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On Saturday morning, the group had an emotional departure from León and our host families. After a quick lunch and recoup period, we headed out to meet Julio Cesar Mena, the Executive Director of an organization working on HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and human rights in Nicaragua. He first gave us a quick rundown of the climate of HIV/AIDS in Nicaragua and the stigma around the disease in his community. Julio also shared his personal testimony about how he contracted HIV and his struggles with the disease since.

During the Nicaragua revolution in the 1980s, Julio was a 17 year old soldier in the military. He was severely wounded and dying when a friend gave him a blood transfusion to save his life. In the early 1990s, he tried to donate blood at Red Cross when they denied him and sent him home. Later, men came in hazmat suits to his home and carried him out on a stretcher, tied down. Julio mentioned that he vividly remembers all the neighbors coming outside to watch. It was obvious to them that something was wrong. That was the beginning of his constant struggle with the disease and the stigma associated with it.

It was Valentine’s Day. He was sitting alone in a hospital room when he asked a nurse for water. She came back with a disposable cup and the doctor followed her in. When the doctor came in the room, he told Julio to sit across the room and not come near him. That was when the doctor told him he was HIV positive and only had 5 years to live.

He was taking 90 pills a day. 30 at each meal.
He could no longer find a job.
His daughter ended up being infected and dying from liver failure.
She died while he was holding her in his arms.
His wife left him and moved to Miami.
He became an alcoholic and drank for 3 months straight.
He was hospitalized and in a coma for 12 days. He left the hospital weighing 60 lbs.
His family started planning his funeral.
They stored his coffin under his bed and ordered all the food.
The family served him meat for every dinner and spoiled him.
No body had any faith he would survive.

The night before the 5 year mark, he thought he would die in his sleep. The next morning, he was afraid to open his eyes because he was sure he had died. When he heard the roosters crow, he asked himself “Are there roosters in Heaven?” Then he finally realized he was still alive and he had new found hope.

It took him a while to realize how he had even contracted HIV. The common myth is that it is through sexual contact rather than drugs or anything else in Nicaragua. He recalled his family asking him first if he was gay or a sex worker. When he realized it was his friend from the war, he immediately wanted to find and kill him. He found an address for him in León. He went there only to find the man’s mother. She told him he had moved to Honduras for good. When Julio asked her to call him and tell him that he was there and needed to warn him about having HIV, the mother instantly began crying. Her son had died in Honduras from symptoms related to the disease. That was satisfaction enough for Julio.

After that, he began this organization to educate others and prevent the further spread of HIV. Today he is married and has another daughter. He now only takes 16 pills a day and has a better reason to wake up every morning. Through the organization, they have been able to test hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country. They provide education and other resources to communities at greater risk and were even able to prevent the further spread of the disease in a smaller community when one person came forward. He has built incredible relationships through his organization and his life has great purpose. You could tell that what he does now, because of his experiences, has made a huge impact in the uncountable lives of Nicaraguan people.

Take away thoughts form this experience:
1. Take a moment to know to people’s story. We never know what someone has struggled through and it is important to always take that into consideration before judging them.
2. Do your research and know your facts. Even the doctor was nervous about being close to Julio due to misunderstood myths about HIV/AIDS. It’s important to consider their feelings and show love to everyone despite, and especially be share, of their struggles.
3. Don’t fall victim to the stigmas and stereotypes around you. Specifically, do all that you can to counter them and dismantle them in your society.
4. Even through hard times, find a reason to wake up in the morning. Don’t let the world get the best of you. Use your struggles, learn from them, and make the world a better place because of them.
5. Be strong. Never lose hope.

Mucho amor,
Anna Lunsford & Emma Timan

This week, we had the opportunity to leave our hotel in Managua and have an authentic Nicaraguan experience with a host family in Leon. By living in the community of a family, we were able to integrate ourselves into a new culture even if it was only for a brief time. When we arrived in Leon, many of us were nervous because we did not know what to expect and the language barrier would surely be a challenge. Although some people spoke Spanish, others were very limited in their ability to verbally communicate but they were able to adapt throughout the week and they were interested in learning some basic Spanish.

When we arrived at the university we got to hear the perspectives of social workers and social work students and it was fascinating to hear their perceptions of Americans. When asked what they thought in terms of American culture, one student referenced the American Pie movies. They asked us what we thought about Nicaragua thus far and we responded by saying we felt very welcome. Then, we met with our host families and began the awkward first stage of what would become a very meaningful relationship. We were welcomed in their home and they went out of their way from the start to make sure that we were happy and comfortable. Xiomara, our host mom bought us cokes and moved the fans around so that we would stay cool in whatever room we were sitting in. Victor, our host dad spoke with Emma in Spanish for hours and expressed his opinions about Nicaragua. Later, our host brother Ivan and our host sister Alexa came home from school. At first, they were very nervous and hesitant to approach us but by the evening, Ivan was showing us all of his Lightning McQueen toys and Alexa was asking us to teach her some English. We were able to bond quickly with the whole family.

Beyond our immediate host family, we also had neighbors downstairs who we became very close with. Sandra and her granddaughter Brittany became friends of ours and we were eager to play and laugh with them each night on their patio. Brittany was so smart and sassy that she constantly had us all laughing. Ultimately, our time in Leon led us to new experiences whether that was salsa dancing, surfing at the beach, or just falling in love with the Nicarguan people. We are so grateful for all of the hospitality and love that we received from our family this week and we know that our experience in Nicaragua would not have been the same without this new relationship and all of the knowledge we gained from our new friends.

Some things to consider for our return to America and your life there now:

1. Be welcoming and be kind. Our host family was so incredibly hospitable. They went above and beyond to make purified ice for us, always filled our water bottles without us asking, and told us they were honored to have us when we had to say goodbye. They were extremely sweet and did more for us than we ever imagined they would to make us feel comfortable. We think Americans should learn a quick lesson from this and always remember to make others feel as welcomed, loved, and cared for as possible.
2. Be content. The family’s home was small, crowded, and perfect. The living room where we spent most of our time was probably 6 ft by 10 ft and it often had 4-7 people in it. The walls were covered in pictures of the family and the furniture was crammed where ever it would fit. Little Ivan would bring out his toys to play for a while then quietly put them back and grab the next from a bin in his room that he shared with his sister. We learned that space is not as necessary as Americans think and that we have the capacity to be happy with exactly what we have.
3. Focus less on material items and more on people. Seeing the way that our family interacted with each other and their neighbors and even strangers buying juice from their porch really showed us how important building relationships is. In the era of technology, kids are focused on IPads and Instagram, not the cute little girl next door. They aren’t playing “truth or dare” with a dirty water bottle on the patio or drawing sweet pictures of snails larger than houses. We need to realize again how important and fun having close friends can be.
4. You don’t need to speak the same language to laugh with and be accepting of others. Americans are often focused on the idea that everyone who lives or moves to the US needs to speak English and speak it well if they want to stay. Our family and everyone we have met in Nicaragua has been so patient and understanding as we struggle with the language barrier. We will definitely re-enter the US with a new perspective for immigrants and those who don’t speak English as their first language.
5. Even SPF 100 doesn’t work down here.

Thanks for reading!

Mucho amor,
Emma Timan and Anna Lunsford

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.

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.

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.

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!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next blog!