homestay reflection- Jules and Ariana

It’s incredible to think that we lived in a place we knew nothing about with people who used to be strangers for 3 whole days. When we first arrived, we were apprehensive to say the least. They lived in a house that was entirely too small for the four of them, yet their home seemed to light up with the brightness of their spirits. Despite this, they expressed their economic concerns on a regular basis–constantly apologizing for what they could not afford. They explained that they worked very hard and held prestigious positions in the workplace, but continued to struggle financially. As we continued our stay, we realized that their situation represented that of many other Nicaraguan families. For example, they appeared to be slightly more financially stable than their neighbors even though they struggled. This is indicative of the lack of adequate employment in Leon and the rest of Nicaragua. In other words, these individuals have been well educated for their careers, yet they experience difficulty when looking for reasonable employment options. There is a lack of job opportunities altogether, and those that are available do not seem financially sufficient. For many employees, this leads to an inability to obtain basic needs such adequate living conditions, food, etc. As humans, these individuals are endowed with rights to these living necessities. Thus, the lack of adequate employment leads to a lack in basic human rights for these hard-working individuals. This was evident when our host mother and father expressed their exhaustion at the end of each workday. Although it was difficult to see this lack of human rights first-hand, we still felt very welcome in their home. They went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and feeling as if we were in our own home. We are especially grateful for this experience and all that it taught us about the importance of family in the midst of a lack of human rights.

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