4 days/ 5 nights in El Campo

Part of the program was living in a rural homestay about an hour outside of Maltagalpa in coffee growing country in Nicaragua. I cannot even begin to describe this experience in the form of a blog. I have several photos that I will try to upload later but they do not capture the kindness of the people, the beauty of landscape, and the hardship and heartbreak that I experienced and witnessed.

I lived with Don Juan, Doña Lorenza, and their daughter Estella. The daughter was the coordinator for the experience in the community of La Ceiba. However, she does not work with SIT and this community had never hosted SIT students in the past. Lorenza had given birth to 13 children but only 6 of them survived. Most of her children live in the community of La Ceiba. There was no children living in my house but the grandchildren and nieces/nephews were constantly visiting.

We learned about the coffee process: picking from the plant, removing the shells, drying in the sun, and removing a second shell. Then these coffee 'beans' are sold in near by San Ramon before they are roasted and processed to become the form that we see today. Some farmers own their own land, but other farmers work on fincas that are owned by patrones. They are paid 60 cordobas or about $3 for a day's work.

The community is called La Ceiba and has 300 people. There is no running water or electricty. Fortunately, CARE International is involved with the community and the latrines and outdoor showers were only 7 months old. However, it seems that most of the community do not use these facilities built by CARE. This experience has made me think a lot about the implications and manners of 'development.'

At this moment, I am thinking a lot about Paolo Friere´s ideas of 'consciousness raising.' Education does not have to just teach people the names of continents and capitals. However, education can transform lives and the world by teaching people to think critically. Estella and Don Juan feel that my presence and the presence of other foreigners and organizations in their community was the result of Daniel Ortega. In the coming election, the majority, if not all of La Ceiba, will vote for Daniel Ortega. And, who am I to say that they shouldn´t or that they are making an uninformed vote? However, I do believe that education would only help in a more informed vote.

We have learned about the Literacy Crusade of 1980 in class and a museum exhibit. I spoke with Estella about her experience with the 'brigade from Managua.' Before the Crusade, the teachers in Maltagalpa (a four hour walk away) told her she was essentially to dumb to learn. But the young volunteers in 1980 taught her to read. It took 2 days to learn to write her name. They stayed for a year and now she can read and write. She is a coordinator for the community (also, because she is unmarried and without children). This is the power of education and social programs.

Finally, I was sick for my first time during this semester. I was throwing up at 3:30 in the morning. Doña Lorenza was worried on the porch and saddened by my condition. I truly felt a strong connection with my family in La Ceiba. I learned to make tortillas, play a card game, and experienced a part of the world rarely seen. It will take awhile if not the rest of my life to fully process all that I have learned in La Ceiba.