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…