Author: sanjida.1

Until next time Nicaragua

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Ishrat

It has been a week since I returned to the States. Last two days in Nicaragua was a bit hard. I couldn’t grasp that we had 48 hours remaining in the country and the wonderful group of people I was surrounded by. Within just two weeks, 11 strangers became close friends, sharing in personal stories and laughter. The group truly made the entire trip more memorable.

 

Studying abroad enhanced my educational experience to levels unimagined. Instead of sitting through lecture inside a classroom, each day I was given the opportunity to visit a new environment and learn about a different issue. I have been exposed to so much of Nicaragua in such a short time and I am so thankful for this opportunity.

UNAN!!

UNAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ashley

More than a week has passed since our return to the States. It feels as though so much more time and like no time at all since we were in Nicaragua. I miss it, and being back in the U.S. is jarring. I miss it all- the country, the culture, the organizations we met with, and the revolutionaries who allowed 11 Americans whose government has reaked havoc on their own into their homes, stories, places of work, life, and hearts. They are brave people who allow a group of strangers from one of the most powerful countries in the world into their own- the second most impoverished country in Latin America. The people who have given so much to me made themselves vulnerable to so much in order to share their lives. There are those who shared their houses, rooms and made sacrifices so we could have dinner, those who spent their time and voices, and those who spent their time driving a group of students whose opportunities, lives, and reflections are different than there own. We were welcomed and loved. I’m not so sure that many here in the U.S. would greet them the same way.

As I write, I am sitting on my couch in my air-conditioned apartment drinking hot chocolate from a mug I bought in Nicaragua. I can taste and feel the privilege I have and it does not taste sweet or feel so comfortable as one might think. To be honest, it would probably be easier to wash over in my memory many of my experiences in the country. But being back here makes me uncomfortable, and it should. I grieve for those who suffer because of lack of access, opportunity, and adequacy. I am made better, wisened, and strengthened by these experiences. My learning does not make their struggle worth it. They do not exist for me to gain. So many times those of us from the U.S. travel to less developed countries with this savior complex and think we have the solutions to all their “problems.” Other times, our experiences unsettle us once we return to our soft lives and we decide to wrap the memory up neatly and put it aside. But these are the lives of people, and they cannot be made into an easy phrase about how out of everything bad comes something good. Sometimes, we must simply sit with the weight that some have been given much and some have been given very little. And always, we must make a choice to determine whether or not we will do something about this inequality and its innate injustices.

Reconciling my experiences in the U.S. and in Nicaragua has been difficult. Once we arrived back in the U.S., I had a day to adjust and then I began work again, an additional job I did not have prior to leaving for our trip, and an internship. One day to separate my beautiful, heart wrenching, enlightening, challenging time in Nicaragua and then it was back to the “real world.” I find myself thinking of the trip and our experiences often. I find myself thinking of the different world that Nicaragua feels like in comparison to the U.S., the poverty that both have in different and similar ways, the people we have spoke with and listened to, and the ways I have learned and been impacted deeply. I think of all the people I have intimate experiences with through the sharing of stories and experiences and I am at a loss for the gravity and weight of what has been shared. I have been shaken by this trip and forever changed.

Group photo at CGE, which we visited several times.

Group photo at CGE, which we visited several times.

Casa Materna

Casa Materna

Shops in Granada!

Shops in Granada!

Second Week in Nicaragua

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Ashley:

We’re reaching these close of an incredible trip. No day was the same and the days were never predictable, no matter what the itinerary said. Each day has held something new- new organizations, new understandings, new perspectives, and new sights. It has been difficult for me to write for most of the trip. At the end of every day I have been thoroughly exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. This kind of exhaustion can be cleansing, but has often left me feeling overwhelmed and with no words to accurately describe my experiences. Our first night of our homestay (day three of our trip), I asked Ishrat how we would take our experiences back with us when we left the country because it is my perspective that if we only come to the country for the excitement of telling others about all the places we’ve been, the impact of all the lessons learned have been lost. We reflected on why we wanted to initially come on the trip, what were hoping to gain from it, and finally, how we wanted make an impact from our experiences. Much of our discussion centered on understanding people and their experiences better, growing as individuals, and making connections that could not be made in the same way is classroom. This conversation has helped me to stay centered on the trip and my intention is for it to carry over after we arrive back in the States as well. We have met and listened to so many resilient, strong, and hopeful people.

 

Things I am reflecting on:

Political corruption

Distribution of power, access to power

Growing inequality

“And I continue to struggle.” -Julio Cesar Mena, works with HIV and AIDS THEOUGH THE ANICP and SIDA organization, HIV+

“My name ‘Juanita’ is just a name. I face discrimination not just because I am a woman or just because I am a transwoman. I face it for both, because of what I (my body) represents to people- neither man or woman.” -Juanita Urbina, member or La Corriente, a feminist LGBTQ organization, transgender woman

“And I continue to struggle.” -Community organizer, affected by renal disease, faced the death of family members and thousands of coworkers

Culture of health and prevention rather than reaction

Sustainability- of programs, of agriculture, wholistic sustainability

Solidarity, Revolution

Invisibility of poverty

Inter-country development, communication

Personal combination of social work, public health, social justice, and human rights into all that I do

 

Ishrat:

During our study abroad, we  visited several organizations throughout Nicaragua that exposed us to the reality of this country. Nicaragua is beautiful for its culture and people, but the country continues to face social, economic and political issues that needs to be looked at more carefully.

One of the social issues in Nicaragua is discrimination against transgenders. On May 16th, we visited Juanita Rubina. Juanita, once Juan, is a transgender woman who went through a transformation from a man to a woman. She spoke to us about her struggles in the Nicaraguan society and how people mistreat and look down upon not only the transgender community but also the LGBTQ community. She came out at the age of 11 and has been facing discrimination to this day. From Juanita, I gained a new perspective of what discrimination feels like. She could neither fall in the category of a male or a female in the society because of the way she looked. And she faced even more discrimination in the appearance of a women, as usually many Nicaraguan women are overpowered by men. It is unfortunate that I have to say this; I believe things will change but it will take time. People have to understand that each one of us is different but we are all humans. We have to learn to give the same respect to others that we want to receive.

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On May 20th, we visited Cafe De Las Sonrisas and I left the place with a little more inspiration. Antonio, the founder of the organization was the one speaking to us at this meeting. Antonio is from Spain and came to Nicaragua as a tourist. He fell in love with the country  and has been in Nicaragua since then. He said “I fell in love with this country and got my heart broken.” He loves the people and culture of Nicaragua but is heartbroken by the fact that there are a lot of issues in the society.

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His restaurant/organization, Cafe De Las Sonrisas grew out of the idea of creating jobs for young people with disabilities to learn how to work in a restaurant and also learn skills such as hammock making. I was inspired by his ideas and how well he followed through them. He mentioned many times “Be a North American, do without thinking, and do it right away.” As bad as it sounds, I think being impulsive can sometimes turn out to be good if it is something you are passionate about and you follow through it successfully. Because he wanted to create jobs for people with disabilities and give them the dignity they deserve, he followed through his plan right away and that is why he is where he is right now.

He believes that people with disabilities are capable of so much more than what society gives them credit for. I found similarity with Antonio in the outlook that all humans are equal and that no one should be treated any more or less than others. People with disabilities are capable of doing and achieving whatever they want but it is up to all of us to give them that chance. It is our responsibility to allow them to be humans, make mistakes and grow from it rather than treating them like people who are incapable.

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I am not saying all of this just from hearing Antonio speak to us. I was able to see first hand of their hard work on making the hammocks. They are truly people just like us with brilliance, intelligence and capability. One of the very last touching moment I had on this trip was a small activity one of the waiters had us do. He gave us ear plugs to put in our ears as we ate our dessert. I had not been in pure silence for a while, so the earplugs were certainly calming and peaceful. But a few seconds later, I experienced the sad reality for those who are unable to hear, those who are deaf. It was definitely a bit of an emotional moment for me as I thought to myself how can they stay in this silence for their entire life if I can not even handle it for a few minutes. This activity definitely impacted me in that I will never look at another deaf person the same way. I will be not only more understanding but also know that despite their disability, they are people capable of anything!

Cafe of SMILES :)

Cafe of SMILES 🙂

 

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next blog!

First Week in Nicaragua

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Hello! My name is Ishrat and I am a junior at The Ohio State University majoring in International Studies with a minor in Human Rights. My roommate, as well as my partner for this blog is Ashley Short. Ashley will be a third year senior this Autumn, majoring in Social Work with a minor in City and Regional Planning. We are on our study abroad trip in Nicaragua, sponsored by the College of Social Work at OSU. Our program’s focus is social issues and human rights in Nicaragua. We are visiting several organizations in three different cities in Nicaragua to learn about the social issues and human rights issues that is taking place in this country. In this blog, we will be sharing our experiences and what we are learning from this trip. So let’s begin!

Ishrat:

We were faced with a blast of heat the moment we stepped out of the airplane and that is where our two week journey in Nicaragua began. After recovering our luggage, we met our tour guide, Cesar. Our van arrived in fifteen minutes and we were soon on the way to our hostel in Managua. Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua. If you ever visit Managua, you will learn that this city is noticeable for its colorful steel tree displays that span across a good amount of the capital.

A wonderful incorporation in our study abroad itinerary are the home stays. I have been looking forward to the home stays since the day I learned that we would have this opportunity. During our first day in Managua, we visited Mark Lester at CGE(Center for Global Education) to learn about the political and and economic situation of Nicaragua. Over just about one and a half hour,we were better informed on Nicaraguan history and how the country has gotten to where it is currently. In the afternoon, we had chicken, rice, Pinto beans, stir fried vegetables, and fruits for lunch at CGE. I have to say that I was a little surprised to see that this center had chefs and a kitchen to cook for groups that visited, when I thought it was only used for office or classroom space.

After a day in Managua, we packed for our home stay in Leon. Suggested items to bring were mosquito repellent and a mosquito net since we were staying in a rural area. Our drive to Leon took approximately two hours. Once we got to Leon, we were greeted by friendly staff at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua or UNAN. UNAN is a state funded public university in Nicaragua. It’s second campus is located in Leon and that is where we were introduced to our host mother Gloria, for the three days we were staying there.

To give you an idea, Gloria was a petite woman probably in her fifties. My first impression of Gloria was someone who was very calm and friendly; I learned that she was exactly as I thought she was during the three days we stayed at her home. She was kind, friendly, and very hospitable.

From our home stay, I learned to never be afraid of language barriers. Although Ashley and I were not fluent in Spanish, it was nice to know that we were able to create meaningful conversations with Gloria, even with our limited knowledge of the language. We talked about everything from our families, to what was happening on a television show, to what we wanted to eat for lunch. However, I do not want to completely ignore the fact that I had previously taken six years of Spanish, so this home stay as well as my entire visit to Nicaragua has really been helping me regain some of the conjugation as well as vocabulary that I had learned previously. Anyway, to put it altogether, do not be afraid to start a conversation with someone who speaks a different language than you. Your facial expressions, hand movements and knowledge of just even a few words of the language can help you start a conversation to learn something new or meet someone new.

The infrastructures in the neighborhood were pretty similar to the ones in Managua, and really the entire country. Most were colorful cement houses with roof shingles. I have even seen houses made from tins in some areas. Gloria’s apartment was on the second floor of a building. The outside of her apartment had very open space and there was only one other apartment across on the second floor. Gloria’s house contained very minimal furnishings, which is very understandable considering the fact that she is the only person living there. She does have three children but they are older and on their own. Within fifteen minutes of sitting inside her home, we were introduced to Chocoito, her pet parrot. I found it funny when she told us how talkative he is, at night and even more so in the morning. During one conversation, we learned that Gloria is a seamstress and first learned to sew when she was twelve years of age. She even showed us a beautiful pink Quinceañera dress that she made for a client that week. Overall, it was such a wonderful opportunity to be able to stay with Gloria at her house. She was friendly, welcoming and made me feel comfortable at her home.

Chocoito! Gloria's pet parrot.

Chocoito! Gloria’s pet parrot.

From this home stay, I saw the beauty of simplistic living. It is important that we take the time to find happiness with the people around us and in the things we do rather than objects and materials. I was also able to experience what it is like to live in a Nicaraguan community. Nicaraguans are kind, genuine people living together and looking out for one another in times of need, as we should all do with our own neighbors. This home stay has really been a great experience for me and I will forever be thankful to Gloria and the UNAN, Leon community for giving all of us this wonderful opportunity!

From this home stay, I saw the beauty of simplistic living. It is important that we take the time to find happiness with the people around us and in the things we do rather than objects and materials. I was also able to experience what it is like to live in a Nicaraguan community. Nicaraguans are kind, genuine people living together and looking out for one another in times of need, as we should all do with our own neighbors. This home stay has really been a great experience for me and I will forever be thankful to Gloria and the UNAN, Leon community for giving all of us this wonderful opportunity!

Ashley:

It might be that the times I have traveled before have been glossed over in my memory, but our day of travel to Nicaragua has been one of the hardest days of our entire trip for me. The flights seemed endless, I was sick, and ready to be in Nicaragua and truly begin our study abroad.

Prior to our trip, I had struggled through a difficult semester of classes and a challenging period of mental health struggles. I am quickly approaching my senior year and the prospect of life after graduation is scary to me. I have had life plans for as long as I can remember and I do not yet have concrete plans for after graduation. I wanted to participate in a study abroad because of the experience, learning, and exposure that it could give me that sitting in a classroom in Columbus, Ohio could not. I have been blown away by the group I am traveling with, our instructors, our guide, and every individual and organization who has given their time and resources to help create this experience. This trip has given me the opportunity to travel, learn, and gain immense perspective, and so much more. This trip is helping to mold my future and give direction to the decisions I will make. My experiences have been invaluable and I have been deeply impacted. The learning I have gained from this trip will make me a better social worker, professional, and human being. I am deeply grateful.

I have been to Nicaragua once before and upon arriving, things felt both familiar and very different. I was expecting the arrival to be comfortable to me- simply returning to a place I have had wonderful experiences before. The reality, however, was that my memories and the country before me were different. More accurately, I noticed that I was different than who I was in my previous travel, and this impacted what I saw and how I saw the country.

Typically I am quickly overwhelmed by pain and struggles of others. Though this has been the norm for me, it has taken me about a week to begin feeling overwhelmed on this trip, for many reasons. These reasons include nausea for days, heat exhaustion, intense sunburn, which seemed to numb me emotionally and mentally. One of my goals for the trip has been to stay engaged and actively reflect on all of the experiences we are having. Nonetheless, the week has as gone by quickly, experiences are beginning to run together, and I am realizing we are over halfway through the trip. I am loving Nicaragua and the realization that our time together here in the country will soon be over is saddening. I have loved every single one of the organizations and individuals we have met with. Though there is no way I could pick a favorite, our meeting with a woman named Juanita hit me with particular force. In other meetings I have been deeply moved and impacted by the speakers and their experiences and efforts, but Juanita’s story this a morning moved me to tears. Though all women come from a long lineage of strong women before them (something else I have learned here in Nicaragua), Juanita’s particular experiences as a transgender woman in Nicaragua have re-emphasized for me the human rights issues individuals on the LGBTQ+ spectrum have faced and continue to face all across the world. The violations Juanita faces every day prevent her from having the freedom to be who she is and force her to present herself to the world in an act that has distinct contrast to who she actually is. Her wisdom was profound to me, as she explained the importance of conversations about power, access to power, and inequality. Juanita also explained the power of “humanizing the struggle of others.”

Later in the day, we finally returned to our hotel after a few more meetings with other people and organizations when I read yet another article about the issue some people have with transgender people using public bathrooms. To clarify, the issue I am identifying is some people’s concern over the bathroom use of transgender people, not actual transgender people. I genuinely want to believe most people are uninformed about this issue, and not that they actually desire to oppress already marginalized people. Yet the issue stumps me, because the biggest issue seems to be a fear of being sexually offended in bathrooms, which has nothing to do with one’s gender identity. To clarify, transgender people are people whose gender is different than their sex assigned at birth. Being transgender does not make one a sexual offender any more than being cisgender (being the same gender as the sex identified at birth) does. This means that people’s fear is of sexual offenders, not transgender people, and the issue is resolved. The real issue was faulty logic and the issue is resolved, right?

Or does it really come down to people in positions of power using the false premise and excuse of fear to continue the pattern of oppression and the violation of rights of human beings considered “less-than” for one reason or another?