensure that we have a good experience here. I know they were trying to do a good thing, but now we use the outhouse of Dona Carmen, which was what we expected anyway. This is the first time ANF has put a volunteer out in the field to work on a project, and I know they just want it to go well.

Today we went to the school, and delivered the school supplies to the school here in El Menco. All of the kids in our section of the community have made themselves comfortable in the house, which is always full. Legos are a big hit! As I write there are 2 boys, legos in hand, watching. Another girl is dancing to my iTunes, and about 5 are playing hide and seek outside with Kai. When we went to the school today we carried the huge bag during recess, so all of the kids followed us and were elated to get new things. The teachers are going to divide the supplies amongst this school and another. The kids were disappointed that they didn’t get something individually, and right away, but there were way more kids than we had supplies. It turns out that there is preschool here, and Kai has decided that he’d like to try it. His official first day of school will be Thursday. I’ll go with him, and we’ll see what he thinks. Kai’s best friend here is a boy about 12 years old that doesn’t go to school. When I asked why, I was told he has phycological problems, but I don’t see that. He is one of 6 boys in his family, all of which go to school but him. When everyone goes, he comes and plays with Kai. Mostly legos, but in the afternoon I take them to the beach. Lake Nicaragua, the only place in the world with freshwater sharks (it’s true!) is a sandy road and a sand dune away. The beach looks beautiful, but a closer look reveals all of the animal waste. Overall the water is relatively clean. Kai has developed small bumps on his skin from swimming there, but I don’t consider them serious. Most women do their laundry and wash here. All of the kids are great swimmers. We brought a ball attatched to a kite tail (foxtail) which has also been a big hit- especially in the water. At night we sleep under our mosquito nets and are awoken by the torrential sounds of a storm on a metal roof. Other than that, we have already grown accustomed to all of the cows, horses, pigs, chickens, spiders, lizards, and such that inhabit our house and yard on a regular basis. More news next week!

Ron' Jackson's Photos from the last 2 days

Day 2: Hope through the poverty

Today was yet another full day of visiting the many projects that ANF is involved in. I am really impressed with the number of things that they fund. This morning we visited a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for men (pictured left) that treats about 200 men and has the capacity to sleep 50. By capacity, I mean floor space and some beds in two small rooms. We met a 31 yr old man who founded the organization with his mother, who recently passed away. Right now he is simply trying to keep up with the demands of his clients, and relying on aid organizations like ANF to support them. We moved onto a school and a center for developmentally disabled kids both in a suburb in Managua. The suburb has a large number of people living in extreme poverty, and both the school and center are much needed. The babies asleep in the photo above right are in the 1 and under room. The main focus in their room is to nurture them and teach them to walk. The school is run by Catholic nuns, who dress the kids in uniforms when the arrive at the school every day. They service about 350 children, many from single mothers who are then free to go make a living during the day and return to pick up their children. I cannot express how important this experience has already been for Kai. He was more tired today, and we headed home after lunch, while the rest continued to a historical spot. He is asking questions about where we go, and trying out his Spanish. He's excited to be around other children, and we talk about the conditions the children live in quite a bit. He is very excited to get to "our house", and "our community" of El Menco. We will head there on Saturday morning, and get settled in. Please, everyone, feel free to email us at elizabethpost_21@hotmail.com. It's nice to hear from folks! Once in El Menco, we will go to the internet about once a week, but we'll get your mail! Tomorrow is another day at the ANF office, after we send off our friends Ron and Keith. I look forward to the good work they'll be doing, and to read their reflections on their trip, which has obviously changed their lives.

Day one: Poverty 101

Today was a long, busy first day in Nicaragua. Myself, Alvaro (ANF's Executive Director), Keith Strandberg (International Editor and writer for New York Times), Ronald Jackson (President and CEO of Sowind Group of Girard-Perregaux Jeanrichard watch company) and Mariacelia (Development Director of ANF) and Kai of course visited a variety of projects that ANF supports. Keith and Ron are here for 4 days because they are assisting ANF by producing a limited edition watch- 17 to be exact, that they will sell for $52,000 each. All funds will go to ANF and their projects. Kai and I are fortunate to be here at the same time, as we are getting a very thorough introduction to the projects here. This morning, after visiting the ANF office and warehouse, we headed to La Chureca City Dump, where over 900 people scramble to survive. We drove through mounds of trash, and watched as people sifted through for anything they could resell. There is a local woman that buys any recyclable material from folks here- plastic, glass, metal. I have never visited an area quite like this, where the poverty is so extreme. I was deeply moved by the determination of these people to survive in such conditions. We visited one of the homes in the dump that looked very much like this one of a woman in her 70's who's raised 4 children here, as well as several grandchildren. Many of the women with young children living here take their kids with them to the dump, which, believe me, is a terrible place for anyone. Alvaro later took us to see a complex that benefits more than 320 children from the dump. This place acts as a daycare, school, and feeding center to keep the kids away from the trash, and in a better place. Next we went to Granada for a beautiful lunch. Granada is a very colonial city, which has burned to the ground several times, and has been rebuilt. Here we visited and Elderly home and had lots of fun with the folks. Elderly don't get much governmental support in Nicaragua, so ANF is one of the principal NGO's that support these types of centers.
While all of this has been an amazing experience, it is not something I'm not entirely unfamiliar with. Many of the living situations now are much better than in 1998, when I was here doing relief work after Hurricane Mitch. It has been facinating helping Kai process what he's seeing and experiencing though. I have learned to step aside from experiences and process things with him, asking leading questions..."what do you think it's like to live here? how do you think this house is different than our house..." etc. He has great answers, and a great attitude about being here. It was pretty hot this afternoon, so Kai took his great new T Shirt off while we were visiting the family at the dump. As we were driving out, we realized that we had left it there, and he decided that they should keep it. I don't think they've ever had a new shirt before. I'm sure it was much appreciated. Keith and Ron were so impressed that they later bought Kai a shirt in the market (an LA Lakers one that he proudly wore). I don't exactly know what lesson that taught him (something about privledge I'm sure), but he felt really good about giving his shirt away.Here he his in his old shirt in the dump housing. Tomorrow is another full day with a similar itinerary. Friday I will be at the ANF office, and we might go out to El Menco on Friday or Saturday. From there we'll settle into our home- which actually has 3 rooms and is bigger than I thought. I think Kai may have his own room, and plenty of room for the hammock. Until next time...