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Published: January 11th 2007
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 country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, saw the Sandinistas defeated, but voting in 2006 announced the return of former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt. The country is slightly smaller than the state of New York. It's the largest country in Central America and contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua.
One of Western Hemisphere's poorest countries, has low per capita income, widespread underemployment, and a heavy external debt burden. Distribution of income is one of the most unequal on the globe. While the country has progressed toward macroeconomic stability in the past few years, GDP annual growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs, forcing the country to rely on international economic assistance to meet fiscal and debt financing obligations.
PROJECT CHACOCENTE BACKGROUND--Began in January 2003, in response to the pleas of a high-school-aged youth delegation called the Mission of Peace. After visiting the vast, smoky wasteland of the Managua dump, the kids kept saying, 'We have to do something,' and finally convinced Cheryl Avery to take on this project. It is an integrated, multi-faceted program that incorporates housing, farming, job skills, education, social skills, parenting, problem-solving, small business and values awareness into a single effort to transform the lives of the poorest of the poor. They move families from the city dump of Managua to the clean air and fertile soil of rural Masaya, where the people learn skills for living independently. The families sign a contract promising to "work" within the community for five years, at which time they will receive the house they build and about two acres of land. They are required to learn to read and write, to build, to farm, to solve problems, to govern themselves, to be more knowledgeable parents, and to start a small business. The goal is to reintroduce the families into a society in which they have not participated in many years, and to teach them the skills they need to be self-sufficient.
MY GOALS FOR THIS TRIP--I hesitate to call them goals, as I know they will change once I get there. But here is my are the goals from which to choose from:
1--Live in the moment. I am very fortunate to be able to do this. Allow myself to "let go and let God."
2--Comprehend native Spanish. I would expect much of what I will hear will be a unique dialect. I believe one goal of an "advanced" language speaker is to be able to understand what someone is saying without trying to translate it in the moment. Wish me luck!
3--Practice, and be aware of my leadership coaching skills and tools with the Director Cheryl and her staff.
4--Develop relationships with the people in and outside the project. Practice life coaching skills with them.
5--Develop relationships with the adults of the project by sharing our stories and cultures, and as a result I learn more Spanish vocabulary and they learn how to read and write Spanish. Hopefully they will have written stories they can share with their children.
6--Interact with the children. Talk to them about God and what ever else comes up! Dance, sing, and do arts and crafts. Link them up with pen pals with the kids at Holy Name Parish in Houston.
7--Enjoy the beauty of the country, take pictures, paint. Learn about the culture of the country.
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Donna
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Hasta luego
What a brave person you are! Good luck. They are lucky to have you give so generously of yourself. We will miss you and thank you for setting up this blog so we may experience your travels vicariously. Letting Go and Letting God is the only way!