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

We recently visited León and I would have to say it’s been one of my favorites parts about this trip. I stayed with Sandra and her family and was forced to try to remember some of the Spanish I’ve learned — it actually went better than I expected!

She was the best host mom and really allowed us to dive into the Nicaraguan culture. We were able to explore the neighborhood with her daughter and her daughter’s friends which was one of my favorite things! I wish the stays could have been longer, it was a sad “see you later.”

While in León, we went to the Myths and Legends Museum which actually used to be a prison. We learned about the different dances and an array of myths/legends with one being about a guy who would sell watermelons but if you bought his watermelon, you would die.

With the museum, we also toured the university a little and met with social work students at the university. They shared with us about the human rights here in Nicaragua and we were able to get into groups and ask each other questions. For instance, they had asked in our group how in the United States a case regarding human trafficking might be handled. They also put a great emphasis on how family-oriented their culture is and how a lot of data regarding human rights is under-reported.

Also while in León we visited La Casona which is a place that does preventative work with at risk youth. We talked to an officer there about the drug problems in León and the different activities La Casona offers. For instance, planting in a greenhouse and creating paper mache products like masks and key chains (all from recycled materials!). A really cool thing they do is allow inmates on “good behavior” to visit La Casona and help out with the work going on — and they get to see their family once a month!

Overall, we got a lot of different insights on human rights here and the issues going on. Beyond loving the culture and everything I am learning!

Cheyenne Lenhart

¡Hola bienvenidos!

People always asked me why I chose a 3rd world country to study abroad in over a place like Australia or England. Right when I stepped out of the airport this past Sunday I was reassured that I made the right choice, even more excited to drown myself in a new culture.

Throughout our first week here we have gone to several places and met with an array of people. The first day, we did a tour of Managua, Nicaragua — the first city we stayed in. Below is the Old Cathedral here in Managua that was destroyed by an earthquake back in the 1970s. Though it may seem destroyed, it was still a gorgeous site to see.

When you are here in Managua you will constantly see these trees, Trees of Life, when driving down the roads and an assortment of them at the lake.

Vice President Rosario Murillo (who, mind you, is also the president’s wife YOU GO GIRL) is the one who transformed the capital to have these trees that symbolize a new vision. But, after doing some research, I found out that some of the general public isn’t fond of these trees and how much they cost to put them up and keep them running.

So far this week we have learned about Nicaraguan history and the current political and economic situation, talked with ANICP + VIDA about HIV and AIDS here, and had a wonderful conversation about feminism with María Teresa Blandón. With our talks, we also visited an organization named NicaHOPE, pictured below.

NicaHOPE is a program that works with children living and/or working in the trash dump — it is also a preventative program to try and keep them out of ever having to work at the trash dump. It aims to keep these children in school and do so by providing after school programs and teaching them about making and selling jewelry. (If you’re interested in some jewelry, which I highly recommend, visit NicaHOPE.org). At the end of the week, we stayed with host families in León which I can’t wait to share more about in my next post!

¡Adiós!

Cheyenne  Lenhart