Blogs from Capital Region, Nicaragua, Central America Caribbean - page 25

Tonight was the last night with the big ole group, and it was a little sad. I have enjoyed every moment with this folks so much, they are so energetic and incredible! Our last reflection was also really powerful, and I was so happy and surprised (in some cases, very!) when folks commented that myself and people from EE had made such an impression, had really changed their view, had taught them so much. I think its because I feel like fair trade is so a part of my thinking, that advocating and educating and talking about it feel natural and I dont always realize how other people receive it. To share my reflection thoughts: I am leaving with this enormous sense of pride in the farmers we work with, and the ways that they are ... read more

Today was a super busy, fun tourist day! First we drove to a volcano and got to look into both an active and an inactive volcano. It was very windy and there was a ton of sulfur coming out of the active one. It is actually the largest producer of sulfer in the world and is therefore the largest contributor to acid rain. Afterwards, we went to the volcano museum. It was a little refresher on my geology but I wish I remembered more from the three classes I have taken. Next we went to see Pedro, the potter. He threw a vase right in front of the group and he showed how skilled he was by putting a turtle in the body of the vase and then closing off the top with a very skinny ... read more

Today was a work day, but of course it was filled with a ton more than just working. The mayor of Ciudad Sandino came to speak to us. Then we took the trailer over to the clinic (since the bus wasn't working). For the morning we painted the inside of the clinic again with the latex paint. Then we went back for lunch and in the afternoon, I worked in the clinic at the pharmacy. It was nice to experience what the daily routine of the clinic is and see some of the patients face to face. It was also interesting to see what type of medicines they were needing-- mainly vitamins, stuff for parasites and pills to help with hydration. Some were simply given a toothbrush, toothpaste and soap. I helped write out prescriptions and ... read more

I leave for my trip in 2.5 days. I'm working hard to finish everything on my to-do list, and I probably won't finish it all. To begin this journey, below I have outlined the following: * General information about Nicaragua--location, background and general economics * General information about Project Chacocente (go to outofthedump.org for more information, including how to donate if you choose to do so. * An outline of my goals for my 6 week visit WHERE IS NICARAGUA? It's in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras. Where will I be? Living on the outskirts of Managua in a area called Sabana Grande, with a family who's pastor is friends with the Director Cheryl. COUNTRY BACKGROUND--Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the ... read more

i´m in the lobby of the hotel we just checked into, in Matagalpa. The inaugaration of Daniel Ortega is playing over and over on a loop on the TV---it happened today, starting at 4 pm. Its a huge deal here, mainly because he is old school Sandinista. Everyone we spoke with and everywhere we have gone, people have high hopes for him bringing change, particularly to marginalized communities, farmers especially. Fireworks are going off everywhere and they have had streets closed for days in preparation i just had my first hot shower in a week, and i can´t tell you how happy i was. I even had a dream about it last night, at one point. I had a lot of weird dreams last night though! The last two days, I was up at the ... read more