Hola! From Managua, Nicaragua, Central America
The trip started out with hiccups right away with us having baggage fees that we were not made aware of beforehand which made us all very anxious, however the first two days in Managua were very informative. On Sunday, we spent most of the day flying from Ohio to Managua while stopping in Miami. Flying completely exhausted us, but once we arrived in Managua, we were graciously welcomed by our trip leader fro, El Salvador, César and our driver, Hector.
Once we settled into our hotel, we took a tour of the city and visited several landmarks such as the statute of the silhouette of Sandino. On Monday, we met with Joseph Connelly with The Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE), who gave us a history lesson on Nicaragua. This first session really peaked my interest. We learned a great deal about the relationship between Nicaragua and the US as well as the corruption and manipulation that the US force upon the Nicaraguan culture. In addition to that, we learned about the division of the country. The eastern side of Nicaragua is very rural and distant from the western side of Nicaragua. Joseph explained that the two sides of the country are like their own country as they operate separately even though they are under the same government. The eastern side is more autonomous and take justice into their own hands. We also learned about FSLN and the Contra War that former President Ronald Reagan put forth during his time in office in the 1980’s. We also learned about the war on drugs with the FBI and the black neighborhoods.
In the afternoon we then went to NicaHope. This organization works with kids from the previous local trash dump community. Though the community has a recycling plant now instead of a trash dump, the children are still being helped. The organization was created to teach the kids other ways to make money so they don’t have to leave school to work at the trash dump. They make homemade jewelry to sell. We also had a chance to tour the facilities and buy some of the jewelry that was handmade.
During the first two days in Nicaragua not only did we engage with the Nicaraguan people and their culture, but we also got to understand how even through corruption and economic hardship, they stand tall and fight the social injustices that affect their society and community on a daily basis.
-Amanda