So today we finally found out all of our sites!!! This is where we will be located for the next two years of our service. There has been much anticipation, anxiousness and excitement for this day! Now we know at least the department of Nicaragua, the name of the town, who we will be living with, the name of the schools we will be working with and the size of the community. We will meet our ¨contraparte,¨ or person that we will be working with who has a connection in the community and will be helping to facilitate our work. Then we will be visiting our site for one week to get to know our schools, the teachers and the town! Back to finish training, take the Peace Corps oath on November 16th and then officially we will be Peace Corps volunteers!!
So my site is located in the central part of Matagalpa....in the mountains!! It is exactly where I wanted to be! Here is a website that has a great description of the area and a website with an interactive map:
http://www.vianica.com/visit/matagalpa
http://www.vianica.com/explore.php
Basically, it is a gorgeous area! I will be the first environmental volunteer at my site which has about 3,000 people in the urban area and 18,000 in the rural areas. Yea if you think about it, it is still less than half the population of students at Michigan State University! Kinda crazy! There is one other volunteer there teaching English. I am also really happy to have three other fellow environmental volunteers 1-2 hours away!
It is a really calm town with water, internet and electricity (but not from 7am-3pm), and a larger grocery store about an hour away. I will be working with three schools (one of them is multigrade) with 163, 164, and 360 students each. The teachers need help incorporating environmental themes in their curriculum. Their major environmental problems include slash and burn farming, deforestation and erosion of the soil and contamination of the water and soils with indescriminate use of inorganic pesticides. My contraparte works for MINED (Ministry of Education) and I also will be working with an NGO.
So that is all I know for now!! I will write in a week hopefully with pics from my site after the visit!!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Wish list
So in case you are wondering, ¨What could Nicole possible want in Nicaragua?¨ I have made a little list. I can pretty much get anything that I need here but some stuff is just not the same!
mechanical pencils/pens
colored sharpie markers (use a lot for teaching classes)
nutritional, yummy granola bars
chocolate/candy
...and of course, a little hello note! Miss you guys!
mechanical pencils/pens
colored sharpie markers (use a lot for teaching classes)
nutritional, yummy granola bars
chocolate/candy
...and of course, a little hello note! Miss you guys!
Nicaraguan Transportation
I was trying to think of something to write about as it seems to get harder and harder every time, but then I realized I am just getting more used to eveything. So here is a little on traveling in Nicaragua!
This is Emalee and I in a little moto-taxi. Moto-taxi´s have three wheels, a seat in front for the driver and seats three comfortably in the back. However, I have easily seen 9 Nicaraguans in one!
This is our famous Peace Corps´ bus that we take to many events a couple times a week. It is driven by Douglas, the nicest Nicaraguan ever!
So I don´t have a picure, but old school buses from the states are the main form of public transportation here. They are usually decorated and have an obnoxious horn that is used all the time. The front and back door always remain open as they will stop for anyone anywhere along the route wanting to get on. There is the driver and at least one guy collecting money and standing at the door shouting the bus´destination rapidly multiple times. As you are trying to get on, there are people getting off and more people waiting by the door for the next stop. In additon, people selling anything you can think of get on and off the bus going up and down the aisle. Yea, kinda difficult. Many times you stand the whole way as buses are packed. You have to make your way to the door before your stop as they wait only long enough for the last person´s foot to leave the bus. You can bring just about whatever and they will lift it to the top...bikes, bed frames, you name it. Animals luckily have been limited mostly to chickens. I still haven´t been able to figure out how they remember who has payed when there is a constant flow of people and you don´t pay as you enter....genius memory I guess. Well that about describes it and I will admit, riding the bus here for the first time can be quite a scare but it just becomes anther part of the Nicaraguan scene!
This is Emalee and I in a little moto-taxi. Moto-taxi´s have three wheels, a seat in front for the driver and seats three comfortably in the back. However, I have easily seen 9 Nicaraguans in one!
This is our famous Peace Corps´ bus that we take to many events a couple times a week. It is driven by Douglas, the nicest Nicaraguan ever!
So I don´t have a picure, but old school buses from the states are the main form of public transportation here. They are usually decorated and have an obnoxious horn that is used all the time. The front and back door always remain open as they will stop for anyone anywhere along the route wanting to get on. There is the driver and at least one guy collecting money and standing at the door shouting the bus´destination rapidly multiple times. As you are trying to get on, there are people getting off and more people waiting by the door for the next stop. In additon, people selling anything you can think of get on and off the bus going up and down the aisle. Yea, kinda difficult. Many times you stand the whole way as buses are packed. You have to make your way to the door before your stop as they wait only long enough for the last person´s foot to leave the bus. You can bring just about whatever and they will lift it to the top...bikes, bed frames, you name it. Animals luckily have been limited mostly to chickens. I still haven´t been able to figure out how they remember who has payed when there is a constant flow of people and you don´t pay as you enter....genius memory I guess. Well that about describes it and I will admit, riding the bus here for the first time can be quite a scare but it just becomes anther part of the Nicaraguan scene!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Nicaraguan health and enviroment connected
So I really liked some of Jamie´s questions on the last post. I guess I haven´t really talked about many health and enviromental problems in Nicaragua. I am by no means an expert but I can definitely describe what I have seen and what other Nicas have told me. Many of these problems are what we will be examining and teaching about at our sites.
Many people do have a greater understanding of healthy practices and sustainable environmental techniques, yet, some things are so deeply embedded in the culture that it is going to be a slow process to change habits. Also, a lot has to due with the lack of infrustructure and resources. The majority of the population still resides in rural areas. Communication and transportation are difficult. As I was saying in the last post, many schools do not have water, trash disposal, soap, toilet paper, or enough books for all the students. They work the best with what they have.
Many people do have a better resistance to things here but still get sick and even die from illnesses such as diarrhea, malaria, and dengue. Diarrhea is usually due to the lack of clean water and can be due to not cooking meat all the way through as meat markets are commonly buzzing with flies. Mosquitoes carrying malaria and dengue thrive here in the tropical wet climate. Not only puddles, but the excessive trash create great breeding grounds. Some streets do have garbage cans yet the garbage will be found anyhere but inside. These are just some of the cultural factors/habits that will take time to change in order to improve the health of the people.
Deforestation, slash and burn farming and pesticide use are problems here as in many other countries. There are plenty of laws here protecting trees yet officials many times look the other way. Many NGOs, organizations and local governments with both health and enviromental sectors are diligently working on all these problems. There is definitely an increased awareness among the population and interest in helping the the development of Nicaragua.
What I really love about the Peace Corps is that we do not come here with money. We live in the communties and have multipe techniques for identifying their needs. We are able to show them more sustainable options that will benifit both their families and the environment. Just handing over money to communities is not sustainable. Educating people about these issues and then teaching them how to organize projects and people will insure that progress will continue when we leave.
Many people do have a greater understanding of healthy practices and sustainable environmental techniques, yet, some things are so deeply embedded in the culture that it is going to be a slow process to change habits. Also, a lot has to due with the lack of infrustructure and resources. The majority of the population still resides in rural areas. Communication and transportation are difficult. As I was saying in the last post, many schools do not have water, trash disposal, soap, toilet paper, or enough books for all the students. They work the best with what they have.
Many people do have a better resistance to things here but still get sick and even die from illnesses such as diarrhea, malaria, and dengue. Diarrhea is usually due to the lack of clean water and can be due to not cooking meat all the way through as meat markets are commonly buzzing with flies. Mosquitoes carrying malaria and dengue thrive here in the tropical wet climate. Not only puddles, but the excessive trash create great breeding grounds. Some streets do have garbage cans yet the garbage will be found anyhere but inside. These are just some of the cultural factors/habits that will take time to change in order to improve the health of the people.
Deforestation, slash and burn farming and pesticide use are problems here as in many other countries. There are plenty of laws here protecting trees yet officials many times look the other way. Many NGOs, organizations and local governments with both health and enviromental sectors are diligently working on all these problems. There is definitely an increased awareness among the population and interest in helping the the development of Nicaragua.
What I really love about the Peace Corps is that we do not come here with money. We live in the communties and have multipe techniques for identifying their needs. We are able to show them more sustainable options that will benifit both their families and the environment. Just handing over money to communities is not sustainable. Educating people about these issues and then teaching them how to organize projects and people will insure that progress will continue when we leave.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Youth group update and my host-mom
This is the school that my training group is working with. This week we will be giving our second class. We also organized a youth group that meets here two times a week. Next week, they are presenting mini-projects to the mayor´s office that we have been helping them design. Currently the school burns their trash and doesn´t have running water during the day. Therefore, kids do not wash their hands often and drink out of one cup from a barrell that holds water. They also do not have toilet paper or soap. They will be asking for some supplies to clean up the trash at their school and also for the garbage truck to collect their trash. Simple things that everyday we take for granted.
This is my host mom holding a chicken and standing with our two dogs in the entry way of our house. My host-mom is great! I enjoy talking to her and she is so patient with my spanish. She is always worrying about me. If I so much as sneeze, she is asking if I am getting a gripe (cold/flu). It is pretty much just her and her youngest son Carlos, who is eighteen years old, that are living in our house but we always have tons of visitors.
Monday, October 8, 2007
...and more pics...
Olena and I helping our youth group build a vivero (tree nursery). The kids totally love planting things and truly have more experience then we do. However, we have found that when it comes to looking after them, such as watering, there are no volunteers. Luckily, it rains about everyday. Another trouble with viveros are other animals, especially Gallinas (chickens) and hormigas (ants).
¨This is the Way I Live....¨
This is where I sleep...under my mosquito net.
This is where we had class the first three weeks....gorgeous view!
Friday, October 5, 2007
Mailing Address
Hello all!
Just wanted to let you know where you can send me letters and special packages for the next couple of months before I move to my site. Remember, padded envelopes are better as they get searched less often.
Nicole Hedquist
Voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz, PCT
Apartado Postal 3256
Managua, Nicaragua
Central America
If anyone wants to send be a nalgene that would be great!...already lost mine ): I will write more hopefully this weekend about my sweet volunteer visit this week!
¡Adios!
Just wanted to let you know where you can send me letters and special packages for the next couple of months before I move to my site. Remember, padded envelopes are better as they get searched less often.
Nicole Hedquist
Voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz, PCT
Apartado Postal 3256
Managua, Nicaragua
Central America
If anyone wants to send be a nalgene that would be great!...already lost mine ): I will write more hopefully this weekend about my sweet volunteer visit this week!
¡Adios!
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