http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/ A Bucknell delegation of 20 students and five faculty and staff traveled to Nueva Vida, Nicaragua, Jan. 7-16 to help at a health clinic in a resettlement community of 15,000 people who lost their homes and livelihoods to Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Several members of the Bucknell Brigade filed dispatches to share their work and experiences during the brigade's ninth year of service learning in Nicaragua. en Copyright 2007 Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:15:00 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss I woke up and knew right away that this was my last full day in Nicaragua and it felt terrible. I knew that in two days I would be back at school having to deal with classes and having to concentrate on my last season as a track and field athlete. But the one good thing is that the day was a work day and I knew that meant that I would have a great time and feel worthwhile when it finally came to an end. ]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/last_full_day.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/last_full_day.html Rob Gradoville Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:15:00 -0500 a>Today was our last full day here at JHC in Nicaragua. It was a work day, which I thought was a great way to end our week. We helped to rapeo (pronounced ra-pay-o) the walls on the second floor of the dorm in the JHC compound. Rapeo basically means that we fling cement on the wall, smooth it out, fix the holes and spots we missed, smooth it out again, and continue like so. We also mix and make the cement on our own which really helps to develop an appreciation for cement. ]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/our_final_day.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/our_final_day.html Hannah Irion Mon, 15 Jan 2007 23:12:31 -0500 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. ]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/final_day.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/final_day.html Doug Maynard Mon, 15 Jan 2007 19:07:41 -0500 Today, we did a tour of Managua and got to see a lot of the monuments and buildings that are important to Nicaragua's history. We saw a lot of really interesting things but the most interesting to me was the fair trade shop we visited. ]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/fair_trade.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/fair_trade.html Hannah Irion Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:52:04 -0500 Saturday was a very touristy day for our group. We left JHC at about eight in the morning and headed for the Masaya Volcano - an active volcano here in Nicaragua. Smoke constantly comes out of the top and we were told that from the side of the crater opening that we are not allowed to walk to you can see lava inside the crater. I had visited Masaya Volcano last time I was here, but I don't think I appreciated it then like I did yesterday. Sarah, a member of JHC, told us a story about how the volcano keeps her humble and focused when she is doing the kind of work that they do here at JHC. The last time the volcano erupted it spread out very, very far and we could see the line between where the lava ended (which was covered in big volcanic rocks) and where the lava did not reach (which is green and still has houses and buildings). The distance that the rock traveled, both being thrown out of the volcano and melted into lava that flowed out, is astonishing. Sarah told us that when she thinks about the kind of power and force it takes to make that happen she is reminded that she is not in control. This is important when you consider the kind of work she does where the end goal is enormous. She commented that the power of the volcano reminds her that it is not her job to fix everything but that she simply must continue to chip away at the problem and continue to fight. The whole analogy is perhaps too difficult for me to convey in my own words but the feeling behind her analogy makes me feel better about my own goals when I do work both with the Bucknell Brigade and other organizations.]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/alittle_like_a_tourist.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/alittle_like_a_tourist.html Hannah Irion Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:35:02 -0500 Apparently, the Brigade leaders have figured it out. Pack 30 people into a bus that is definitely too old to pass vehicle safety inspection and just go! That pretty much sums up the day today. We all woke up around nine this morning after our very late night at the "discoteca" and no one had much energy, but this ain't no vacation. It's the Brigade. So, we got up and packed into a bus probably meant to carry half of us, and we were off.]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/how_do_you_see_an_entire_city.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/how_do_you_see_an_entire_city.html Rob Gradoville Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:04:55 -0500 Let's start at the beginning... Yesterday was a day of touring the Managua area. Specifically, we went down to Masaya, a suburb of the capital. First we visited an active volcano in the Mesaya area. This volcano is steaming and massive. It was used by the Somozas in the past to murder people opposed to his dictatorship. Next, we visited Pedro Guerrero who is credited as being one of the best potters in the world. He showed a basic throw and explained his craft. These clay creations were some of the best I've ever seen and he does it all with primitive equipment. He uses a hearth for his kiln and a kick wheel for his throwing. In the end, however, his talent shows through with magnificent work. Afterwards, we went out to a volcanic lake to spend the afternoon swimming and basking in the warm weather. The market followed which is much like a flea market back home, but with hundreds of shops selling similar items. Bought a few necessities including a painting, a dried frog, etc. The good times weren't over though. We went out to a local dance club where we partied the night away with the locals. That was fun. ]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/day_six_and_seven.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/day_six_and_seven.html Sun, 14 Jan 2007 21:06:31 -0500 Today was an extremely long day and very different from every other day we have had so far. It was a day of volcanoes and pottery and restaurant lunches and some local shopping. While I can't say what I bought and for whom, I will say that this was a very memorable day.]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/long_day_around_nicaragu.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/long_day_around_nicaragu.html Rob Gradoville Sat, 13 Jan 2007 20:39:05 -0500 We woke ever so groggy and had a quick breakfast before the Vice Mayor of Ciudad Sandino, the city in which we are staying, came to talk to us. He seemed like a very personable guy and he answered whatever questions came his way with as much truth as he could. He was a government figure, though, and you could tell that he was skilled at answering questions in a safe way. He talked about healthcare and education and utilities and also mentioned his thoughts on the effect of the newly elected Daniel Ortega. After the talk, we headed out to Nueva Vida to get a second oil-based coat of paint on the new health clinic building. ]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/pintar.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/pintar.html Rob Gradoville Sat, 13 Jan 2007 01:34:58 -0500 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.]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/day_5.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/day_5.html Doug Maynard Fri, 12 Jan 2007 23:19:01 -0500 Today was another work day and I worked with Dr. Don again in the clinic helping him to translate for the patients. It was a busier day than last time I helped in the clinic and we saw three or four times as many patients. There also were a lot more kids in the clinic. It's always more difficult for me to see the kids coming into the clinic with parasites or malnutrition because they aren't responsible for what's happening to them at this point in their lives. All that happened was that they were unfortunate enough to have been born here instead of where I was born. ]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/another_day_of_work.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/another_day_of_work.html Hannah Irion Fri, 12 Jan 2007 23:03:21 -0500 On Thursday, we traveled up to El Porvenir for the day to visit the coffee cooperative. El Porvenir is a very isolated community that is made up of about 285 people. My most favorite part about the whole trip there is the actual trip it takes to get up the mountain. The total travel time from our dorm to the top is about four hours and during those four hours you are constantly tossed around on the famous yellow bus and on the tractor that drags us the rest of the way. The roads in Nicaragua are rarely paved, especially on side streets. The roads to El Porvenir are no exception. They're dusty and full of "potholes" and I love it. It reminds me of when I was a little kid sitting in the back of a school bus trying to get as much air as possible when we went over bumps. ]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/el_porveni.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/el_porveni.html Hannah Irion Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:51:39 -0500 Today, we all got up and had a quick lunch because we had a long ride ahead of us. It is about a three-hour drive from JHC to El Porvenir, and that is just to the base of the mountain. That was as far as I was gonna be carried. Julie, Meghan, and myself started our hike from the bottom of the mountain. When we got off the "Ambulance," as they call it and which is really just an old four-wheel-drive with seats on either side in the back, we met Juan who is a member of El Porvenir and the one who supposedly knows the most about good pipeline routes. He is the one that took our Professors Kim and tools up the mountain when they came in November. Juan took us over to the pump house which is right next to their current well. The motor is an old tractor motor which they have directly driving a generator. This generator is connected to a pump which is hung a couple hundred feet deep into the well. ]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/the_water_pipeline.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/the_water_pipeline.html Rob Gradoville Fri, 12 Jan 2007 18:32:17 -0500 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. ]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/day_four.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/day_four.html Doug Maynard Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:08:59 -0500 Well, today I woke up for the first time when we were woken up. I slept like a rock. We got up and had another awesome breakfast and soon after we had a very knowledgeable speaker talk to us about Nicaraguan history, politics and their relationship with the rest of the world. He really made everything come together and it was amazing how many dates and names he could spit out in about an hour and a half. All in all, it was another eye-opening experience that showed maybe the United States isn't as just as we like to think we are. Either way, I am extremely happy I heard it.]]> http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/you_will_be_moving_telephone_p.html http://blogs.bucknell.edu/brigade/2007/01/you_will_be_moving_telephone_p.html Rob Gradoville Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:23:19 -0500