As week 4 draws to a close, after having hung up our shovels and scrubbed the caked-on mud from every crevice of our body, it is safe to say that the week has been a resounding success. Our team has finished eco- latrine number three and we continue to construct with smiles on our faces despite the unrelenting heat and unforgiving dove grey Progressio t-shirts which make it near impossible to disguise profuse expiration.
So we’re a third of the way through our placement here, it feels like time here is going way too quickly for my liking! Construction is going well, everyone is getting really stuck in and our group is working so well together. Aside from building eco latrines part of our mission out here is giving back to the community in other ways as part of our complimentary activities. Two afternoons a week, we split off into smaller groups and brainstorm ideas for activities and events that we can hold in the local community of El Pochote, based on our individual interests and passions.
"English volunteers are not foreigners but part of my family and part of my heart" - Esperanza Del Carmen Brenes Alemán
Arriving on a yellow American school bus, the busy hussle and bussle of Masaya had a definite buzz about it. Beaming with excitement, the British volunteers gurned out of the windows like a pack of hungry mooses.
As well as excitement, there was a determination of development and progression. Seeing the people whom we were here to work alongside walking the streets was humbling and really reiterated the purpose of our visit.
Tonight we will be celebrating ‘los Aguizotes’, a traditional Masayan celebration which takes place annually on the last Friday of October. ‘Los Aguizotes’ are characters from folkloric Nicaraguan myths and legends, which come to life on the streets of Masaya in a parade of costumes, dancing and a brass band. Celebrating this wouldn’t be the same without our host families because all of them have made a huge effort to share with us their customs and traditions.
Week 3 brought about our first week of construction, we had already visited the families who wished to receive an eco-latrine last week and instructed them to have the materials ready for us. With the materials waiting on us and after meeting the master of work we set about selecting a location for the eco latrine. The house belonging to the first family was on a slight hill which meant we had to build slightly to the side to avoid heavy rain water and the path for the pony and trap.
So we’ve arrived all safe and sound and ready to tackle whatever the next 10 weeks throws our way.
To document our journey we have all considered the reasons we have for being here, what we hope to achieve and our first impressions of our new home, so we can look back in our final week to see how far we’ve come.
BETH
Our first week in Masaya consisted of lots of latrine talk, truck breakdowns and acquiring herculean strength to lift cement blocks, countless buckets of gravel and even move a broken down truck with sheer brute force. All in all the week has been eventful, especially if you consider the fact that Nicaragua is currently on a green alert for earthquakes and that we have experienced torrential downpours which have proved fatal in the capital, Managua.
The 3 lads (later to become muchachos) of Progressio Nicaragua cycle 9, had quite the bonding expeience when we had to practice some newly acquired running skills with shock sprinting at the airport in response to the “gate closing” call. We had been too busy gently musing the 10 weeks ahead and what was to come! 15 hours later we, along with the Progressio ladies, had arrived in Managua, capital of Nicaragua, ready to make a difference. Excitement tinged with nerves filled the air – along with the humidity.
Complementary to our eco-latrine project, the large quantities of litter in El Pochote presented an exciting challenge for the British and Nicaraguan volunteers in El Medio Ambiente Group. Challenge is no understatement. How do you influence a community’s attitude to reflect an outcome that has a more positive impact on the environment? A community that for many of us speaks a different language, has a very different culture from ourselves and has most likely lived this way for years.
I find it hard to concentrate as I write this blog for the last time, as our journey in Nicaragua has almost come to an end. With one week left to spend in this remarkable and exotic country, all of the volunteers are planning a week away to relax and reflect on all the memories we have gained. I was not expecting time to pass so swiftly at all, but here we all are, preparing for the big finale in La Plaza de la Cultura in Masaya. Stress levels for some are running high as we want to make our last event a huge success and leave Masaya on a high.
