Hola!
The last week has gone by so fast and we have learned so much; so, I’ll only touch on a few.
While in Granada, we visited Cafe de las Sonrisas which is a project that woks with young people who are deaf and blind. Their main focus is to create jobs for these young people and teach them skills relating to restaurant duties and making hammocks. During lunch, they also did an activity with us where we had to put in ear plugs and live in their world while we ate – it was a really neat experience!
We also visited a local school when we went to Matagalpa where the children learned a song and dance for us. At the end they wanted to hear us sing.. The only thing we could think of was Carmen Ohio! So that’s exactly what they got to hear.
Following that, we had a tour of the coffee farm and were able to make tea and tortillas with some women in the community which was a lot of fun and a really neat learning experience! (The food they made us was also fantastic I might add)
later in the week we visited Los Pipitos which is an organization of parents, relatives, etc of children with disabilities that all come together. They work on the children’s development, community life, and also improve their rights. They offer services from hearing tests to water therapy and much more. They make a big emphasis on the family being involved and taking part in their child’s development process.
One of the main takeaways I have taken from this journey is just how family-oriented this country is. A lot of times we would ask speakers “well what happens if they family doesn’t X, Y, or Z?” And a lot of times they did not really have answers to those questions because families always came through. Whether it be to donate a kidney or for a place to stay. Thank you Nicaragua for everything you have taught me! Hopefully we will see each other again soon.
Cheyenne