Feeling at Home

We have been in Nicaragua for about two weeks now and I cannot help but feeling like I am home, despite the fact that I have never been here before. After a baby peed on me during a Wednesday morning visit to the jewelry cooperative, I think I can safely say that I feel genuinely comfortable here in Managua.  The first week was all about getting the hang of things: who lives where, which children can you expect to see every Tuesday and Thursday at Camp JAM, the importance of having a spare couple of cords when going into Cedro to ensure that you can purchase a bag of ice cream. After the dust had settled from the whirlwind week of introductions, it was much easier for me to see (and probably for all of us bright-eyed and naive interns) how Manna worked and what we could do to contribute to this amazing organization and the communities with which it works.

Because we felt more comfortable walking through the community and navigating on our own, last week provided us with greater opportunities to get to know the amazing people that live in Cedro. Best exemplifying this was the trek through the community we made on Thursday morning. Three of the interns are med students at the University of South Florida, and part of the reason for their time here in Managua is the completion of a health-related project. One project is dedicated to an investigation of the respiratory health of the women in the communities. Three of us wandered off bright and early Thursday morning with the intention of talking to women in the community and measuring their peak respiratory flow. Considering that none of us are fluent in Spanish and two of us have absolutely no background in medical Spanish, the data collection process was challenging and a bit comical. We could not quite figure out the best way to explain how to blow into a peak flow meter and the women, through no fault of their own, did not really understand our poor explanations. Taking the measurements took patience but it was also the primary vehicle through which we got to know some of the women. We all laughed, and maybe one tear of exasperation was shed, but what impacted me the most was the fact that all of these women were willing and some even eager to take part in a poorly-explained survey for three girls whom they have never met. After working on political campaigns in the United States that have required me to go door-to-door, a warm welcome from a stranger was more than I could have expected.

The work we did for the health project also opened my eyes to the reality of those who do not have the good fortune of readily accessible medical care. Though we are measuring the respiratory health of the women in the community, we are not providing them with any medical diagnosis or care. That did not stop them from asking myriad questions regarding their health status, all of which we had neither license nor expertise to answer. Because I have asthma, I have a great relationship with my doctor and an even greater relationship with my albuterol inhaler, my constant companion throughout my life. However, these women have not been so fortunate. The importance of the clinic run by Manna could not have been more obvious.

On a lighter note, we spent the last weekend rolling through Nicaragua in micros and taxis and spent an awesome couple of days in San Juan del Sur, which must have the highest concentration of American surfer bros in all of Central America. Spending a weekend away with the fellow interns was a necessary bonding experience, as we are all undoubtedly much closer now than we were upon leaving Managua on Friday. I have never had a better burrito in my life than the one I inhaled while lying on the beach on Saturday afternoon, and I think I speak for all of us when I say I would return to San Juan del Sur if only to have a quick meal at the Taco Stop.

I refuse to believe that I am already halfway through my month in Managua, but I cannot wait to see the exciting opportunities that will come in the next two weeks. Adios from the Manna house!

Out of the Comfort Zone

Our Summer Interns arrived last week and spent the week settling into Nica life. Most of them will be here for four weeks working alongside us supporting our programs. We've asked them to share their experiences on our blog. Be on the lookout for weekly posts from our incredible summer interns. First up, Caroline...

Buenos días, amigos!

I am currently typing this from a hostel in Granada, Nicaragua. I got up with the sun and because I didnt bring my phone had no idea what time it was, so I crawled out of a top bunk bed next to 10 strangers and went and sat in a hammock.

Life in Nica is so different, but in the best way possible. On the first day we were here the interns all set goals for ourselves for what we wanted to accomplish during our time in Nica. I knew what mine was going into this trip: to go outside my comfort zone.

I definitely am always playing it safe and not taking risks or doing anything that puts me outside of the comfort I've built up. I knew that while I was here I wanted to do what I didn't do on my last trips: make myself uncomfortable.

This past week has been tiring, challenging, and amazing. The interns and I have all become fast friends and are learning and spending more time with each other each day. We all come from such different places and make for a fun group if you ask me! The PDs in the house have been nothing but welcoming and encouraging and helping us figure out this month along the way. It helps to be surrounded by a group of cool, unique people each day.

My favorite thing thus far was dinner at one of the family's homes in the community. Manna works in two communities and the relationships built in each are very evident. The community closest to our house is home to some of the kindest people I've ever met. One cool thing we get to do is just go visit and eat with the families. It's not like in the states where you call two months in advance and show up at a designated time but here you approach their house at any time of day and they welcome you with open arms. The community also looks nothing like the states. I haven't brought my camera into the community because I want to respect the families and their homes as I am still building trust and a relationship with them.

Their houses are not usually bigger than one or two rooms and are made of a variety of materials from wood to metal slabs. They mostly all have barbed wire fences around their houses and guard dogs which are probably one of the scariest things as they run at you until you threaten to hit them with your water bottle.

The houses are pretty far apart and are seperated by hills of trash, trees, and dirt roads. Each house is tucked away off the roads, if you can call them that, and I'm still learning how to navigate. I was able to eat at Jessenia's house, who is one of the funniest most outspoken women here. She operates a small food stand and is an amazing cook - and luckily I got to experience a dinner at her house. We sat on wood benches and talked and laughed through broken Spanish and English as we got to know her and her children better. She also has 3 puppies, one of which has become my Nicaraguan boyfriend ;)

The next day, we had an hour break between classes and three of us went into the community to go visit her again. She was so excited as always and welcomed us to sit and talk while her puppy fell asleep in my lap. It was simple, but exactly what I needed to reassure me that the most important thing here is to focus on building relationships with the people and immersing myself into the culture and very different from my own lives of the people here.

One thing I will have an opportunity to do soon is a home-stay which is where I will be able to have dinner, sleep over, and eat breakfast the next morning with the family and really get a taste of what their day to day life is like.

I also have enjoyed helping out with the level one English class. It has given me the opportunity to improve my Spanish and help the people in it with their English. They have such a drive to learn that you really don't see in the states. I got to work with the same group twice and as lame as this sounds it made my day when the second class they came in excited, remembered my name, and squeezed my hand. I've been having little moments like that that have meant the most so far in my time here.

Yesterday, our group of interns and our group leaders got to travel to Granada to do an overnight stay and get a feel for what Nicaragua has to offer. We first climbed up a winding circular staircase to the top of the bell tower of the most beautiful church to see the most amazing view of the entire city. It honestly was breathtaking. We then got a tour of the city in a horse buggy where I got to help the driver steer and chat a little about his learning English and my time in Nica. The people here are so kind and full of conversation that you can tell is genuine. We ate at a yummy restaurant for dinner and then got to go out to a dance bar and club to experience Nica night life, which was an absolute blast.

So far, I am loving my time here and can't wait to see what adventure comes next. Also, my apologies for any typos as this keyboard is different than any one I've ever known and I can't figure out how to make apostrophes or exclamation points....

What Surprised You Most About Your Week with Manna Project?

Recently a group of undergrads from Worcester State University spent a week with us in Managua. They visited all of our programs but spent the majority of their time working with our women's jewelry cooperative, Camino Nuevo. The group planned a variety of lessons and even learned to make some of the jewelry the women make on a daily basis. After their week we asked them one question: What Surprised You Most About Your Week with Manna Project? These are their answers.

Huy Hgo:

Manna Project plays a big role in the community, that surprised me most.  It's interesting to see how many different programs they run. I find it amazing how Manna does so much for theses communities.  Seeing how the Program Directors immerse themselves with the people in the community was very interesting.  Everything that the Manna Project does for the community is very inspiring. I want to return and work with them, to learn how to speak Spanish and to make a difference.

Kassandra Sarante:

What surprised me most was how impactful the trip would be on my life. Having visited and having family from a developing country, I thought I knew what to expect. However, after being immersed in the communities Manna works in, where I could observe, be hands-on involved with, and connect with local people - I was shown how much I don't know, and how much of an opportunity this trip was. Being humble, appreciative, and generous are all characteristics this trip had illuminated as what should be priority. 

Laura Garcia:

For me it was just the shock of everything you hear about in class coming to life. To learn about poverty on that level is one thing, but to see it and experience it first hand is another. What surprised me just as much though, was just how much Manna has done for these people and the difference they have made. I didn't realize all the different activities and educational opportunities they have woven into the communities.It's amazing. People often get discouraged being just one person wanting to make a huge difference. It was inspiring to see Manna accomplish so much with just a small group of volunteers.

Alicia Pickering:

How you could already see the changes in the community that Manna Project has made. All of the programs have been really successful. The clinic is constantly growing and continuing to help the community, the women of the jewelry cooperative are working together and their business is rapidly growing. Also the English classes have so many students in them that want to be there and take their own time out of the day to go to the classes. It was a great feeling knowing that you are helping an organization that is really making a difference in their community. 

Rebeca Ruiz:

How involved Manna was in the community. They provide activities and programs for community members of all ages. All the PDs knew everyone and their backgrounds. The PDs care. You can see it in their work and how much effort they put in. They are determined to make a difference. It was great to see them enjoy their work so much that they won't want to leave when their volunteering is over. Manna has great PDs and many qualities that makes them succeed.

 

Cynthia Romero:

What surprised me the most about my week with Manna Project was the determination and rapid progress of the Nicaraguan students learning English. Those who were willing to pay the extra cordobas just to learn another language absolutely amazed me because that is not a common sight in the States. Nicaraguan students, by a level four English class are almost fluent because of their hard work and ambition. Because English is becoming the universal language, Americans usually stay grounded, and are not as motivated to learn another language. Those studying another tongue in the States are usually forced, making them not as intrinsically motivated to learn, leading them to not grasp the language even after years of practice. 

UNC Spring Break Volunteers Host First Ever Health Fair at Public School in Chiquilistagua

Health was the main focus of our spring break project in Nicaragua. It consisted of everything from attending forwardHEALTH generation classes, helping at the new Cedro Galán clinic, visiting children at the Villa Guadalupe Child Sponsorship program, and spreading the word about our community health fair held at the end of the week. We got to see and do a wide variety of things throughout our time in the country.  The forwardHEALTH generation class was a huge eye-opener for us. It was amazing to see the motivation and determination that these children had to learn about health. We could not even imagine high school children in the US giving up a Sunday night to learn about health. Seeing the drive these kids had helped us refocus our life goals and aspirations.

In addition, we assisted the Program Directors at the Cedro Galán clinic. It was both a rewarding and empowering experience. Seeing the members of the community appreciate the excellent service of the clinic at a very low cost was promising in the clinic's development. From the patients who visited the clinic, we were able to notice that the easy access to healthcare has positively influenced the community.  Although many of the things provided in the clinic are services that we often take for granted in America, it means a great deal to the community to have access to affordable, quality health care.

The health fair we put together was an amazing way for us as students to promote healthcare and reach out to the community on a more personal level. Interacting with the children and their parents was such a rewarding experience--we essentially set up ten stations with basic health facts and lifestyle skills, where each had a game to go along with it for the children. We promoted hand-washing, vaccinations, exercise, and healthy eating while playing games that creatively related to each of these areas of health and more. The health fair was a success mainly because we were able to reach the children in the community who can retain this information and live by it. In this way, early education to the children can ultimately better the community.  The health fair was also a success because the community had never had anything like this before and there was a great turnout.  The community often has trouble getting people to attend these sort of things and through advertising in the community we were able to get people to attend. Their face lite up with joy, and everyone really enjoyed the fair.  Seeing the smiles on their faces and knowing that we provided them with positive health information was really rewarding.  Overall our trip to Nicaragua was unforgettable.  Through connecting with the lives of the community members, improving our Spanish skills, and making bonds with other volunteers, we were able to truly make an impact with Manna.
 

A special note to our wonderful PDs: We couldn't have asked for any better when it came to our PDs Nicole and Erica! They made us feel right at home upon our arrival. Joking with us about how the PDs came up with designated shirt days for the week, getting competitive with some catch-phrase, and hanging out at the Laguna were fun times that we won't forget! We also can't forget the immense passion in both of them, it was quite contagious and they have many of us already planning on our next trip and even considering summer vol and PD options. Without them our trip would not have been as fun or successful, thanks so much guys! You will both be amazing doctors one day :)

Vandy's Top 11

Last week, we joined the Manna Project International Nicaragua team at their site in Managua. The eleven of us arrived after two rejuvenating nights in the Backpacker's Inn hostel in Managua, where we acclimated to the food and climate and got pumped for our week with Manna. We developed a system for taking a quick attendance of our group by counting off numbers one through eleven. This number system ensured we left no man or woman behind.  We thought it would be appropriate to section this blog post into our eleven favorite aspects of the week, in no particular order. 

1. Lacrosse the Nations (LtN) @ Club Hope: This was a great opportunity to play sports with the kids of Villa Guadalupe. Lacrosse dodgeball was bomb. Just imagine a game of dodge-ball with 30+ teenagers hurling tennis balls at each other with lacrosse sticks... 

2. English classes: We had the chance to visit English classes levels one, two, three and four of Manna's five English programs. Level one consistently had more than sixty students, and it was great to see the massive reach of Manna's language training. The upper level classes offered more opportunities for us to work one-on-one with students and to practice conversation with them. The dynamic lessons included everything from skits to singing "Wake Me Up."

3. Camp J.A.M.: Twice a week, dozens of kids flock to the community center, El Farito. Kids ages 3-teen came to hang out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Tuesday, we read "The Rainbow Fish," and made our own rainbow fish (complete with aluminum foil scales). On Thursday, we did science experiments! 

4. Women's Exercise and Nutrition: This was our main project. We developed two healthy recipes to share with the women: a Nica salad and chilli. We discussed health benefits of limiting fat intake, boiling water, and eating a balanced diet. The exercise portion was limited to women only and included zumba, ab workouts, and weights. Around 15 women joined us for these.

5. Milk Day: In Villa Guadalupe, where the community members were living in the Managua municipal landfill just over a year ago, Manna operates the only clinic. We helped hand out supplies and check up on the young children registered with the clinic.

6. Roadside quesadillas: enough said.

7. Community Dinners: On Wednesday night, we split up into groups and dined with community members. This opportunity allowed us to get a glimpse of the long-lasting relationships Manna has developed with community members. In Lorena's house, she recalled stories about multiple Program Directors from the past ten years. 

8. Laguna de Apoyo: During our free Saturday before going to the Manna house, we visited Laguna de Apoyo, a volcanic lake near Granada. We heard about it from a friend we made at the hostel, and decided to give it a shot. We ate some great food and kayaked in the mineral blue water. This was a great introduction to Nicaragua. 

9. Lacrosse The Nations (LtN) @ Chiquilistagua: We woke up early to join the students in Chiquilistagua for LtN. One of the Program Directors, Javier, has been especially plugged into LtN so Manna has a close relationship with the organization. They teach life lessons and discipline through lacrosse drills and matches.

10. León: After our week in Managua, we headed to León to visit museums and hit the beach. We were really looking forward to relaxing after an exhausting week (seriously, we're not sure how the PD's do this stuff every day for weeks on end) and to debrief /reflect on our week.

11. Danny and Juliene: Our fearless leaders. These program directors (PD) made our trip possible. They flawlessly orchestrated our complicated schedule. We were never late for a program, and always had everything we needed with their help (except when we ran out of peanut butter on Friday... we forgive you). Danny's energy is contagious, and his experience working at camps has set him up well for handling the kids in English class. Juliene is super enthusiastic, she came to Nicaragua a few months ago prepared to dive deeply into the culture and improve her Spanish. She totally channels her former basketball captain into her enthusiasm in class, engaging students and maintaining their attention. They are both extremely outgoing and talkative, regaling us with their tales from their PD experiences. 

Overall, our week with Manna Nicaragua gave us a great idea of what the daily life of a Program Director is like, and we had ample opportunity to get personally plugged into the weekly programming activities.

- MPI-Vanderbilt