ICS Nicaragua

In the week of 1 June we received training by the staff from Volcano Masaya on how to build concrete signs that will be used to promote environmentally friendly behaviours in the community of La Sabanita, as well as the correct use of the new bins that we have built using old tyres.

From Tuesday on, we covered the buildings of the recycling centre with old canvas advertising signs, to keep the rubbish to be out of reach for the children. We also built a warehouse where bottles can be stored before being sold.

This week signalled the mid-point of our project in Nicaragua and reflecting upon the experience has conjured up a mix of emotions. An overriding realisation has been an acceptance of the limited time, which we have remaining in Nicaragua. This is a prospect, which to date has been absen, whilst we have been so fully focused upon the task in hand. However, amongst this somewhat premature anxiety of departure is a genuine feeling of achievement and a sense of pride. 

I begin this blog with a quote by Nelson Mandela, because education in developing countries is so important. We know that universal primary education was one of the millennium development goals. In Nicaragua, charities and the government are fighting to wipe out illiteracy and promote the values of citizenship among children. 

This week in La Sabanita, the community where national and British volunteers are working, there was a campaign to promote reading among children. The idea was also for them to understand their rights as children, thus enabling them to prevent violence. 

This is a day for talking about women, or more specifically, about those that are mothers. The 30 May is Nicaragua’s Mothers’ Day. “Mrs. María” still doesn’t know the sex of her third child, who will be born in the next few days to her and her husband, but what she does know is that she will have a healthy source of food in her backyard, as she herself was involved in the planting the seeds. 

The week commencing on the 18 May started with high spirits as we had the challenge to build a recycling centre for the community of La Sabanita, so that they could make better use of their rubbish and reduce contamination.

Recycling means classifying and separating into different containers in order to give it another purpose rather than just disposing of it. Moreover, rubbish not only gives the community a bad aspect, but it also causes contamination, illnesses, a bad smell and attracts animals. Recycling can also benefit the community financially through the sale of rubbish.

Nicaraguan volunteers rise early to get to the Alcaldia de Vara or to where the bus can pick them up.

Some of the volunteers don’t have breakfast, and once they arrive buy bread and a drink from one of the shops in La Sabanita. This is how the day begins. Some of them laugh, greet one another and crack a few jokes; others apply sun cream and insect repellent to protect them from the environmental conditions in the work place.

An invitation to the UK Consulate in Nicaragua this week allowed for a quick scramble to the market in order to spruce up to be worthy representatives for Progressio. The event was to celebrate the Queen’s birthday and the theme was loosely based upon the Baftas. Programmes such as Sherlock Holmes and Peppa Pig were emblazoned on the walls, alongside other timeless exports such as James Bond.

The week commencing on the 4 May turned out to be very interesting, a bit tiring, with lots of sun, but despite it all, we were able to carry out the activities we had planned looking forward to helping people in La Sabanita.

Since last week’s in-country orientation, we have swiftly become acquainted with our new host families, a changing season and embarked on an entirely new project.

The UK and Nicaraguan ICS volunteers carried out surveys in La Sabanita to get an idea of the different problems the communities face and what their needs are. The surveyed communities were Romero Cerda and Calero.

In addition to identifying the needs of the communities, these surveys were necessary to identify the neediest families, those that would benefit most from the vegetable patches and the bins, where they could deposit waste instead of throwing it out on the streets or burning it.