"Upon arriving in Nicaragua our group of 13 DU students settled into Hospedaje Santos, in the capital city of Managua in which we met with various organizations and people including the US Embassy, a human rights advocacy group called La Red Solidaridad (Solidarity Network), a Maquila (factory) "tax-free zone" and a former Sandinista revolutionary freedom fighter.
These experiences transcend words and I am still digesting the ideas and sights that were presented to me. Afterwards, we headed up to the little community of Teotecacinte, the main focus of our program. We stayed with host families and conducted community service for the 13 days we were there. The people of Teote were extremely accepting of our group and considering their tumultuous history and present day extreme poverty, their hearts and compassion are beyond comprehension.
The community of about 3,000 is mainly all workers in the agricultural sectors of tobacco, coffee, beans or corn, who struggle to survive and in many cases on the brink of death. Cement floors and metal roofs are things of luxury and a meal of more than rice, beans and tortillas is an anomaly. A first hand account of the 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere is one that I will never forget. While in Teote two students and I were able to work with a sustainable water project, under the guidance of Engineers Without Borders, in various communities around our home base.
My work gave me an appreciation of the tremendous amount of work behind water infrastructure and opened my eyes to the enormous disadvantages in health a people can have without a sufficient water system. In addition, students worked on various other projects, including teaching English as a Second Language, working with a group battling violence against women, and in the local clinic. These projects were unquestionably valuable in allowing the group to reflect on career, educational, and life goals, while at the same time providing a service to the community.
Upon departing Teotecacinte we traveled south to various cities exploring coffee production and many issues surrounding economic justice and the world market. Experiencing Fair Trade Coffee first hand was extremely valuable as I learned a tremendous amount and am now able to fully advocate the benefits of this trade alternative and its impacts on the farmers.
These experiences included staying with another host family and realizing the enormous difference in lifestyle I have from these people who seemingly have so little."

Back