After a long trip and an early wake up, we are finally here. We took a ride from the airport down through Managua. The city, still torn from the last earthquake a couple years back, offered a hint to the everyday struggle of these people.
Continue reading "Day one in Nicaragua" »
Today was a day of excitement and great experiences. We woke up quite early for a great breakfast of fresh fruit juices and fresh mango slices. Directly afterwards, we viewed the sewing co-op which was built by a group of women by their own hands. The remainder of the day was left for work at the health clinic in Nueva Vida which I had learned so much about. It felt surreal to finally arrive at the clinic.
Continue reading "Day two" »
Today brought along with it some interesting lessons and things to write about. Woke up bright and early to another day of work. Early in the morning, we met with Mark Lester who works locally at a global education center. He gave us a great background of Nicaraguan history and how he feels the new president will shape the upcoming years. Afterwards, I again worked in the clinic, this time in the medicine storage room. We unpacked the 25 or so suitcases full of medicine donated to the brigade. It was great to see the shelves get packed with essential supplies that many of the patients would usually go without or the clinic would have to extend meager funds to attain.
Continue reading "Day three - Unpacking supplies" »
Today was a very, very long day. I've gotten into a habit of not looking at the activity sheet each day to surprise myself about the upcoming activities. For that reason, I didn't know what to fully expect today. We drove two hours to the mountain where El Porvenir is located. Then we took an hour-long tractor ride up the mountain over some surprisingly rough terrain. A small town is located on the top of the mountain that produces some of the best organic coffee on the market. I knew we would be going up the mountain, but I didn't really know what would take place when we arrived.
Continue reading "Day four - Picking coffee beans" »
Just another great day in Nicaragua and much to recount. After waking up too early for my liking, we met with the vice mayor of la Ciudad Sandino of which Nueva Vida is part. He told us his many plans for the city and the general daily happenings of the city. It was rather interesting to hear a first-hand perspective of a high-ranking government official who deals primarily with the social aspects of Nica life. Now that the Sandinistas are in power, the schools have become truly free which was an original promise of the Nica constitution. Though not a lot, this is definitely a step in the right direction.
Continue reading "Day five - A great meal" »
Today is my last day in Nica and it went rather quickly. We worked all day making cinderblocks and slinging concrete onto walls which the Nicaraguans did in 1/10th of the time. However, the day has come to a near close and it's about that time for a slight conclusion about the trip. Since we'll be leaving in the morning, this is my last entry for this trip.
Continue reading "Final day" »
