Miracles Are Possible

Hola, everyone! Or as we learned to say to the people we meet buenas (which means good day. My experiences in Nicaragua have been wonderful thus far but may be difficult for me to explain it as well as they were told to me. Nicaragua reminds me a lot of my own country, the Philippines. I see some resemblance of the houses, people’s hospitality, and the general atmosphere of the environment. On May 22, 2009 I started off my day by doing yoga with Jhon and other delegates at 5:30AM. I know so early! I normally don’t get up that early but doing yoga in the morning allows me to get ready for the day’s activities. After breakfast which is made ready for us at 7:00 AM two people offer to do dishes and everyone takes turns for every meal. Then we all meet in the circle and have a check-in and reflection. A check-in means that everyone can say how he or she are feeling at that moment without anyone commenting on what they said. Then someone has a reflection of some type prepared.
While still in our circle, Patty and Rachel our Witness for Peace gave us some information preparing us for our campo experience. Each of us will be paired up with another person and live with a family and ask them about what things they like to do, the earthquake that occurred, and anything else that we may be interested in learning from them. Likewise, they will be asking questions to us. I am excited to meet these people because all the people that I have met so far have been very welcoming and inspiring.
We then left for Los Quinchos, which is a rehabilitation project for street children. When we finally arrived in San Marcos we waited to speak to Carlos Vidal who was the director of the program. While we waited for his arrival, we spoke to other people who worked for the program. Many of the children they find in the streets are glue sniffers. And they do this because it allows them to not be as hungry. They have unstable families mostly no dads-just moms who end up trying to play both roles. They were explaining to us that it is hard to get the children to come because they are scared. Some children wanted to leave the program in the beginning to look for work so that they can make money to buy more glue.
Los Quinchos started off as a project for little boys, but after some time they learned about the domestic violence that young girls were facing. The project consists of a lot of different activities such as painting classes, computer classes, sewing classes, music and dancing classes. After talking with Carlos for a few minutes he said that we can split up into groups and some of us can stay and help to show the teachers/mentors of the children to do yoga with Jhon or plant plantain trees with the young boys. I was extremely excited at the thought of being able to plant something.
Some of us got to ride in the back of a pick up truck. In America, we would not be allowed to ride in the back of the truck because it would be deemed as being to dangerous. Nonetheless, it was a good experience and it felt like a safari ride. When we arrived at the young boys facility/learning center all the boys got up from their seat and began giving us hugs and kisses. It was such a great feeling to have these boys come up to me and be so caring. Many of the boys are parents of current or past glue sniffers and they were rescued and brought to Los Quinchos to have a better life where they can learn to be good citizens of their country and bring kindness into this world. We had to dig some holes in order to plant the plantain trees and then put dirt back on top of it. After that, Carlos gave us a tour of the facility. He even offered to give us some avocados and mangos what was a wonderful treat. We were also have to see how the boys made hammocks. Some of the older boys would teach the young boys how to make a hammock. I was even given the opportunity to try it myself. Carlos was explaining that this was therapeutic for the boys. It was hard to say goodbye to the boys because they were just so nice to us all.
We then went to lunch and some great tasting Italian pasta. While at the boy’s facility we met an Italian man, who teaches the boys Italian and music. After lunch we went to go visit the girls facility. We first met the teenage girls who were a bit shy at first but then warmed up to us after a few minutes. We asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up and some responses were doctor, lawyer, or teacher. A couple of minutes later, the young girls arrived they ranged from being in first grade to fourth grade. The came running in and giving us hugs and kisses just like the young boys. They were so adorable and excited to see us and play with us. After everyone introduced herself we began playing hand games and gallo gallo pinto, which is there version of duck duck goose. We also played some jump rope and a game of hot potato, which we taught the girls. In addition, the girl’s favorite thing to do was dance and so we did some dancing which was really fun for us all. All the girls here were abused in some way so Carlos is helping them to better there lives by allowing them to get an education and teaching them skills to be successful in life.
Leaving the girls was extremely tough because I got so attached to some of them with the little time I was able to spend with them. During that moment when I saw their face light up and smile I just wanted to stay longer to spend more time with them.
Carlos is a compassionate and selfless man who does everything he can within his capacity to help all the children in the streets. The people of Los Quinchos have the goal to make sure that no child is found in the streets. After he spoke to us about how the whole program began and how they went through many ups and down to get to where they are today I want to come back and volunteer. I do not know when I will get the chance to volunteer but it is definitely on my to do list of things I want to do in life. One of the things written on my list was to witness a miracle and I did not think I would be able to witness a miracle this soon. The children being given the opportunity for a better life is a miracle made possible by Carlos because a majority of people considered these kids as outcasts and said they would not amount to anything. But they come back with degrees wanted to give back to Los Quinchos by helping to gather more children.
I learn something from every experience and person I talk to in Nicaragua and I am eager to absorb MORE throughout the rest of the delegation!


Miracles are possible.
Lots of love, peace, smiles,
Martha Garcia
Sophomore

Esperanza, Amor, y Luz

Hello! Writing from Esteli, Nicaragua…Today has been a pretty crummy day, felt pretty sick in the morning. But I took a nap for a few hours and felt a lot better. Missed the visit to the midwife clinic and the museum of Esteli however… Everyday has been jam packed with lectures and lots of activities. Yesterday we visited Los Quinchos, a center for street children who have been neglected. The visit was, by far, the most intense experience for me. Carlos, the founder of the center, spoke about the program and everything it has achieved so far. During his speech, I couldn’t stop crying. I’m guessing everything we have been experiencing hit me all at once. Overall, the release of all the emotions that I kept inside felt really therapeutic.

This experience has been extremely eye-opening. I’m really excited I was fortunate enough to be a part of this delegation. I can’t wait to go home and share what I saw and felt.


Love Michelle

nicaragua, spelled with an "n" for ninos

Yesterday we visited an inspiring and beautiful project called Los Quinchos. Los Quinchos is a safe haven for street children with no family who are victims of physical or sexual abuse, who sleep in the street, and who huff glue in order to suppress their hunger. There are two separate communities of Los Quinchos one for boys and one for girls. Originally Los Quinchos only took in boys but soon realized that young girls need saving too.
Los Quinchos involves three phases the children go through. The first phase involves getting these children to get off the glue. The second phase involves children living in the community of Los Quinchos where they go to school, go through therapy, and learn how to make crafts: boys make bracelets and hammocks (also a form of therapy) and girls learn how to sew, dance and play guitar. The third phase is where they go to a separate community, learn a trade, and then return back to society.
Sadly though, society harshly judges and discriminates against these children. The U.S government, when told about Los Quinchos, called the children “social parasites that will never change.” Schools refused to accept them, even though the children where in phase two of the process and off glue, and parents threatened to remove their kids from school if the allowed the “glue sniffers” in.
Despite all of the harsh criticism, Los Quinchos never gave up believing in the children. Many children in Los Quinchos die from health effects of the glue sniffing or HIV aids. But those who survive Los Quinchos are able to rise up, make something for themselves, create a family to call their own or choose to live in community with other ex-Quinchos. Many even return back to Los Quinchos in order to add the new children accepted into the project.
While at Los Quinchos, a group of us where able to help plant plantain trees. Although it was hot and the trees themselves were heavy it was a wonderful feeling knowing that in six months the trees we planted would be used for the children’s meals. But the highlight of our time spent at Los Quinchos, for me, had to be when we visited the girls community. We were able to play clapping games, gallo pinto (the Spanish version of duck duck goose), hot potato, and dance with the girls. Although each of the girls had been through traumatic experiences you would never be able to tell by the smiles on their faces, and it is a great peace of mind to know that they shared their smiles with us.
At the end of the day, these “parasites” are children. Children who deserve the right to an education, shelter, and above all LOVE. Los Quinchos strives everyday to fulfill their motto… “Never again a child on the streets.”


-Loretta Carlen

P.S.
Mommy and Daddy: It was nice KIND OF being able to hear your voice today. I wish I was able to have an actual conversation with you guys but the static on the phone was awful. Mommy, please don’t be sad, be happy for me and all of the wonderful experiences I am having and thank you for allowing me to have them. I miss you and can’t wait to hug you, daddy and Harley Brown.
Matt: I’m sorry I haven’t really gotten a chance to e-mail you. I would have phoned you too but I guess I need to memorize your number by heart! I can’t wait to see you! I listen to Black Sabbath when I miss you and it makes me feel better.

To all of my friends: I miss your craziness. Although I must say, the Team does a good job of making up for the lack of crazy! Haha. I hope you all have a safe and lovely MDW. Cafone: HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! And Jaclyn, yes I am so very attractive haha.

No words can describe the past five days...

5/20-5/21/2009

Hola familia, friends, and our awesome followers. This is Jo (Joarlynn) blogging from Managua, Nicaragua (CEPAD where our Hostile is located). Right now I would like you to do something for me…check the tags on your clothing and find out where they were made. Was it made in Nicaragua? Have you ever wondered who made your clothing and what they had to do in order to make the shirt and pants you are wearing? About ten minutes ago we had a sit down talk with the Maquila workers who came to tell us about their jobs and life here in Nicaragua. What we learned is that they work in textile U.S. factories that are here in Nicaragua. These factories produce clothing for various brands like Wrangler and North Face just to name a few. Clothing that we buy and wear everyday without thinking where they came from or who made them.

I must say I never gave a second thought to where my clothing came from or who made them. It was something that just did not seem important to me and I figured that whoever made them would get paid fairly. And then I realized how these Maquila factories are run, especially the ones in foreign countries like Nicaragua. The factories here employ thousands of people and they get paid cents per item of clothing that they sell. For instance a pair of pants that you may find at the store may cost $25.00, $13.00 of that goes to corporate (i.e. wrangler or North Face) then another portion goes to advertising $10, a small portion of it then goes to the Maquilia factory owner $2.00, and finally the rest of the money goes to the workers. Which in this example would be $3.00, which would be split between all the workers (sometimes hundreds of workers). Which means that the person that made your clothing only got paid a couple cents (if that) per item.

When Patty and Rachael explained this to us I was shocked and frustrated. I honestly could not believe that this is happening and that U.S. factories are allowing these hard working people to be paid this little. Especially, when it is obvious that they cannot live off of what they make (usually $2.00 a day). The Maqulia workers also said that one of their biggest issues is keeping their job. With the poor economy in the United States, people are buying less in the U.S., which means that the Maqulia workers have less clothing to make since he demand is less and therefore jobs are being lost. It is amazing to see firsthand the effects of one countries struggle on another. In the U.S. we have many options if we were to loose our job. My brother for instance, had been collecting unemployment for the past nine months and he just recently got a two-month extension. Nicaragua doesn’t give these options to their people. The Maqulia workers that came today made me very proud to be an American but it also reminded me that I have a job to do because of this fact. And more importantly because I am here now experiencing this firsthand and have seen and heard the realities that they live in everyday.

My eyes and ears have seen and heard a lot these past five days and it is amazing that I am still able to absorb it all. I no longer feel “bad” for these people, they are the most resilient people I have ever met. They live life with love and passion everyday. I saw the resilience in the eyes of the little boy who jumped on the back of our moving bus when we visited the dump. Even though he was covered from head to toe in dirt, he smiled at me and waved. He’s heart filled with joy, I couldn’t help but imagine what his eyes have seen, or what his ears have heard. I couldn’t process that fact that his next meal will be the leftovers of several others. I also had a chance to hold a little baby boy when we went to visit the clinic yesterday. He reminded me so much of my niece Bella when she was his age. He was so active and alert for a four month old. His parents easily handed him over to me, they trusted me so much to hand me their young son and that itself felt so good. When was the last time a stranger let you hold their child or invited you in their home? The clinic had so little yet so much. I can’t even begin to explain what visiting the clinic did to me. So I am not going to attempt it. No words can explain the resilience in these people, it is simply something that you have to see firsthand.

Tomorrow we are going to Los Quinchos, which is a street children rehabilitation project where we are going to intereact with the children and teachers. We will even be eating lunch with the children and going out to dinner there so I am very excited, we will be spending the whole day with them. At night Patty and Rachael are going to take us out into the town so I am very excited for that as well.

Before I go, I must say how worried, anxious, and scared I was before this trip. I pretty much had a panic attack about two days prior to our trip. And now I must admit that I haven’t felt homesick or miss my family that much. Hahaha I love my family very much and I do miss them, but being here now is where I know I am meant to be so it makes this whole process so much easier for me. Plus, the bugs aren’t so bad as I thought and the food is AWESOME!!! Until next time Team Nica followers (that we love so much) thanks for reading our blogs. Much love to my family and Dan, I love You Guys!!

Love,

Jo <3

Afternoon Delight

This is Salim “The Dream” Laib writing to you from Managua, Nicaragua … lol

I find it very funny that I’m sitting here blogging right now cause im always one of the first ones to make fun of people that use twitter or blog for various other reasons on the internet. This experience however is defiantly worth me going out of my norm so that I can somehow try to explain what I’ve learned and witnessed in these priceless past few days. So my day started off today at 6:30 am as it has been starting ever sense I landed in Latin America. Of course me being the individual that I am I decided that it was a good idea to have a late night to enjoy myself the night before. However after enjoying another amazing Nicaraguan breakfast by our cook Jaihira I was up and ready to go for another beautiful warm day in Central America.

Before I start to explain on this blog what my day consisted of I only feel as though its right that I talk a little about what I’ve experienced so far these past few days. This is my first time traveling south of the border to a Latin American country and from my experience in being raised in Hudson County for the past 10 yrs I felt as though I was as prepared as anyone can be for this trip. After all you can’t find much more Hispanic culture in the states like you do on Central Ave and Bengaline. The opportunity of having some of my closest friends come from these developing countries as well as myself having grown up in Algeria defiantly provided me with the confidence to take this trip. However what I've experienced these past few days no one will ever be able to replicate on a piece of paper or television screen. Imp sure if you take the time to read past blogs that have been posted by my fellow classmates you will hear some very heart felt stories about different things that we’ve been witnessing. The visit to the garbage sector of the city is one that will stick with me for the rest of my life. It’s an experience that I will defiantly be sharing with many of you when I get back home if I ever even find ways to put it in words. I have always been aware of the hardships of these third world countries through my readings, love for movies and stories from various people.

The hardships I've seen in the past with my own eyes back home in New Jersey and Algeria cannot compare to this level of poverty that I witnessed in this section of Managua. The image of people digging through city waste dumps for left over food to feed their kids is something that I hope I never get to see again. We have done other things such as learn about the political and economic history of Nicaragua as well as the environmental history (many natural disasters that have affected this country in the past) and how they have connected to the developmental process of this small country of 6 million people. It also doesn’t help that 75% of the government spending in the country has to go towards paying off the enormous dept that the Nicaraguan government has collected through various bad loans from the world bank and various different countries.

So the first aspect of the day consisted of learning about how U.S. Government backed policies such as the Monroe Doctrine, NAFTA and CAFTA just the name a few have effected the development of these countries. Many would blame corruption on a lot of these issues but from talking to the Nicaraguan people you start to realize that it’s much more than that. These policies are very complex and I wish I had the time to talk more in depth about them. It’s something that we as Americans should take the time to educate our selves on the topic. After all we are the ones that go to the voting booths to elect these politicians that help pass these agreements.

The next aspect of the day consisted of going to Puntas de Encuentro which is a center that is set up to educate the community about different aspects of life that can help them better themselves. Some of the things that they do include:

• · Setting up workshops
  
• · Youth Camps
  
• · Communication Training
  
• · Promoting Sex Education
  
• · The Acceptance of Sexual Diversity
  
• · Women’s Rights
  
• · Workshops for journalists so that the media doesn’t have an negative attitude towards women’s rights, youth, and lower class
  
• · Discrimination – change attitude towards Classism, homophobia, sexism and racism just to name a few
  
• · Talk about Commercial Sexual Exploitation
  

Through various different funding opportunities from international aid and other donations they were able record their own television show that deals with all these issues. So far they have filmed more then 80 episodes. This is all in a country that is strongly influenced by the Catholic Church. It amazes me how the church has such a strong affect on the government that they are wiling to not even educate school children about anything other abstinence only sex ed. Does that remind anyone of certain policies that our past politicians tried to pass?

This is just one of many different community organizations that we have visited so far these past few days. It’s amazing how even though they receive very little to no funding from the government these people still don’t give up. Whether it’s setting up a health center in a small shack or starting a television show these people refuse to stop trying to help their community.

I wish I could go more in-depth about these issues but I have to run to a fan cause I am dying in this heat lol… Hope everyone is doing well back home and insha Allah ill see everyone soon

Seeing vs. Witnessing By Joed Lopez

Humbleness is everything. It is the prerequisite to learning. I am astonished, and sometimes frightened at how much we think we know about those around us. Whether its in a country miles away, or a colleague in the cubicle next to us, there is a wealth of information out there that can easily enlighten us to the true nature of reality. This trip has shift the worldviews of many including myself. Everyday that passes, I become more humbled that the more I know, the more I know I don’t know. I believe that having this type of humility can help us reach new levels of awareness and consciousness.

We learned a lot about various trade policies and how it has significantly impacted the people of Nicaragua and much of Latin America. It is important to highlight that what allows this knowledge to sink in more is not so much the studies or statistics of those who are suffering, but the personal encounters of those who bleed the same color of blood that I do, who have to worry about where they are going to get their food on a daily basis. I have met someone who lived off the trash of a garbage dump yesterday. It gave the saying “one mans trash is another mans treasure” a very sad and sobering new meaning.

What is amazing and inspirational about the people we are meeting is that regardless of the conditions that are beyond their control, they make the most of what little they have, and use it to serve their community. I met a 28-year-old woman who saw a need to attend to those who are sick around her. And now, there is a mini-clinic set up from converting a portion of her house (which might actually look more like some of our sheds). While she is greatly limited compared to an actual hospital, it is more than they had to begin with. And as more people hear and read about resilient people like this, who knows what can happen next for them. There is something we need to remember though… It all comes down to how we assess what we witness. Yamith, the woman who used to live off of garbage, noticed high levels of violence in her community. While others saw death and desperation, she witnessed the potential of creating peace. After creating a soccer league for the youth, violence was reduced drastically. It is one thing to see something but it is another to witness it. When this occurs, we take the encounter in and it becomes part of whom we are, and it becomes impossible to not do anything about it.

I ask you all, are you seeing something, or are you witnessing it? Are we just letting the status quo blind us of the possibilities that can be created? Or are we taking the steps necessary to raise the quality of life of all around us?

I know that people who put politics, policy, and profit over people will most likely always exist. I know that we do not live in a perfect world and may never will, but the potential out there to create the change we need is too big and too close within our reach to do nothing. We may not change Nicaragua within the 13 days we are here, but I have no problem being a stepping-stone for those who will tomorrow. Now that will be a sight to see...and witness.

In Love,
JL

WOW..I CANT EVEN SUM UP MY DAY.......

Hello America!
This is Keyla Silva and today May 19th, 2009 was such an inspiring day. It started off with breakfast (omelets, French toast, tortilla, watermelon, and melon juice mmm☺) then we reflected/checked in on how we were doing that morning. We then learned a lot of information about economics and Nicaragua’s environment. We learned about the Neoliberalism framework/model of economy. We also learned a lot about how much influence the United States has on Nicaragua. Nicaragua is in a lot of debt due to loans, interest rates rising, Nicaragua having to pay loans off by accepting other loans, imports/exports decreasing, etc. Nicaragua has not had a time when other countries were not intervening and meddling in their affairs. Of course we cannot demonize or romanticize- the U.S. and other nations have helped Nicaragua but what were there motives? Whose interests were at hand?
Nicaragua’s debt in 1990 was 7 times bigger than their GDP! In 1998 and 1999 they had the highest per capita (per person) debt in the world! The result of all this debt and corruption as well as dependence on other nations such as the U.S. resulted in poverty, poor education, poor health care, etc. Most of Nicaragua’s children do not attend school because of the costs to even get a bus ride to school. The average family makes $1-$2 a day! This lack of education perpetuates a never-ending cycle of poverty.
We then heard from an environmental agency he talked a lot about the riches of Nicaragua (its natural resources). It’s funny how the countries/continents with the most resources tend to be the most impoverished- I wonder why? Could it be that these other more powerful nations are threatened by the richness and rip these countries of their resources? Just a thought from me, Keyla Silva. This man was very wise he spoke of the fact that all of us may know how to read and write but there are many Nicaraguans as well as others who are very, very wise and think critically and they too are educated. The schools are starting to focus much more on critical thinking because it does produce a more educated being. He talked about the negative effects of the horrible conditions that workers are put into- for example there was a study done in Estelli, Nicaragua that discovered that women who worked in tobacco factories had uterine cancer, and children who worked in these factories also later developed cancer and were infertile due to the tobacco and chemical exposure. He later talked about free trade and pesticides. Can you believe that food that has been approved only for animals by the USDA in the U.S is then given to distribute to 3rd world countries through the world food program? WOW, so these foods like soy, wheat, corn, flour, etc that have been genetically modified and full of pesticides are given for human consumption in these countries!!
This next portion of my day was very disturbing so please read carefully.
Imagine if there was a large dump that reached capacity about 5 years ago in NJ. Imagine if your house as well as other people’s houses was located in the dump? Imagine if everything you ate, drank, and made a living off of was based on the dump? We had a speaker come in who lived and worked in the dump for over 20 years. She had children who grew up in the dump! This community of people is so poor and due to the earthquake, revolution, and so many other factors have nowhere to live. They built houses and a school (HOPE school) in the dump. The children there look through the garbage to find valuable items they can sell (plastic, metal, etc.) they collect a whole bunch for example 100lbs and get a measly $5. They sell it to intermediary companies who then sell it for more to U.S. companies. This woman put everyone in the van to tears; there is so much hope amidst all this poverty. The dump can be very violent as you can imagine-SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. It was such an inspiring experience that we couldn’t even be taken into the dump area=we went to her house just outside the dump and it was so sad. There was so much hope though, this woman came from nothing and barely had anything and still did so much for this community (volunteering). She is a health care advocate and community leader who distributes medicine to this community and she also organizes programs (like soccer for gangs). I just really look up to this woman-and my mom has so much influence and I love her because she really has prepared me in life and has been telling me about these issues since I was young. I didn’t feel pity for these people, I was angry. I was angry that humans could allow other humans to live like this. Humans are not meant to live in a dump!! Children, babies, and animals are not meant to live in a garbage dump full of disease, rotting food, feces, garbage, mercury from the river surrounding the dump, and such poverty. I feel so unappreciative of everything that I have in my life, I feel stupid for wanting superficial and material things when there are people living in dumps!! I know this experience will have a lasting effect on me, but I also know that it will take time for me to change my American ways. It’s so easy to talk about change, be knowledgeable, and truly feel sympathy for people that have to live daily like these happy people do. The challenge is to actually do something, to change my lifestyle and I know I am guilty and that it will take time before I do change my ways but I also know that I will surely change my ways!
**Disclaimer- I could not put all my experience, thoughts, ideas, and all of what I have learned and seen into a blog! This blog represents 1% of all that I saw, felt, and learned about TODAY. There is so much more that I can put on this document but then no one would read it because it would come out to about 10 pages!! GOODNIGHT AMERICA!!

“The Best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”

About two weeks ago, I remember sitting in a classroom at Montclair State University for our weekly Team Nicaragua meeting. The incredible Jhon Velasco looked at us and said “In two weeks, we are going to Nicaragua ad your lives will never be the same.” He couldn’t have been more right.
I now find myself sitting in the dining/recreation area of our hostel with the 19 people whom after 3 days, I would now consider family. If I had to use one term to describe the experience so far, it would be SENSORY OVERLOAD! The scents, sounds and sights especially are beyond overwhelming. Among the extreme amount of information we have learned and things we have seen in a few short days, I feel so balanced and at peace (I think most of us share those feelings). Also, I think it is crucial for me to mention that my fear of starving here was utterly absurd because quite honestly, the food is BANGIN’!!!! This may sound unreal, especially to those of you who know me, but I do not miss McDonalds. Not one bit.
Ok, so here’s the heavy stuff. If I attempted to record the events and my feelings of the past few days, this “blog” would transform into a short novel so I’ve chosen to share my most significant experience, which happened to occur today when we were graced with the presence of a woman named Yamileth Perez. After a couple “classroom” type sessions with our Witness for Peace leaders Patti and Rachel, we prepared ourselves (or so we thought) to visit la chureca, the local garbage dump. Covered in bug spray, cameras in had, we boarded the bus with Yami not knowing what she was about to share. It is safe to say that not one person got off that bus without tears streaming down their face. Aside from my mother, Yami is quite possibly the most influential woman I have ever met. La Chureca is not simply the city dump; it is a home for many families who await the arrival of thousands of tons of garbage on a daily basis in order to survive. Whoever said, “One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure” hit the nail on the head. Trash was not only treasure for Yami, it was means to survive. Now a community leader and activist, I see this woman as no less than a guardian angel for everyone around her. What a reality check it was to see a grown woman brought to tears by the fact that people are privileged enough to scrape food off of their plate into the trash because they were FULL. Just a few days ago, I emptied my apartments cabinets, throwing away perfectly good food. Now I’m sitting here thinking “SERIOUSLY, EM?!” Yami reflected on a moment in the dump as she saw tourists coming through and considered them to be larger, better human beings than she was simply because they were clean. “But at the end of the day, we are all the same size” says Yami.
What I have taken away so far from my stay here so far is how imperative to remember that we are all the same size. We are all human beings with good intentions. But somewhere along the way, a great number of us are dealt a bad hand or put under circumstances which may cause others to judge us too quickly. These people did not behave a certain way which resulted in their poverty, it simply happened and they remain to be the friendliest and most resilient people I have ever crossed paths with. What we consider the American Dream is considered the American Nightmare in Nicaragua. There are too many people who are convinced that a Louis Vitton bag will solve this week’s problems. We focus on what we do not have instead of embracing what we DO have. I would love to write more, but its time to go dance in the rain with 19 people that I thoroughly enjoy.
And remember….

“The Best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”
Emily Tully
Team Nicaragua 2009
“The Dream Team”

My Friend Oscar

Reporting from 5/18/09

Liz Kilborn

 

 

            Being here for only two days so far in Managua, we’ve already made great connections with local Nicas.  It’s so different down here and their way of life is just astounding to me.  The hardest part about being down here is not the heat or the bugs – but the children.  They absolutely break your heart because they are so adorable and cute, but they’re so poor and ask for money.  They just look up at you with their big brown eyes and skinny outstretched arms and say sheepishly “…money?”

            We went to a place called Batahola – a center for learning.  The kids here didn’t ask for money, instead, they just wanted to see their picture on our digital cameras.  They laughed and goofed around by playing with puzzles and puppets.  They were all there learning after school to receive tutoring in the purpose of advancing their education. 

            One little boy that stole my heart within the first 24 hours of being in Managua was not from the community center. In fact, he doesn’t even go to school.  Jessica and I were talking together with two of our other delegates when we heard a bustle of leaves and wood coming from not too far away.  A boy cleared away a chunk of fencing so he could get his bike through the path to ride up and down our semi-paved road. 

            We talked to our guard on duty, his name is Victor, and we asked him why this boy was out so late on what normally would be a school night.  Victor told us the boy doesn’t attend school and lives with an old man in a “house” near our hostel.  Victor also told us that he was 14, even though he doesn’t look a day over 11 or 12.  We noticed this boy kept riding his bike back and forth in front of us, so we called him over to try to talk to him.

            He came over cautiously as if checking us out first to see if we were okay to approach.  Jessica speaks Spanish so I asked her to translate for me.  We found out his name is Oscar and he also said he was 14 when we asked.  After we broke the ice, Oscar hung around with us for the whole night and even let us rides his bike around the front of our hostel entrance.  We occasionally figured out questions to ask him, but for the most part he just sat on his bike and listened to our conversation – for hours.  We weren’t speaking any Spanish either, and he had no idea what we were saying to each other unless someone translated what they could. 

            We’re not sure why he hung around with us for so long that first night, but we didn’t mind. We were able to pick up bits and pieces of his life throughout the night.  Last night, our second night here, he came by again and this time was open with Jessica and me. However, as more delegates came outside from the hostel, he became more and more shy.  Keyla asked him if he went to school and he replied, “Yes” and that he was in his second year out of five in high school.

            Jessica and I looked at each other and knew this wasn’t true from what our guard had told us the night before.  We came up with the idea that he may have felt subconscious in front of everyone and “just said” he went to school so he wouldn’t be embarrassed or feel that he had to explain personal information.

            I decided to change the subject and taught him “Ms. Mary Mack”. It took him some time to get the hand motions down but before you knew it, him and I were doing “Ms. Mary Mack” as fast as we could until we couldn’t do it right anymore.  A guy named Nick who works for CEPAD speaks Spanish and translated to me that Oscar said the game was fun. We then proceeded to teach him English and by the end of the night, with some help from me, he was able to say to delegates who came out: “Hello, my name is Oscar. What is your name? Your name is ____. I am 14. What’s up?”

            He has a curiosity for us and I look forward to his visits so we can make him smile and laugh.  It’s really easy to put a smile on any child’s face and all I want to do is keep making that happen over and over again. After your done reading this, just remember that we are all the same even though we may be classified in different levels…but we’re all going to the same place in the end.

 

Hotdogs and bird poop

First off, Mom, Dad, Jeanette, Abuela, and Abuelo I miss you all. I love you so much. I’m going to email you really soon. If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be privileged to have this experience.

 

            Now enough shout outs, from day one Nicaragua has been such an exciting experience.  It smelled like hot dogs when we got out of the airport and Keyla was pooped on by a bird . All good signs I love hot dogs and bird poop is a sign of a good luck. Thanks for takin’ one for the team Keyla, ; )

 

            Today, March 19, 2009 has been an emotional rollercoaster that is this experience and its only the beginning. Jhon’s been holding Yoga sessions in the morning and I haven’t attended yet but I was watching this morning and you could see the difference in everyone’s energy. Breakfast was fantastic as usual; all of the food has been mind blowing.  The real core of today’s lesson was taking off our blinders and allowing ourselves to be enlightened. Patty, one of our Witness for Peace, guides gave us a brief idea of how the economy has evolved and what has caused Nicaragua to be in the position they are. Some of you at home may think that this is just like any other Central American nation. There are areas with a great deal of tourism and others with a great deal of poverty and that is just how it is. That is so far from the truth it is absurd. There is no physical development in Nicaragua. No buildings, no construction, no road work, and business are run out of people’s homes; like hertz car rental and Pennezoil oil change.  Also, please take into consideration these homes are the size of some your garages.

            Our next speaker Ernesto carried on where Patty left off explaining where the Nicaraguan government is spending their money and some changes that need to happen to make Nicaragua a developing nation. He also gave us history on the landscape, trade, genetically modified organisms and their deadly impacts. This was really eye opening and he made it a fun lesson we all enjoyed it and came out more knowledgeable. The next destination was something that I really wish I could type out and say what emotions I felt but I can’t I felt so much at once I could only quiver. We visited the dump called La Chuleca. In this dump live families. You may have heard about this in passing while talking about this delegation with one of us. However, you will never understand how serious this really is until you look into the eyes of those who live there.

            Yami was our next speaker, she has lived and worked in the dump and in fact holds a position of power there. She is a fascinating human being and in her human essence she expresses what it truly is to have hope, be determined, and understand what it means to be human. In La Chuleca we saw the dust and burning garbage. It was scary at first. Yami poured her heart out to us explaining how hard it was for her to understand how humans can be equal but people still be forced to live in the conditions of La Chuleca. She is a such a strong human beings and does see the good in the world regardless of all of this. These people still smile everyday and they love, they cry, they fight, they help, and they bleed just like everyone of us. I know it seems so cliché to say some of this but it has so much meaning. I have never respected people so much in my life. I was screaming, embarrassed, and furious on the inside. If I did that on the outside I think the team would have bugged out and ran away from me hahaha.  The excess I have in my life is brutal. These people live in a nation where to have food, to have a home, to get an education are all privileges. These are all human rights by existing on this earth as a human being you immediately have every right to food, shelter, and education. I can already feel a great change with in myself and those around me this is all very real. I am not coming back to the United States the same person. I don’t mean that I’m not going to be the same sarcastic S.O.B. that I always have been. I mean my consideration for my actions and its effect on the universe. As well as how connected I am with the universe and my fellow human. Some may think its an exaggeration or may simply disagree with some of this and that is perfectly understandable. However, sometimes when we stand back we see that , ignorance is not bliss, it is blindness. I love you family. Thank you again. Snoogins.

 

- Steve

A powerful delegation

Hola mi gent,

 

            Today, we had our first entirely full day! As soon as we were done with breakfast at 7:30am, we were pilled full of information. First, we learned about the impossibly complex political and economic history of Nicaragua. Although the factual information was slightly overwhelming, the emotions that accompanied it were incredible. The team at Witness for Peace expertly coordinated sessions where we were all able to share and express our thoughts on this new information. After learning about the economic and class disparity between many Nicaraguans, many of us, including myself, were feeling particularly vexed.

            After several hours of sight visits, we returned to CEPAD, where we are staying and engaged in about an hour and a half of group discussion. We broke into groups to talk about how what it is in our lives that have contributed to our own particular world-view. After breaking into pairs, we discovered not only a lot more about our team members but also a lot more about ourselves. For instance, it was only after taking part in this exercise that I realized how influential, my role as a consumer is in my take on the world.

            The remaining time with the Witness for Peace workers was devoted to understanding the extent of racism in Nicaragua. The class-divide here runs deeps and wide. The middle class is miniscule and the poor make up the largest portion of the population. We explored our own perceptions of racism and how it affects each and every one of us. We ruminated on our personal feelings and shared with the rest of the group.

            I’m personally excited to be sharing our personal reflections throughout our trip. I love all sixteen of the delegates I’m here with and I can’t wait to learn even more about them in the coming days!

 

-Kyle Peters

Nicaragua: A fractured past and a tough future

Hello America,

 

            Today was a very educational day. I’m just astounded by the fact that since the Spaniards arrived in this country of lakes and volcanoes, Nicaragua has experienced war and hardship. The scars are very visible still today. We learned about the start of U.S. influence in the country starting with the implementation of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, shutting out European powers from spreading their influence in this region to the revolution going on in the 1970s to the Iran-Contra affair in the early 1980s to the signing of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) implemented in 2006.

 

            The earthquake that hit Managua in 1972, and the revolution and the subsequent Civil War between the Sandinistas and the Contras still has its effects on society today. This country is very fractured politically and as an extension, socially as well. Driving through Managua, I feel like I’m driving through a city in the 1950s. The embargo that was placed on the country as a result of Reagan’s policies toward the Sandinistas basically killed the economy and trust me, it shows.  The country goes as aid comes in. Listen, when there is money to give, the country does well. When the economy is what it is today, the country is affected to the core. This is the sad state of the country: the money is not there for building up the capital again and it seems that people are almost content with the situation they find themselves. This is the saddest part of everything.

 

            Today was the eye opener that I needed for this trip to be successful for me. The power of America is real: American policy in the region has a direct effect on how this country survives.

 

-Mike R.

First official day by Michelle

After a VERY stressful day of running around trying to renew my passport (I found out my passport was expired on the night we were traveling) I was able to board my flight and join the team. So today was my first official day in Nicaragua, and all I can say is WOW. We had a reflection moment in the morning and then we had discussions on economy and another on the state of Nicaragua’s environment. These discussions were super informative and eye-opening. I learned so many things over the course of a few hours, things that most Americans never ever learn. After that, we headed to an extremely poor village, located in a garbage dump. The things I saw will probably never leave my memory. Emaciated looking kids and adults rummaging through garbage, small houses made out of aluminum roofs, and animals eating trash in the middle of the streets. From this experience, I learned that, as Americans, we have so much yet to learn. Corrupt governmental policies that have occurred(and continue to occur) have profoundly affected this country, which seems to have stopped in time. While other countries are thriving, Nicaragua still continues to struggle to catch up. This country has endured so much, from wars to natural disasters, that it seems that its progress has stunted. However, despite all the things against them and the immense poverty that surrounds them, Native Nicaraguans still manage to have a smile on their faces and hope in their hearts. And while progress seems slow, it is ultimately coming, thanks to countless people who are aware of the situation and are fighting for a change.

I can only hope that one day I can create a difference in this world that so badly needs it.

Overall, this experience has only just begun and already I feel my eyes opening and my ignorance dissipating, I can only hope to learn as much as possible in the coming days.

Day 3

I feel as though I have learned and experienced such a significant amount and we are only on Day 3. Every second, my mind and spirit are stimulated by the amazing people we have come across, learning about Nicaragua in political, social, and economic contexts, and the overall energy that I constantly feel around me. Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest country in the hemisphere yet it is so rich in human connection. Time with others is valued and I don’t feel the urgency of having to go from one task to the other in a quick manner like in New Jersey. I have witnessed seemingly small acts of kindness everywhere we go and it truly is a beautiful thing. The “hellos” and “how are yous” are accompanied by genuine smiles that exude kindness and warmth and the notion of “genuine” has gained new meaning. The children here in particular, are indescribable. They have a light, a radiating light about them that does something to me and I think I can speak for everyone here when I say that.
This morning, we learned about the significance and influence of private and public sectors in regards to the working economy and system. Rachel, one of our delegation leaders, helped me further understand the importance of knowing about free market and trade, as well as the natural resources that Nicaragua has to offer. We also learned about the extremely high amount of debt that Nicaragua is in which comes with another huge price to pay. When the government is using a great deal of the country’s money to off their debt, many important areas have terribly little funding (like education and public health). The concept of Neoliberalism, “new freedom”, was discussed and how the country’s development, resources, and trade all come into play.
We also had the pleasure of meeting with Senor Julio Sanchez from the Humboldt Center, an environmental protection group. He was not only hysterical, but he was full of hope, ideas, and presented his realistic idealist views about the environment and peoples. The need for clean, running water is so important and the social aspects of education and health were discussed. To have the ability to read and write are so very important because many people are capable of thinking up amazing ideas but not able to express them. Senor Sanchez expressed his views on the difference between development and growing economically. Before this meeting, I thought of these two ideas as one in the same. But now, I realize that a country can be developing but not necessarily have an abundance of money.
We also met a wonderfully inspirational woman named Yamileth Perez. She is an important figure in Acahualinca, a garbage dump. Her words and the experiences she shared brought me to tears. The number of families grew significantly in the past decade and how they live is heartbreaking to me. We went into her home and met her family members and this whole experience became even more real to me.
What I have learned thus far is that humor and kindness transcends cultural and language barriers. Amazing.

-Jessica Ha

Team Nica Day One

So Phase II of Team Nica commences!

I am so grateful that I made it on this delegation… Crazy late night/early morning antics led me to almost miss my flight. After I got though an overslept alarm, a dead phone, taking wrong turns on the road, following wrong directions from the gas station, and getting lost in Irvington, I finally made it to the airport with 15 minutes to spare. I am unbelievably thankful for the flexibility and calm of Tashom, Jhon, Jess, Nikhil, Steve, and everyone else on the Dream Team. They have grace under pressure, without which I wouldn’t have made it. The whole experience really knocked me off my feet emotionally and mentally but I’m sure that, as with every experience, there’s something positive to be gained from it… (Maybe the Universe is preparing me to be on The Amazing Race?) At the very least it was humbling, and good practice for not abandoning myself in times of challenge.

I think for many of us, Rachel and Patty’s Socioeconomic Contrast Tour was the most impactful experience of our first 24 hours in Nicaragua. After our lunch at CEPAD, the Witness for Peace hostel, we loaded up the van and set off for a marketplace. We divided up into “families” of 4 or 5 and were given 40 cordovas—equivalent to $2—and told to buy food for our family for the day. The average Nicaraguan family has 6 members and many must survive on less than $2 each day. When we stepped off the bus into the mercado I was immediately struck by the smell. Flies, dirt, darkness, icky water, makeshift stalls…. It was a little overwhelming. Our family managed to buy a bag of rice, a smaller bag of beans, and a few potatoes. Maybe it could feed a family of 6 for a meal and a half, but no way near three meals a day, and let alone all of the other things we use each day, like toiletries. Our group was really affected by the squalor, but also by the warmth of the people that we met there.

We hopped back in the van and drove 10 minutes down the road to the Galerias, a.k.a. the mall. I have never seen a more extravagant mall in my life. On the upper floor there were a bunch of Mercedes Benzes! It was absolutely huge and spotless, with stores of all the American corporate fashion icons that you’d find in an upscale mall back in NJ or NY. Inside Guess we noticed that the prices were actually in US dollars. This was the same in the other stores we looked at. It was absolutely incomprehensible to us the contrast between the reality of this situation here, and the reality of the market just 10 minutes away. The disparity in wealth was shocking and disturbing for everyone, and the racial undertones were undeniable… everyone at the mall was significantly lighter skinned. In the market you wander through the aisles trying to figure out a way to feed your family that day on $2. In the mall you wander from store to store and try to figure out which $40 would look better with your favorite jeans. The people here live very different lives, right next door to each other.

What we saw today reminded me of Manhatttan, but maybe the disparity in wealth was a little more drastic here. But in Manhattan it’s essentially the same thing happening: parents struggle to put food on the table and provide for their children just 10 minutes down the road from the rich urban elite shopping on 5th Ave. When I walk in New York City it feels like just life. But when I see this same socioeconomic structure in another context it’s completely alarming, and it takes on this new sense of immediacy. We all ask, “how can this happen here?!?” But after seeing it I also think … wow… how does this happen in my own backyard? What am I doing to contribute to it? What can I do to help?

It was a heavy and exciting day, and I’m grateful for the experience. Time to sleep!

Love,
Katie

CEPAD ... our home away from home

Welcome to CEPAD. We finally arrive to our home away from home. Patty and Rachel wanted to start orientation right away so we started with getting to know everyone’s names. Once at CEPAD we went through what our itinerary would be for the next 13 days. After we looked at our schedule and started to become somewhat prepared for our long days ahead we went over some basic tips to follow while we are down in Nicaragua.
After part one of orientation we all sat down to have an amazing lunch that consisted of chicken, rice, salad and plantain chips. After we cleaned up we went right into part two of the orientation, which consisted of splitting up into teams of four, and going over our Hopes Fears and Expectation for this delegation. Witness for Peace gave each group a bag of props and we had to act out a skit of what we discussed. Patty and Rachel then went over what some of their expectations were of us. Meeting these amazing people and having such a wonderful first day leaves me filled with hope of great days to follow. Next up we were loaded the bus and headed to the market place to do our next exercise.
Reality has finally hit I’m really in Nicaragua
Much love
Melissa

Day 1 - The Arrival

Hello Nicaraguaa!!!!

 

So we finally arrived here and whoa has the excitement gotten to all of us!!!! Watching the volcanoes from atop was one of the most amazing things that I have seen to this day. The scenery is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!! It was crazy though to see the poverty from the airplane, Managua is the capital but it looked like an ordinary city and that gave me chills. It finally hit me that we were in Nicaragua when the plane finally landed and the flight attendant welcomed us to Nicaragua, the whole group just clapped. When we got off there was a strange check point in which you stood in front of this thermal scanner and it checked to see if you had a temperature, I had never seen anything like it but it was pretty cool. We had to go through customs and then finally we were picking up our luggage and that’s when Jhon spotted Patty and Rachel. It was pretty exciting to meet them and they are awesome. They are so cool to be around and their vibe is so chill. It was really hot so we decided to go to the shade with Patty,Martha, Emily, and Keyla and Keyla got pooped on by a birdie, it was pretty funny,lucky way to start our journey! We then packed up the top of the bus with our luggage and met Luis our bus driver, he is very nice. Then we were finally off to our new home away from home CEPAD!!!

 

 

Ahhhhh!! I’m in Nicaragua for reall.

 

Gina

Bahhhhhhhhh Nicaragua in 12 Hours

Bahhhhhhhhhhh is the best word that can describe how I feel right now. It describes how anxious I am and excited and a little bit scared. I am all packed and ready to go. I leave to Martha's house (where a couple of us are staying until we leave to Newark Airport at 3AM) in a couple of hours and I am sitting here just thinking, thinking about everything it took to get here and everything that is waiting for me in Nicaragua.

Bahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Yes I am scared but not like watching a scarry movie scared, just plain scared or worried. Im nervous too. But I know that will all vanish the moment we step off the plane and we are finally in Nicaragua. I am excited to meet the families that we will be staying with. My nieace Bella made a couple of drawings for me to give to the kids in Nicaragua, I am glad that I got her involved in the best way I could, she loves to draw. I think thats an important thing to remember. That everyone can do something, even a little thing like that. And we all can bring something to the table. And words are important too, our voice alone is such a powerful tool that many people done even use. Thats what we will be doing when we get back, tell people our experiences and say "Yes we were there...that is really happeneing... what are we going to do about it."

Preparing for this project took alot of effort, time, and passion. It was my craziest semester yet but it was well worth all the hard work. In a matter of hours I will be in Nicaragua. And for some reason I still cant wrap my head around it. Bahhhhhh

Well I am about to have my last meal before I leave to Nicaragua. My family is taking me out to dinner at my favorite Colombian resutrant. I will eat alot, more then I should. Oh well!! Next time I blog,I will be in NICARAGUA!! Woooooooooooot Wooooooooooot :)

Muchos Besos <3

Joarlynn aka: Jo

<3 <3 <3 <3

Back in October, I walked into the Center For Non-Violence looking for a place to complete my thirty-five hours of fieldwork for FCST-315. Upon entering I met Reverend Ann and I expressed to her how the Center “spoke to my inner hippie.” She replied by telling me about Team Nicaragua, a delegation open to students who are interested in learning about Nicaragua and about creating change in their communities and the world, and asked what it did for my inner hippie. Immediately an interest into this project sparked within me and after spending most of my fieldwork hours promoting the delegation my interest only continued to grow. I knew this was something I had to try for and found myself filling out an application. Now I sit, nine months later, anxiously awaiting a plane ride to Nicaragua in less then 48 hours. (AHHHHH!) Through this process I have met a number of wonderful inspiring human beings and I know this number will only increase once we land in Nicaragua. I am excited to embark on this journey with my team members who each bring something special and unique to the table. Individually, we are a mix of different nationalities, religions, and personalities but as a whole we make one quirky team but a team non-the less. I am so very grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow as a person and I am excited to share it with such amazing people by my side.

PEACE, LOVE & MMMBOP,

Loretta

oh boy oh boy oh boy

Okay, so only 4 days away! I know everybody is feeling butterflies in their tummy by now...I know I am! So, part 1 of our project has reached it's conclusion, our team has worked their booties off fundraising for the team..everything from fashion shows to bake sales to selling bracelets...Despite the hard economic times, we managed to raise most of the money needed(good job guys!)

So...now comes phase 2, the actual trip...none of us really know what to expect but we are all going into this headfirst. I'm positive the entire team wants to learn more about the country we are visiting and the reasons as to why it is in it's present state. Learning more about our own country's policies and how they affect the Nicaraguan people will definitely make us more well-rounded...sometimes Americans(especially teenagers) live in this state of oblivion, ignorant of the going-ons in other countries. I feel this trip will serve to open our eyes and our hearts. I definitely can't wait to meet all the wonderful people over there and grow stronger as a team.

Dream Team 09! Whoooo hoooooooo...See all of you lovely people at 3 a.m on the 17th!

Peace!

Michelle

Nicaragua, the second time around...by Joed Lopez

For some reason this seems to be the longest week ever. I woke up this morning swearing it was Wednesday! But its only Tuesday and I feel that the day we step on that plane cannot come soon enough. I have been to Nicaragua before, but only for a day. I was part of a missions trip in Honduras and our flight was canceled due to Hurricane Katrina. Next thing you know, I was on a 8 hour bus ride in the middle of the night to Managua, Nicaragua in hopes they had a flight that would get us back home. The short time in Nicaragua did something to me. I still cannot explain what exactly, but I always knew that I would return for a special reason. Maybe this is that special reason. I realize the importance of entering new experiences. I believe that with every new encounter that makes you uncomfortable, you learn something about yourself and this life. I have been to Latin America several times, but the price of this trip is that I am not walking in my graduation. That was a little hard for me to get over (especially my mother), but I would rather spend 13 days of learning and exploring new things than 1 day reflecting on what I have already done. Perhaps now you can see why this is the longest week ever for me.

Joed Lopez

Here we go....

Hellooooo everyone! To be honest, I can't believe that we are leaving in 9 days... it is beyond surreal and I don't quite know how to prepare myself. When we were all chosen back in November, we were told that before we knew it, we would be on a plane going to Nicaragua and back then, it seemed like we had all the time in the world. It's funny how fast the time flies when you're distracted by millions of different things. But here we are. 5 months later.

Throughout the months, we have been fundraising and I won't say that it was the easist thing to do. Nonetheless, I think we made incredible strides towards our goal, especially with the economy being the way it is. But through the fundraising and our Team Nica meetings, I have met some of the most wonderful people and I truly feel as though we are a team.

Back in November, I had my doubts. I was nervous that the rest of the delegation was going to be much younger than me and that becoming a real team would be hard. You can't imagine my shock, my amazement, my growing love for this delegation. We all come from different backgrounds, cultures, grade levels, & interests but all of these differences make us a whole, a unique whole. My appreciation for everyone's energy and humor has been contiunously growing and I'm very excited to spend the experience of a lifetime with these individuals.

I wanted to be a part of this delegation because I knew that it would not only be a humbling experience and an avenue to learn, but it would spark inspiration. I aim to be inspired.... through people, events, experiences, anything. It's the one thing that puts a fire under our butts to make a change and to create something better out of what we have. We are forever changed from being inspired & whether you keep it internally or take action externally, we are from that moment, different.

From hearing stories about last year's delegation, I am on the edge of my seat and anticipating all that we are going to soak in and experience. What better way to act and educate others about the importance of basic human rights & social justice than to experience it first-hand. Phase 1 of this delegation is quickly coming to a close with Phase 2 being right around the corner (which is actually going to Nicaragua). I don't know if it has really hit me yet but the kind and inspiring words of Dr. Pennington and Dean Carter at yesterday's meeting solidified our purpose and the importance of going on this delegation. Learning more about fair trade practices from Stephanie and the experience of a member of last year's team, Andy, made it even more clear.

We're going.
In 9 days.
Holy bananas.
Here we go....

Peace & Love, (Paz y Amor? Definitely have to work on my Spanish)
Jessica

World Fair Trade Day

Members of Team Nica will be distributing Fair Trade Chocolate in the Student Center on Monday May 11th from 11am-2pm in support of World Fair Trade Day

Gearing Up!!!!

With 13 days to go, Team Nica is gearing up for an awesome delegation