Article for EI Newsletter

Wow! We cannot believe that our six-month term with Empowerment International is coming to a close. We arrived here in September just in time to witness the Nicaraguans celebrate their Independence Day. The streets were alive with the sights and sounds of energetic marching bands and beautiful dancers, while the people looked on with a sense of pride and celebration. Against a backdrop of colorful colonial houses and cathedrals, not to mention the giant and looming Volcan Mombacho, we looked forward with anticipation to the adventure in front of us. We quickly learned, however, that living here would not be a walk in the park. The heat was overwhelming at times, and it reminded Kevin of when his grandfather would take him to the steam baths in Glenwood Springs, the only difference being that the people here were wearing clothes. The electricity and water would go out for several hours at a time, almost daily, and it was anyone's guess when the next outage would be. We didn't need to worry about losing our hot water or air conditioning when the power went out, however, because we didn't have these things in the first place. Taking care of simple tasks, like shopping for food and cleaning clothes, also proved to be quite challenging. Nothing builds up your appetite for food like walking through a crowded market and carrying your fresh fruits and vegetables home by foot. The days of Whole Foods, shopping carts, and free samples at the olive and cheese bars were far removed from the local markets in Granada, Nicaragua. These experiences have been a great reminder to not take things for granted, and we are very thankful for that.

Once we got settled in our personal day-to-day lives, we were anxious to get to the barrio, Villa Esperanza, where we would be working and to meet our participants. Our first visit to the barrio was sobering. We expected the conditions to be poor, but once we saw that our participants live eight to ten-strong in small lean-to shacks made of wood and plastic, and alongside one of the sweatshops surrounding Granada, our hearts sunk even further. Not only are the two of us interested in education and humanitarian efforts, we remain to be very active environmentalists always working to promote a more sustainable life and growth in our world. We immediately noted the small creek, or rather sewage and chemical drain, which runs directly through our barrio. This river, where the kids love to play, is usually a funky and psychedelic mix of blue and purple with white bubbles running through it. The small bridge that spans the river and connects the two sides of the barrio boasts a small plaque bearing the name of one of the children from the barrio who was sadly killed in a car accident early last-year by a drunk driver. The magnitude of emotion attached to this special spot in the middle of this tiny “Village of Hope,” immediately captured our hearts and reminded us of why we were willing to subject ourselves to a life sans electricity, our beloved air conditioners and the comforts of home.

Our first reactions were to feel saddened for our participants, thoughts of grandiose gifts from the United States, building homes, free clothes, and free food came to mind. We met many of the participants and were captured by their kindness, warmth, smiles, and overall desire to live life. Kelly sometimes wondered if she were dealt these same cards and had to live in the same conditions if she would be able to do it. Through these types of thoughts, we truly began our volunteer experience with Empowerment International. We started to grow and learn how we could best support and empower the families of Villa Esperanza. This vision did not include an endless supply of gifts to the barrio, rather the development of a relationship for which both sides would add to the creation of a sustainable program for change through education.

Over the next six months our Nicaragua team was able to implement and grow many micro-projects that fit within the main mission of the organization. We were able to develop a process where the children and families could start thinking about setting goals for themselves, rather than us setting goals for them. We created focused workbook activities for the participants to complete under the supervision of their parents as well as with the guided help of the EI team. Simply providing a space for parents to work with their children might seem like a small achievement, but in more cases than not, it represents a radical shift in the direction of thinking for these families. It has been immensely rewarding to see how the children and their families have grown to take more responsibility for their own education and future and how they are continually more active within our program.

One of our favorite memories with the families and participants was during our 2007 inscriptions. We hosted this event to welcome all the participants into the program for the upcoming school year. Throughout the weekend, each participant completed small activities and letters that they would send to their sponsors. During this activity, we encouraged the parents to work with their children, helping them to complete their drawings and thank-you letters. What we saw was amazing. Many of the parents and their children were so elated to have this structured time to work and play together. We could see that time like this is very special for most of our families, as the demands of everyday life usually prevents them from spending this type of quality time together. Everyone was smiling and filled with joy. The more time that we spend working with the members of the barrio, the more we learn how we can grow as an organization. For example, we have participants that could not attend school because they need to stay home to take care of their younger brothers and sisters, do the laundry by hand, clean the house, and cook for the rest of the children. This is the typical day for some of our eight to ten year-old girls. We quickly learned that our program needed to grow to encompass talks and discussions with the parents and family members. In some special cases this means helping the family to problem-solve and to look for alternative options in order to keep their children in school. We have worked over the last months to ensure that all of the children in Villa Esperanza have this opportunity.

As our departure date is growing near, and we reflect on our experiences here and with EI, we realize that we have gained a broader perspective on our place in the world. Throughout these six months, we have learned so much from our compañeros here in Nicaragua. Aside from the obvious cultural and language lessons, we have experienced an entirely different way of life. We have watched a culture of people who strongly value things like humility and peace; who choose to pass their time sitting on the front porch in their rocking chairs with their family and friends; who say a simple ‘Adios’ to all that pass-by and choose to laugh and smile in tough situations. Many of these Nicaragüense have experienced more despair and hardship in their lives than many of us will hopefully ever have to endure. Felicidades to the people of Nicaragua, as we will leave here feeling happy to have shared so many experiences not in this poor country of poor people, but this rich country filled with people rich in passion and love for life and for their country. We are and will continue to be inspired by the people of Nicaragua and of Villa Esperanza.

Written by: Kevin Boxer and Kelly Meeks

Article for EI Newsletter - Kevin and Kelly

Wow! We cannot believe that our six-month term with Empowerment International is coming to a close. We arrived here in September just in time to witness the Nicaraguans celebrate their Independence Day. The streets were alive with the sights and sounds of energetic marching bands and beautiful dancers, while the people looked on with a sense of pride and celebration. Against a backdrop of colorful colonial houses and cathedrals, not to mention the giant and looming Volcan Mombacho, we looked forward with anticipation to the adventure in front of us. We quickly learned, however, that living here would not be a walk in the park. The heat was overwhelming at times, and it reminded Kevin of when his grandfather would take him to the steam baths in Glenwood Springs, the only difference being that the people here were wearing clothes. The electricity and water would go out for several hours at a time, almost daily, and it was anyone's guess when the next outage would be. We didn't need to worry about losing our hot water or air conditioning when the power went out, however, because we didn't have these things in the first place. Taking care of simple tasks, like shopping for food and cleaning clothes, also proved to be quite challenging. Nothing builds up your appetite for food like walking through a crowded market and carrying your fresh fruits and vegetables home by foot. The days of Whole Foods, shopping carts, and free samples at the olive and cheese bars were far removed from the local markets in Granada, Nicaragua. These experiences have been a great reminder to not take things for granted, and we are very thankful for that.

Once we got settled in our personal day-to-day lives, we were anxious to get to the barrio, Villa Esperanza, where we would be working and to meet our participants. Our first visit to the barrio was sobering. We expected the conditions to be poor, but once we saw that our participants live eight to ten-strong in small lean-to shacks made of wood and plastic, and alongside one of the sweatshops surrounding Granada, our hearts sunk even further. Not only are the two of us interested in education and humanitarian efforts, we remain to be very active environmentalists always working to promote a more sustainable life and growth in our world. We immediately noted the small creek, or rather sewage and chemical drain, which runs directly through our barrio. This river, where the kids love to play, is usually a funky and psychedelic mix of blue and purple with white bubbles running through it. The small bridge that spans the river and connects the two sides of the barrio boasts a small plaque bearing the name of one of the children from the barrio who was sadly killed in a car accident early last-year by a drunk driver. The magnitude of emotion attached to this special spot in the middle of this tiny “Village of Hope,” immediately captured our hearts and reminded us of why we were willing to subject ourselves to a life sans electricity, our beloved air conditioners and the comforts of home.

Our first reactions were to feel saddened for our participants, thoughts of grandiose gifts from the United States, building homes, free clothes, and free food came to mind. We met many of the participants and were captured by their kindness, warmth, smiles, and overall desire to live life. Kelly sometimes wondered if she were dealt these same cards and had to live in the same conditions if she would be able to do it. Through these types of thoughts, we truly began our volunteer experience with Empowerment International. We started to grow and learn how we could best support and empower the families of Villa Esperanza. This vision did not include an endless supply of gifts to the barrio, rather the development of a relationship for which both sides would add to the creation of a sustainable program for change through education.

Over the next six months our Nicaragua team was able to implement and grow many micro-projects that fit within the main mission of the organization. We were able to develop a process where the children and families could start thinking about setting goals for themselves, rather than us setting goals for them. We created focused workbook activities for the participants to complete under the supervision of their parents as well as with the guided help of the EI team. Simply providing a space for parents to work with their children might seem like a small achievement, but in more cases than not, it represents a radical shift in the direction of thinking for these families. It has been immensely rewarding to see how the children and their families have grown to take more responsibility for their own education and future and how they are continually more active within our program.

One of our favorite memories with the families and participants was during our 2007 inscriptions. We hosted this event to welcome all the participants into the program for the upcoming school year. Throughout the weekend, each participant completed small activities and letters that they would send to their sponsors. During this activity, we encouraged the parents to work with their children, helping them to complete their drawings and thank-you letters. What we saw was amazing. Many of the parents and their children were so elated to have this structured time to work and play together. We could see that time like this is very special for most of our families, as the demands of everyday life usually prevents them from spending this type of quality time together. Everyone was smiling and filled with joy. The more time that we spend working with the members of the barrio, the more we learn how we can grow as an organization. For example, we have participants that could not attend school because they need to stay home to take care of their younger brothers and sisters, do the laundry by hand, clean the house, and cook for the rest of the children. This is the typical day for some of our eight to ten year-old girls. We quickly learned that our program needed to grow to encompass talks and discussions with the parents and family members. In some special cases this means helping the family to problem-solve and to look for alternative options in order to keep their children in school. We have worked over the last months to ensure that all of the children in Villa Esperanza have this opportunity.

As our departure date is growing near, and we reflect on our experiences here and with EI, we realize that we have gained a broader perspective on our place in the world. Throughout these six months, we have learned so much from our compañeros here in Nicaragua. Aside from the obvious cultural and language lessons, we have experienced an entirely different way of life. We have watched a culture of people who strongly value things like humility and peace; who choose to pass their time sitting on the front porch in their rocking chairs with their family and friends; who say a simple ‘Adios’ to all that pass-by and choose to laugh and smile in tough situations. Many of these Nicaragüense have experienced more despair and hardship in their lives than many of us will hopefully ever have to endure. Felicidades to the people of Nicaragua, as we will leave here feeling happy to have shared so many experiences not in this poor country of poor people, but this rich country filled with people rich in passion and love for life and for their country. We are and will continue to be inspired by the people of Nicaragua and of Villa Esperanza.

Written by: Kevin Boxer and Kelly Meeks

Election Update II

WOWZERS!!!

Well he won. Daniel Ortega will be back in office this coming January. It is almost hard to believe that it is even possible for him to come back to Presidency in Nicaragua. I feel like it is crazy that one person, who has already served 10 years as President in this country, is allowed to run again. This is so opposite of our system in the US. Yesterday the newspaper read, ORTEGA GANO! (Ortega Won!) Whoa was all I could think. I don’t know why I am so affected by this, but I feel like it is huge. It feels so strange to me that the people would want to reelect somebody who was President during such a terrible time in their history. Then I remember that the people lived under a 40-year dictatorship, and it starts to make more sense that the people would love Ortega for freeing them from the Somoza era.

Since the above article was written, Montealegre (The candidate for the ALN) officially recognized Ortega's win. There was a live telecast of his speech last night on the Tele. You could hear it perfectly clear if you were standing in the middle of the street as everyone was in his or her house watching the same thing at the same time. The moment that Montealegre conceded, you could hear people cheering from their homes, and there were fireworks being set off in the street. Ortega had officially won. After Montealegre spoke, Ortega took the stand to speak for the first time about his upcoming term. His main points were focused on his plan to alleviate the extreme poverty in Nicaragua, as well as his intentions to keep an open economy so that international business could continue in Nicaragua. He said that he is planning to recognize CAFTA and maintain the level of commerce that has grown since his last term in the 1980's. This statement was huge for the people of Nicaragua, and a sign that Ortega has changed and is not going to return to his old ways. During his last Presidency, there was no commercial business. There were no stores, no clothing, no cosmetics, specialty food stores, nothing. Only a market and of course trades people who would make your shoes, clothes, items for the house, etc. Ortega will need to prove to the people that things can be different for the advancement of Nicaragua.

When I went to buy the Prensa (The only Nicaraguan newspaper) announcing Ortega’s victory, the person in the store asked me why my country was denying that the elections here were valid. To me, this was a more complex question. What I heard was, Why does your country think that we cannot run an election on our own? Why does your country think that we would not vote for Ortega? What kind of pressure is your country going to put on us now? The people here are very concerned about the reaction the US will have with Ortega’s win. The people here are also very aware of how the outside world can place pressure on them and how this can completely turn their lives upside down. This is an awareness that is constantly in the air. People here know how it feels to be oppressed and to be directly affected by the decisions of their President and Government. The entire country is the size of New York State and has the rough population of 5.5 million people. It is different for us. In the States, I feel things don’t change so drastically from one President to the next. I don’t feel like we, as the people, are as directly affected by our government’s decisions. Here, the entire economy can flip, drop out from the bottom, and the people’s lives can change overnight. Once again, Nicaragua is Volatile. Nicaragua is an explosive country. And I am continuously amazed at how the fire continues to burn.

Tonight we had dinner with a Nicaraguan family. I asked them why Ortega would still want to run for President after loosing the last three elections. I wondered what it is that Ortega wants to do so desperately that he thinks other leaders would not be able to accomplish. Their response was simply that this is how dictators think. This surprised me. I thought to myself, Ortega was not a dictator. He was in office legally for two consecutive terms. But, as I said in my last entry, these years were really hard for Nicaragua, and the people have a very fresh and real memory of the economic hardship experienced throughout the 80’s. I have heard many people say that they are scared the US will follow through with placing economic sanctions on Nicaragua. The people are nervous of how this could affect their livelihood as well as the commerce. I have also heard people say that they are nervous the tourist industry will fall, and that tourists and extranjeros are no longer going to want to visit Nicaragua. Today, Kevin and I were in the Market and a couple asked us if we were going to stay in Nicaragua past December. To me this question was indicative of the fear for what might come when Daniel Ortega is in office. On the other hand, 40% of the population voted for him, so there is a percentage of the population that believes he will do good things for the country.

When people ask me what I think, I pretty much always respond with, “What is best for Nicaragua.” It seems to be the easiest way to stay neutral in this currently politically divided country. The New York Times and BBC say that the US is threatening economic sanctions on Nicaragua. We will see if this actually happens. If it does, I would be surprised to see how this decision would also affect the US as they are benefiting very nicely off of the CAFTA agreement, as well as by having peaceful relations with Central America. I don’t know if the United States could handle another enemy in the world today. I will also be interested to hear what the US thinks of the relationship between Chavez (Venezuelan President) and Ortega. I wonder if Ortega will start to feel pressure from the South to act against the US. I wonder if the US will try to develop a new relationship with Ortega in hopes of relieving some of the tension between Chavez and Bush, or the US and Venezuela. I have many questions. Ortega’s platform seems to be centered on good things. We will see what the future and Daniel Ortega will bring for Nicaragua.

So, how is all of this affecting our work in Nicaragua? Well, so far we do not feel that this election should affect our work or our mission for being here. The only thing that could happen is that we would need to leave the country at some point. There is no sign that we would need to leave. So, for now we will continue to do the work we came here to do.

Election Update!

The director of my program sent the following article to me. It does a nice job explaining the people's position on Ortega's win, as well as recapping the hardships associated with his last terms in office. Please read it if you have a chance. It is a great write about the current political situation.

By Letta Tayler
Newsday Latin America Correspondent

November 6, 2006, 1:46 PM EST

Managua, Nicaragua -- In a stunning comeback, former Marxist revolutionary Daniel Ortega appeared headed to irreversible victory in Nicaragua's presidential elections despite heated U.S. efforts to thwart his win.

Fireworks punctuated the sky and thousands of supporters whizzed through Managua's streets in pickup trucks and motorcycles shouting "Love live El Comandante!" after results were announced after midnight.

Fans waved a sea of Sandista flags _ some in the traditional red-and-black stripes of Ortega's 1979 revolution that toppled the corrupt Somoza dynasty, others in pink, the campaign color he adopted to show he'd softened his Cold War ideology.

"It is God's miracle. Our savior has returned," said Fernanda Lopez, 76, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Loudspeakers in Sandinista neighborhoods blasted Ortega's campaign song, a Spanish-language version of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance."

With 40 percent of votes counted, the balding, mustachioed leftist, whose regime battled U.S.-backed troops in the 1980s, captured 40.1 percent of the vote in the five-way race. That was well over the 35 percent, with a 5-percent lead over his closest runner-up, that he needed to win on the first round.

Though Bush administration officials had warned they might yank millions of dollars in vital aid if Ortega won, U.S.-backed candidate Eduardo Montealegre, a conservative, Harvard-educated banker, only garnered 32.7 percent of ballots.

It was Ortega's third consecutive reelection attempt since he was voted out of the presidency in 1990.

Montealgre said he would not concede defeat until the Supreme Electoral Council issued a formal tally. "This is a battle to transform Nicaragua and it's not over until the last vote is counted," he said yesterday morning.

And a U.S. Embassy statement said it was too soon to "make an overall judgment on the fairness and transparency of the process." But initial reports from international observers including the Carter Institute of former President Jimmy Carter and the Organization of American states pronounced the vote largely clean. Two quick counts from respected Nicaraguan groups also upheld Ortega's victory.

The vote "was peaceful, massive, orderly and conducted according to the law," said Gustavo Fernando, the OAS chief of mission.

During his first presidency, Ortega became a symbol of U.S. fears that a communist wildfire could sweep the Americas in the 1980s. Then-President Ronald Reagan declared that Nicaragua could become "a launching pad for revolutions ... just two days' driving time from Harlingen, Texas," and began funding rightist Contras battling Ortega's Sandinistas in a war that left 30,000 dead. Secret U.S. funding of the Contras through illegal arms sales to Iran blew into the Iran-Contra scandal.

As the seventh leftist leader to win office in recent years in a Latin America increasingly at odd with U.S. dictates, Ortega's victory represents both a symbolic and a strategic blow to President George W. Bush.

Many political analysts called it a self-inflicted wound, saying United States made the Cold War dinosaur who will lead this desperately poor, banana-exporting, New York-sized nation of 5.5 million into a far more important figure that he is.

Ortega, 60, has softened over the years, publicly preaching God and peace instead of Marx and God, and saying he wants free trade with the United States. But U.S. officials fear he will increase his friendship with Cuba's Fidel Castro and Venezuela's leftist leader Hugo Chavez, who is trying to use his nation's oil wealth to expand an anti-U.S. coalition around the world.

Chavez is widely believed to have financed Ortega's campaign and also has launched several programs for impoverished Nicaraguans in recent months. The OAS and the Carter Center chastised both Venezuela and the United States for election meddling.

Political analysts described Ortega's victory as a needed feather in the cap of Chavez, whose regional influence appears to have leveled or ebbed since he called Bush "the devil" on the floor of the United Nations in September.

But most Nicaragua experts believed that by forging close ties with Ortega, the United States could ensure he steers a moderate course.

Ortega, who remained one of the country's most powerful politicians after leaving office, has actually lost support over the years, particularly after striking a power-sharing pact in 1999 with former conservative President Arnoldo Aleman, currently under house arrest for embezzling millions of dollars from the government.

He won through the new law he engineered with Aleman that lowered the percentage of votes he needed to win on the first round from 45 percent to 35 percent, combined with a rightwing that was divided for the first time between two candidates. In addition, with Nicaraguans able to vote at 16, he gained backing from a new generation of voters frustrated with the country's lack of jobs and prospects who were too young to remember the hardships of his first presidency.

Those who did remember the food lines, mandatory draft and crackdowns on political foes were reeling from Ortega's win.

"Ortega is now preaching love and love is super important," said Thelma de Quadra, a housewife in pearls and linens in affluent Las Colinas, a neighborhood of manicured lawns and elegant homes cloistered behind high walls. "But after all that hate, it's too late."

The race featured colorful _ and, to some, chilling _ appearances from many past players in Nicaragua's civil war. Oliver North, the former White House aide who orchestrated the Iran-Contra scandal, came down to Nicaragua to cavort with old Contra pals and compare Ortega to Hitler.

Former President Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was marred by his acceptance of the Sandinistas during his final weeks in office, was here to help monitor the vote. "It's like old times," a thinner, grayer Carter said wryly as he shook hands with a portlier, balding Ortega.

Also featured were presidential candidate Eden Pastora, the famed "Commander Zero" who switched from Sandinista to Contra in the 1980s, and protest singer Carlos Mejia Godoy, a vice-presidential candidate for a breakaway Sandinista party, who penned the original Sandinista anthem that goes, "Let's fight the Yankee/enemy of humanity."

Copyright (c) 2006, Newsday, Inc.

--------------------

This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wonica1107,0,6338839.story?coll=ny-leadworldnews-headlines

Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com.


--

No Favorites, but how sweet is this family?

Hey Mom, the tall one in the middle is the girl that wanted me to come teach in her school. They are adorable and always have the best smiles! The older sister is learning to speak English and she and her younger sister both have an incredible desire to learn. They attend a school not far from their house, but from the looks of the school they have no supplies, 40 - 50 students per class, and they are understaffed. This will help you to understand why she thought I could help teach at her school. She simply understands that there are not enough teachers. Other people say it is the government that is keeping money from the school systems, and therefore there will never be enough teachers until the government is not corrupt. Whichever it is, the schools here are barren.

Elections in Nicaragua!

Wow! What a crazy time to be in this country. Sunday is the presidential election. There are five candidates, but it seems now that there are only two who are really in the race. The first is Daniel Ortega, yes that is right. Daniel Ortega. The Daniel Ortega who was the President of Nicaragua and the leader of the Sandinistas throughout the 1980’s. For those of you who are around my age, we were only babies when the Contra War began, but the fear of Communism spreading throughout the western world and the reality of a people’s revolution in Nicaragua, was too much for the North to handle. This lead to a decade of war between the United States funded Contras (Guerrillas) and the leaders of the Nicaraguan Revolution the Sandinistas.

The other candidate that is in close running in the 2006 election is Eduardo Montealegre Rivas. Montealegre represents the liberal party or the ALN (Alianza Liberal Nacional.) Montealegre is a wealthy Nicaraguan banker. This causes suspicion for many Nicaraguans who are all too used to their tax money corruptly ending up in the hands of their leaders. So, for some, I think this election, like many, has turned into a decision between the lesser of two evils.

The more that I talk to the people the more I understand both sides. Although, it seems that the majority of the people that I come in contact with are supporters of the ALN. I think this is only because, as a tourist, I am naturally surrounded by more of an upper class. The people that I work with or who live in my neighborhood for example are all supporters of a change for Nicaragua and would like to see Montealegre in office. They think that Ortega back in office would be a step backwards for Nicaragua. They are scared as he represents a decade of hard times in Nicaragua.

The Sandinistas are more supported by a lower class population that do not have access to good jobs, they do not own their own houses, and they place hope in the Sandinistas to provide them with more opportunity. This is more of a communist mentality and one that was proven to work for some poor farmers throughout the 80’s when the Sandinistas forcibly took control of people’s land (non-supporters, rich land owners, foreigners) and redistributed it amongst the poor people.

Some people say if the Sandinistas win and Daniel Ortega is once again El Presidente, they will leave the country and move to Cuba (who has a close relation to Nicaragua), or to the United States to work, as they will only be forcibly taken from their homes and sent to the mountains to fight another war. This is how real and recent the memories of living under a dictatorship and war torn country actually are.

It is unbelievable the things that people will tell you here. Everyone is interested in talking politics and sharing their opinions, and on the other hand nobody really wants anyone to know their true opinions because they are scared of conflict. Por Supuesto! Of Course the people are going to think this way. Especially when you consider that the people lived for 40 years under the Somoza dictatorship and then lived through a nasty Revolutionary war followed up by 11 years of a Contra War that was funded by the US. I have spoken with people about what it was like to live during these times. People had ration cards that they would present to get one loaf of bread, one pound of rice, or one pound of beans during these years. The people would bath in the lake because there was no water or electricity. Most people in the city were woman and children because it was demanded that the men and teenage boys, as young as twelve, enter the service. Or as the Nicas say, fueron por las montanas (Went to the mountains to fight.) I have met people who have lost a brother or father from shootings on the roadside. It is a regular fear or paranoia common for most Nicas to travel at night. When the lights go out, most people do not leave their house. There is a general sense that everyone here works to avoid any conflict possible. There is also another side that seems to be fearless and revolutionary. The people seem strong and absolute in their decisions to live. They are ready to stand up and fight for a freer life. They are tired of being oppressed by corruption. They are tired of being held under the thumb of a corrupt leader or a world bully.

Okay, so back to the elections. They are on Sunday. The process is similar to the US, people vote in a precinct and usually at a church, school, or community center. The difference is that people actually handwrite their vote on a piece of paper and put it in a cardboard box! The votes are counted and the results will hopefully be out by Monday. I have also heard crazy stories about stuffing votes and the corruption that surrounds the counting process, so this will be interesting to watch as well.

Kevin’s birthday is the day of the election! We were going to travel but decided to stay here to see the whole thing go down. Plus it was recommended to us that traveling during this time might not be the best idea. Anyhow, we are going to pass the election with Anielka’s family watching the tele and waiting for the news. Who will be the next president of Nicaragua? We will keep you posted.

Adios from Nicaragua!

OK - Just for clarification, which was triggered by my brother Tyler who is currently living and studying in Derby England, Adios is used as a general greeting for hello and a good-bye in Nicaragua. It is similar to Ciao, Shalom, Salaam, or Aloha. So, contrary to being dark or foreboding, I am sending a warm-hearted Nicaraguan Adios!

Cheers All!
K

My work in Granada

Hey Friends and Family! Many of you have been asking where those Blog entries are. Well, I have finally started to take many of my daily reflection notes, and put them together to share my thoughts, ideas, realizations, day-to-day activities, and so forth. I have taken tons of photos of Nicaragua, our house, our office, and different culture events we have attended. Unfortunately, for two reasons, I have not posted pictures yet, but am working on it. One, as most of you already know, we have electricity some days, and some days we do not. Secondly, we have Internet only when we have electricity and when we do, we have a very slow connection. To upload pictures usually takes a faster connection. Luckily, we have a resident computer geek, many of you know him as Kevin, and he is rapidly working on the situation. I can tell you for starters that this first month has been an amazing roller coaster of ups and downs. Learning and adjusting to life in Nicaragua has been a big and wonderful task. Most of you have supported Kevin and I throughout our lives, before coming to Nicaragua and now especially, we have received so much support from all of our family and friends. Thank you for this, as your support is necessary to our success while here.

Now for the details, there are so many thoughts I’d like to share. Many of you have asked, what is your daily routine like, and what do you do for your job? And so I thought I would write this first entry describing the foundation as well as explaining my tasks for my time in Nicaragua. Actually, a lot of this is still being worked out as we are working for a Non-Profit waiting for its’ NGO status, here in Nicaragua. This is very similar to the Non Profit World, which many of you are familiar with in the US. We are organizing, fundraising, networking, multi-tasking, and continuously reconnecting with what we are passionate about.

Kevin and I only got here one month ago in September, and have spent the last month working to get settled in our new house, as well as to finish our training at our new jobs. We work for a foundation called Empowerment International that essentially takes kids off the streets and puts them into school. These are children that otherwise would not be able to afford to pay the monthly and yearly fees associated with school in Nicaragua. The goal of our project is to make the program work for the community, in turn becoming a sustainable and adopted part of their lives. The ultimate goal is to help "empower" the community through education. We would like to encourage the participants to continue with their educations, and place personal value on how education can change their lives.

Most of our participants (approximately 180) live in lean-to shacks outside the Zona Franca (or Free Trade Zone) outside of Granada. The Free Trade Zone is a sweatshop protected under the Central American Free Trade Agreement.... Sound familiar? NAFTA, The North American Free Trade Agreement, has allowed for deplorable work conditions and cheap labor so that "all countries" in the Americas can benefit from a tax free trade relationship. Anyhow, many of our participant’s mothers work in the Zona Franca making clothes for approximately 37 cents/day. Throughout the day, the Zona Franca lets out their raw sewage and wastewater (Chemical waste as well) into the small creek that runs directly through our barrio, which is lovingly called La Villa Esperanza (The village of hope). Usually there is waste water flowing directly through the middle of the barrio, as well as, their creek/river is sometimes blue, sometimes purple, sometimes white, and sometimes it is filled with suds like a giant bathtub. Usually the kids like to play around this water, as it is the only wet and cooler spot in the barrio. And, come on, it is fun to play in multi-colored water with big bubbles in it!

This year, our program will adopt 50 more participants into the program. We work with various schools. Each participant decides where they are going to school, and our foundation pays for their uniforms, their school supplies, and their monthly exam fees. We also provide free medical care to all participants, as long as they are currently enrolled in the program. Finally, we also have a computer education program outside of the barrio where a certain number of recommended participants, or their mothers, (females only) can learn to use Word, MS Dos, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. This program provides the participants with a certificate of achievement that in turn makes it easier for them to find work.

With all this said, my primary job while I am here is three-fold. One, I am starting to head off the Sponsor a Child Program. We will have between 200 - 230 participants starting school in January of 2007. It will be my job to match each of our participants with a Sponsor, work with that child on writing thank you letters and drawing pictures for their sponsor, interviewing each of them and taking their pictures to create individual biographies that will then be sent to their sponsors. The Sponsor a Child Program is great because for $100 per year, all of the child’s expenses are paid for and they get free medical care to boot. This is the biggest way that we can financially afford to help put these children in school.

I was also asked to work on designing a program that will be implemented into the barrio as an internal support system for the students and families. Maybe it will become a pseudo community center or peer/mentor program, where students can go when they need help with work, or need to problem solve a situation in their lives. Our goal is to try and help lay the framework or foundation for this program, but really to try and empower the community to develop this program on their own, so that they are not dependent on us to be there to support them. We would like it to be a community development project that is designed for and by the community. We are being sensitive to the fact that we can put children in school, but many of them might not be experiencing success in school. This could ultimately affect their personal success and the success of the program.

Finally, I will be spending my other time meeting with families, stopping by their homes to play with the kids or to check their school work, visiting schools to check attendance records, grades, and progress reports, and doing administrative work in the office.

Wowzers! I think I have things I should be doing right now.

Anyhow, this is a general description of a very multi-task position. I am also hoping to start teaching a few English classes per week. I do not know if this will be with my program and in the barrio or if I will teach at an International Language Center. This could also be a good way for me to pick up some extra money ($5/hour) for my expenses while down here.

As I said before, Kevin and I are still very new to everything. We started work on September 25th and are still in the final stages of our training. I am finally working on a few projects independently, but am really looking forward to putting ideas into action.

So far, working in the barrio with the kids is awesome. I love this time. It is easy to loose track of how long you have been gone (It is a 2.5 mile walk from the house), and usually you want to spend all of your days playing, drawing, practicing letters, numbers, shapes, patterns, etc. with the kids. It is also hot and uncomfortable in the barrio and when I get back to the office, I am ready for my second shower of the day. It has also been wonderful to visit each of the schools. When we go to the schools, we are introduced to the directors, we take tours of the classrooms and facilities, and all of our participants usually run out of the classroom to hug us and to say hello. They are so excited to see us in their schools.

Apart from my work, I have also had many realizations about life here in Nicaragua and life in a 3rd world country. At first, I felt so sad about how the Nicaraguenses live. I felt that the conditions were so poor and uncomfortable; it made me sad to think about. But I also realize how rich this country is. It is rich with natural resources, rich with culture, energy and strong people. It is rich with passion for life, and an unbeatable desire to live life. I am inspired by many of the people I meet. I have also started to think about what my role is while I am outside of the United States. There is a lot of discrimination here for gringos. Some of it is intentional, and some of it is driven out of ignorance. The US and Nicaragua have a tumultuous relationship. My favorite new topic to discuss with Nicas is the political agenda of all the Presidential Candidates. The election is in two weeks. I also have been enjoying considering an analogy that was brought to me through a book I was reading called the Jaguar Smile, written by Salmon Rushdie. (If anyone is interested in a great read on Nicaragua, its history, and culture, pick this one up.) But this analogy likens Nicaragua to a Volcano. I want to share my thoughts on this, and will write it in my second entry. A few of you have already heard bits and pieces, but I think it is a fabulous symbol for this country of heat, passion, fire, water, wind, temperament, and for a country that is overwhelmingly volatile and explosive.

I am looking forward to sharing more thoughts later, and I am sorry it has taken so long to get my first entries posted.

Love and miss you all. Thank you so much for your daily support through letters, emails, thoughts, and prayers.

Kelly