Day 5 (January 31, 2017): Mothers and Babies

Today was filled with experiences related to Compassion's "Child Survival Program" (CSP).  CSP helps babies and mothers in poverty by providing education in such areas as growth monitoring, oral rehydration, breast-feeding, immunization, etc.  

We met the Board for breakfast in the hotel restaurant at 7:15am and were all on board the bus for an 8am departure.  We drove two hours north of Managua to León which, at 200,000 people, is the second largest city in Nicaragua. 

[ We followed this truck for awhile enroute to Leon.  Look closely in the back -- see the child riding there?  Imagine that happening in Canada! ]

As we approached project site NI-221, we couldn't believe our eyes:  an archway of blue, white and red balloons (representing the colours of Nicaragua and Canada) awaited us, with both sides of the road lined with 50 young women in pink t-shirts, each holding a baby or toddler. As happened yesterday, we were welcomed like celebrities.  The work and creativity the project site had put into preparing for our arrival was humbling.  Besides the archway of balloons, the inside of the church was beautifully decorated -- again, in the colours of Canada and Nicaragua.

[ The welcome we received at NI-221!]

The women all came in and took seats around the periphery of the room.  And talk about quiet, well-behaved infants!!  With 50 babies and toddlers, there was hardly a peep.  The children here seem so well-adjusted and calm. 

[ The CSP participant mothers and their babies / toddlers ]

This particular CSP project has been sponsored by contributors in memory of Connie Lawson, who was the wife of our Compassion Canada Board Chair, Ian Lawson.  Connie passed away due to cancer exactly one year ago.  So today was a celebration of the CSP site in honour of Connie. 

[ The life of Connie Lawson, in whose memory this CSP site is dedicated, was celebrated ]

We spent over three hours at the site, and then broke into smaller groups to do another round of house visits.  We visited the home of one of the CSP participants -- a 16-year old mother whose infant son was born three months premature.  Her son's survival and, indeed, her own survival are attributed to the support of CSP, which ensured they both received the medical care they needed.  The young woman now lives with her 17-year old husband and his parents.

[ Home visit in the southwest of Leon ]

[ Leslie, one of our translators, with bananas growing on the land where we did our home visit ]

From there, we travelled to another corner of Leon and project site NI-155, another CSP site.  Again, the women participating in this CSP site met us with much fanfare and a traditional dance.

[ Another warm welcome, this time at project site NI-155]

[ A cultural dance was performed to welcome us ]

Each member in the team was then escorted into the church by one of the young mothers.  There were some moving speeches, and each of us was presented with a small hand-made gift.  

[ Each young mother presented a Board member with a hand-made gift ]

We then toured the project site, where we saw a room of Singer sewing machines, which the women are learning to use to produce clothing for sale.  We also saw the computer room where the woman are learning computer skills to ensure they are employable.

[ The sewing room at NI-155, where the women make school uniforms and other clothes for sale ]

[ Pam presenting the school supplies she collected at John W. MacLeod School in Halifax, to the Director of the Compassion project site ]

[ Our team, as we prepared to leave NI-155 ]

By the time we left for the two-hour return trip to Managua at 4:30pm, we were emotionally spent.  But in a good way.  Arriving back at the Hilton, we all met for dinner and a time of sharing our experiences over the last few days.

[ For much of the drive home the impressive Momotombo Volcano was visible in the distance, smoking away! ]

Pam heads home to Canada early tomorrow morning, so I must wrap up this blog entry.  I am staying on with the Board until Sunday, but Pam has to get back to the classroom.

Day 4 (January 30): Extreme Poverty

So you know how, when you've gone through a non-stop day of emotionally-charged experiences and you reach the end of it, you just sit back and try to make sense of it all?  Well, that's what I'm doing tonight as I type.  Blogging actually helps me process it all...

At 7:20am, we joined the team at the hotel restaurant for breakfast and -- wearing my First World blinders -- was so pleased to learn the waiter could whip me up a latte to go with my bacon and eggs.  Juxtaposed against my latte experience, however, I realize what a crazy bubble I live in.  Read on and you will understand where I'm coming from.

Pineapple vendors

By 8am, we pulled into the parking lot of the Compassion Nicaragua Office.  We attended chapel with the staff (it's how they start every work week), enjoyed a presentation by the Country Director on the successes and challenges of delivering the program in Nicaragua, and then toured the various sections of the office.  It was great to learn about the way they deliver the various program components in the country, and also the corporate infrastructure of the organization. 

Two of the Compassion Nicaragua staff performed a cultural dance for us 

Thousands of sponsor letters ready for processing to/from Nicaraguan sponsored children

This is the Compassion Nicaragua team that primarily liaises with all the project sites.

We ate lunch with the staff, and at 1:30pm, boarded our bus to Project NI-179, located in Managua.  It was just after 2pm when we pulled into the project site.  As we walked into the church, which was filled with over 100 children, the place went up in a standing ovation and applause!  To have witnessed the welcome, you'd have thought Elvis had entered the building.  Yet it was just a bunch of ordinary Canucks who had entered.

Compassion project NI-179

All the children applauded our entry.

For the next hour, we watched and listened to young individual children and groups perform.  The messages of hope in their performances and dramas made it difficult to maintain dry eyes.

It's amazing to see the confidence of even the youngest child. This little guy welcomed us.

For almost an hour we enjoyed dance and drama performances.

From there, we broke into groups of five and went off into the nearby neighbourhoods to visit a family home.  I have experienced extreme poverty in several places - the slums of Manila, Chiang Mai, and Lima, to name a few.  Today's experience was certainly "up there" with those previous experiences.  The project site had arranged for us to visit the home of "Guadeloupe", a single mother of three in her early 30s.  She was very gracious to allow us to see her home, which was comprised of cinder-blocks and a corrugated-steel roof.  An old canvas banner from a retail store served as a curtain to the bed where her three children slept.  And another curtain separated her own bed from the single room living area, which held a hammock, table, and an old TV.

On our way to our first home visit

After sharing some details about her living situation, we unpacked some groceries we had brought with us, and we all joined hands and I said a prayer for her family and home.  It was a deeply moving and humbling experience.  As we walked away, I was overwhelmed with the "have" / "have not" line that divides Guadeloupe's existence from mine.  My big challenge today was getting the waiter to make that latte to go with my breakfast.  Her biggest challenge was literally to find something - anything - to give her three kids to eat today.

This is Guadeloupe and her daughter

Guadalupe's home

Guadalupe's sisters daughter had twins last year, who were quite cozy in a hammock

The extended family shared access to some pigs - a valuable resource

We arrived back at our hotel at 5pm.  Tonight, we heard from an impressive 21-year old architecture student, who is about to graduate from Compassion's Leadership Development Program.  What an inspiration he was to us all.

A soon-to-be graduate of Compassion's Leadership Development Program spoke to us at dinner

Today was truly an up-close-and-personal experience of Compassion's work in Nicaragua.  And the need it fills and the successes it demonstrates, are unquestionable.

Day 3 (January 29, 2017): Project Site NI-200

We met the rest of the Board for breakfast in the hotel restaurant at 7:30 and we're on a bus to project NI-200 at 8:30, arriving for the start of the service at 9am. They were certainly waiting for us! The church was decorated in red and white balloons with an elaborate banner that said "welcome --- of Canada". There are 600 children registered at this particular project. The service lasted 1.5 hours and was led by a 10-year old girl, brimming with talent and confidence as a leader and as a singer. In fact, many of the children sang during the service. The talent was amazing!! 
 

 [ A 10-year old girl sang for us with everything she had in her!  Moving!]

 [ These 3-5 year olds were wonderful singers ]

[ Children from NI-200, sitting attentively through the church service ]
 

It isn't easy to describe the feeling of visiting a project site.  Sitting around the Board table and discussing how the organization is working on the ground is one thing.  But being amidst so many of the children from one of our project sites brings new meaning to everything.  The program is doing amazing work!  The children of this project site live in a tough part of Managua, where the average income is $100 US per month between two working parents.  To see them so involved, to happy, to interact with them, to talk to the staff - it is clear that the money is being well-spent and the children are getting so much from the investment.

[ These two girls wanted to give Pam some drawings they had made and to have their photo taken with her!]

[ Every child has a binder with all his/her records - and it's the same at every project site I have visited - Columbia, Thailand, Peru, and now Nizaragua ]

We spent three hours at the project.  Just before leaving, we were presented with gifts the children had made for us.  The good byes were difficult, to say the least.

 

From the project site, we drove an hour south to the colonial town of Granada, founded in 1524 and situated on the edge of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. We ate lunch at El Zaguan behind the main Cathedral - a favourite restaurant of our CEO.  Then we walked around the historic centre of the town, taking in the colonial architecture, before heading down to the Lake for a boat tour. 

[ A caleche in colonial Granada ]

 

[ Buildings in colonial Granada ]

 

[ Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in Parque Colón, Granada ] 

 

[ The view from the bell tower of Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral ]

 

[ a colourful colonial street in Granada ]

 [ Guadaloupe Church in Granada ]

 

[ Antiquo Convento San Francisco ]

The boat tour took us among many small islands, of which there are 365 in total.  Many have been bought by the wealthy, who have built elaborate homes.

 

[ Heading off on our boat tour of Lake Nicaragua ]

 

  [ Birds of a feather flock together! ]

 

[ One of the 365 islands is Monkey Island, and is home to just 5 monkeys! ]

 

[ Bird nests! ]

[ The Mombacho Volcano is one of the most prominent volcanoes in Nicaragua, located only 10 km from Granada.]

We wrapped up the boat tour just before 5pm, and started the drive back to Managua, arriving at the hotel by 6:30pm.  Enroute, we passed the Masaya Volcano, which is active.  Time didn't permit us to drive up and see the lava flows at dusk, but we could see the smoke rising above it.

[ Smoke from the active Masaya Volcano ]

When we got into the city, the rest of the group went to walk at the waterfront area and to have dinner.  But, due to my ankle bothering me from all the walking today, and the fact that we explored the waterfront yesterday, we decided to return to the hotel for a simple dinner of tortilla soup.

Such was the day we had!  A wonderful experience, made rich by the children and staff of Compassion project NI-200.

 

Day 2 (January 28, 2017): Our first bite of Nicaragua

As anticipated, it was a short night's rest at the Fairfield Inn. We hit the hay at 1am and were up at 5am for our shuttle back to the airport.

The usual check-in and security hassles were - as expected - painful. But a helpful United Airlines  employee worked some impressive creative acrobatics to seat us together on the packed flight.

We used our Priority Pass memberships to access the KLM lounge for a pleasant breakfast, zipped to the gate and were up and away right on time at 9am.  A perfect flight straight down over the Gulf of Mexico, over the Yucatan Peninsula, and on to Central America.  We slept a little bit enroute, and shared one of United's excellent tapas boxes.

Our United Boeing 737-Next Gen aircraft from Houston to Managua

United has an excellent 'tapas' snack box, containing 8 items, from olives to bruschetta spread!  Excellent!

Cotton-puff clouds over Mexico

A lake-filled volcanic caldera upon approach to Managua 

Nothing to note about the arrival in Managua - smooth sailing through customs and bag pick-up, withdrew some Nicaraguan Cordobas (27 = 1 loonie), and jumped in a cab and headed for the Hilton. 

Enroute from the Airport to the Hilton, it quickly became apparent that Managua has that street-intersection vendor culture typical of most Central and South American cities

Having landed in Managua just before high noon, at 2pm we were ready to roll out of our hotel room and start exploring this city known for kidnappings, muggings, and the sort!  We hopped in a cab at the hotel and headed for the Plaza of the Revolution.

It is clear that Managua has attempted to create a lot of public art and install many statues

Managua was devastated by an earthquake in 1972.  The city's main cathedral was badly damaged.  It still sits in Plaza of the Revolution, but is off limits.

The impressive Palace of Culture in Plaza of the Revolution

Art installation at the Palace of Culture

Tomb of Carlos Fonseca, who founded the Sandinista National Liberation Front. Fonseca was later killed in the mountains of Nicaragua, three years before the FSLN took power.

We certainly didn't expect to see THIS in Managua!  The port area has been transformed into a tourist area, although it doesn't quite feel like it has taken off.  The area borders on Lake Managua - one of the most polluted bodies of water in Central America. All in all, a very pleasant area to stroll.

The waterfront area features a series of replica traditional buildings, reflecting the life of Augusto Sandino, Nicaragua's most celebrated revolutionary Leader.

 

The National Theatre was another surprise.  Nicaragua is hardly where we expected to see a production of the famous, "Madame Butterfly"

It was nice afternoon of strolling both historical and contemporary sights in Managua.  A nice breeze off Lake Managua made the 33C temperature quite bearable.  We shared a taxi back to the Hilton area with a young lady from Managua and her mother, who were incredibly kind to us.

We made it back to the hotel in time to spend an hour resting by the pool.  At 7pm, we joined the CEO of Compassion Canada and the Country Director for Compassion Nicaragua for dinner at the hotel.  All in all, a wonderful day of much variety!  The larger contingent of the Board arrives this evening from Canada, via El Salvador.  It will be nice to see them all in the morning.