NICARAGUA

Iré a Nicaragua por tres semanas en enero. (I'm going to Nicaragua for three weeks in January) ... ... ... Before the judgement giraffes come out, let me give y'all a run down as to what I'll exactly be doing and how this decision was made. HOW Last week I was working the study abroad fair to help promote the National Student Exchange, the program which took me to Alaska. One of my (many) Spanish professors came up to me to ask if I was going to sign up to go to Nicaragua. I blinked a few times and awkwardly laughed (the idea was absurd -- I just got back!). I then proceeded to tell her that though I considered it countless times, it just didn't make sense: I'm not in a financially stable place in life to just continue adventuring, I don't need the class, I graduate, and well, the application had closed. She in turn gave me the stare that seemed to never end. You know, the one your parents would give you when they would want you to leak explicit information about something. Yeah. I hated it. I let her continue encouraging me. Before I knew it, I was sending one email after the next. They extended the application for me, I can still graduate in December, and blah blah blah. The result: This girl is going to Nicaragua January 2 - January 22 2K16. WHY Two of UWEC's professors will be leading the trip as it is a faculty-led immersion program. We'll spend the majority of our time in Matagalpa working with the women within the community. I'll also be living with a host-family during that three weeks. The course component of this trip will focus on the feminist movement (primarily in Nicaragua) and the role the Nicaraguan women play in its society. El Chile, an indigenous weaving community, will be visited as will Mulukuku, a refugee community during the early years of war with the contra. We will also be going to El Porvenir, a community near Matagalpa, to visit a women's cooperative that receives micro-loans to grow flowers. In addition to hearing the stories of these incredible women, time will be spent visiting the public school, the public health center, and various panels regarding women who participated in the revolutionary struggle in the 1980's. The thing that breaks my heart, though, is the fact that we will be visiting La Chureca Project in Managua (Nicaragua's capital). This a location in which families reside at Managua's garbage dump. A GARBAGE DUMP. Approximately 1,000 individuals can be found living here. 50% of those individuals are children under the age of 18. There will also be time available to explore other aspects of Nicaragua's geography. Such as the Masaya Volcano and the Malecon (one of the most polluted bodies of water in Central America). MY THOUGHTS To say that I'm looking forward to this trip, to some extent, feels wrong. I have no doubt that I will be faced with brokenness that will shatter my heart. My professor asked me to reflect on how I may handle the poverty (and mosquitoes). I then began to reflect on my time in Bolivia way back when. Yes, there was so much brokenness, but the Bolivians were still able to find much joy in their lives and something worth living for. With that said, I think that I will find the Nicaraguan culture to be similar in that sense. For me personally, I am eager to expand my knowledge of the Latin American culture. The thought of having the opportunity to continue my growth in the Spanish language gives me butterflies. I also know that new relationships will be developed with my cohort, host family, and the various communities we will be working with throughout the three weeks. During these months of prep and planning, I ask for your prayers in that things will work out smoothly in regards to finances, transportation, etc. I know that this is incredibly spontaneous but it feels right. Oddly enough, things have been working out. My heart is being called to this incredible place. I'll keep everyone updated with things and you can of course expect various blog posts about the trip once the date actually arrives. If anyone has questions about this crazy adventure, just let me know and I'll gladly answer them! - A

#Exchange #CentralAmerica