Upon arrival in León we were greeted by Don Juan who would later be known as “Papa Juan” by Amanda and myself. Don Juan and Profesora Ruth both work in the social work department at the University of León.
Our first stop was to the University of León where a few students gave a presentation about human rights in Nicaragua and talked about what it means to be a social worker here.
After the amazing presentation we broke up into 2 groups for a question and answer session. Ricky and I sat down with 18 social work students from the University of León and told them about our experiences in the U.S. as both college students and minorities. The students asked us a lot of good questions but along the way I learned more from them than I ever imagined.
After explaining why I chose social work as a career I asked 2 individuals why they chose social work and understood that while their are similarities in the profession, there are also huge differences.
One young man stated that he wanted to get rid of the stigma of being a social worker by his family and family friends which consist of doctors and lawyers. He also mentioned wanting to find acceptance for LGTBQ individuals.
Another young man stated that he was from the countryside and that things are still very traditional there. He was raised to help others by his father but in a way that was very old school. This meant that if someone got into a altercation they would have to sit in front of a community of elders and from there the elders would determine that punishment and/severity of the offense.
In addition there are a lot of situations which need mediated in his community and because of his age and personality he is often asked to be the mediator. This young man decided to be a social worker so that he can legally and ethically help his people by counseling them and also finding justice.