#3

Currently I am sitting in the most beautiful house tucked in lush trees, surrounded by the ocean, in a little town outside of Rivas, Nicaragua. But no matter how beautiful my surroundings, the one of kind souls from Escuela Especial are on my mind. 

            Today was our last day with the kids. It started off with Tyra and I hoping in the van with Giermo, Ana (social worker), and Krystal, to go pick up families from our home visits. One by one each person filled up the van, they all dressed in their nicest clothes. Once we returned to Escuela Especial the party was about to begin. Douglas, a deaf boy who previously attended the school, and I went around blowing up balloons and painting the faces of children willing to let us. Each grew a smile and we exchanged hugs. As I looked around everyone seemed to be happy, there was no fear of being judged for a disability, no labels or stereotypes. We became one big family.

            Once the food was ready we served it to each person, that being around 100 people. In the chaos of it all we danced and shared memories before our last goodbye. One girl who I grew very close to, Dianna, began to cry. As tears streamed down her face, I could feel my heart ache. Every morning Dianna would wait outside her classroom for us to each give her a hug, and they weren't limp armed. In Dianna's arms you felt - loved - theres no other way to describe it. I embraced Dianna in my arms and said, “Te Amo,” she then lifted her head and kissed my cheek and replied, “Te Amo” and then we joined the rest of the party.

            After the giant pink piñata was cracked open and everyone was fed, it was time to leave. Winder, another little boy who I grew close to, grabbed my leg from behind and began to sob. Then Christhian, Douglas, and several more students surrounded us in a massive group hug. That’s when I realized how impactful the actions we (CGA) make on these trips are. Noy only do we create bonds that last a lifetime but we are all forever changed by one another. Each hug, each lesson, each smile and hello and goodbye were pieces of a puzzle that in the end created something beautiful. And once all the kids were loaded into the vans I could already feel a piece of my heart leaving with them. I will return to Colorado with more love and experience than I had before.

Thank you to everyone who has ever supported me on my trips with Children's Global Alliance, your generous donations and words of encouragement mean the world. In this short week I have made so many beautiful bonds that I will remember for a life time. 

#2

            Before I left for Nicaragua, Ava, someone who has been on all the CGA trips and a good friend of mine, gave me a piece of advice. It was, “don’t let fear hold you back,” and I told myself I’d keep her advice with me the whole trip. Yesterday I had the privilege of working in the Deaf classroom. At first I could feel the panic rising in my chest when I realized not only was Allan, the teacher deaf as well as the students; Juan Juis, Rosa, and Christhian, but none of them spoke any English. So, I would have to translate what I wanted to say from English, to Spanish, to sign language. But I remembered the advice Ava had given me and decided to sign, “Good morning, my name in Nikko” as soon as I walked into the room, Allan was trilled. I explained that I knew very little Spanish and sign language but I was eager to learn more.  After their English lesson Allan let me teach one of my lessons; negative numbers. Not being able to use words and only my limited amount of sign language made it extremely challenging but eventually I was able to explain it well enough using tallies that Juan Luis understood. He then explained to Christhian and Rosa. I was overjoyed that I was able to help them comprehend something new, even if they’d never use it after their schooling was over. After the lesson Christhian gave me a nickname in sign language then made the motion for amiga or friend.  By the end of the day Allan, Juan Luis, Christhian, and Rosa had taught be over 30 new words/phrases in sign language. I felt so honored to be able to communicate without words and still create a special bond with each of the students in the deaf classroom. Around 10 am, Darwin, a 22 year old with Cerebral Palsy came into our classroom, for those of you reading this who don’t know Cerebral Palsy makes it nearly impossible to move and control your limbs/muscles due to spasms and extreme tenseness in muscles. Throughout the day I drew random images so he could color inside the lines, I hoped that this would help him control his hand movements. Later in the afternoon we moved on to numbers; I would write three numbers at the top of the page and he would trace them until the end of the paper. I cannot put the emotions of pure joy I felt into words when by the end of the paper Darwin’s numbers were identical to mine. It was a huge amount of progress. If I had let fear consume me that morning, I would have never made five new friends and never felt so much joy.

            Today I was assigned to work in Rosa’s classroom, when I walked into the room each of the children were doing something different; some were laying on the floor, while some were running around the room, but I noticed one little boy who looked much younger than the rest. Rosa explained that his brain was under developed so he couldn’t talk or process what he wanted to say/feel. I picked him up and said, “Hola! Me llamo Nikko!” then his blank stare turned into a smile and he wrapped his tiny arms around my neck, and I was reminded as to why I value the selfless values and service on these trips. Love isn’t always expressed through words, and from what I experienced the unconditional love I have felt has been expressed through actions and emotions. In that small moment I felt, unconditionally loved. Throughout the rest of the day I helped Rosa with anything she needed, it consisted of homework, English lessons, and making sure each of the kids remained calm. Something I was taught personally was; never play cards (gamble) for money with a seven year old, because you will lose, every time. But a greater lesson was to have more patience because teaching in a hot classroom, with eight children, each with a disability, can be frustrating. But having that patience and taking a moment to breath when frustrated made me realize the potential in not only myself but in each of the kids in Rosa’s class. They all have the desire to be loved and learn as much as they can. I feel so unbelievably blessed to be a part of that. Even though this week has been flying by I will continue to; embrace every moment and give all that I can in moments of courage and fear throughout the rest of my stay in Nicaragua. 

            I have found that in the absence of deep-rooted thought, I lose sight of my goals, and the flight from Houston, Texas to Managua, Nicaragua gave me time to think about what some of those might be for this service trip. I want to mean more, and be more than some “gringo” student from the United States who helps for a week then leaves. Finding my purpose and influencing those around me in a drastic way is one of my biggest goals while being in Nicaragua.

            On Sunday we drove to Escuela Especial Sor Maria to clean the school. Katie, Isabel, and I were assigned to the Physical Therapy room. At first I was startled to see in each corner of the classroom there were small piles of rat feces and insects. In the US, especially in Vail we become so blind to what a majority of the world copes with on a daily basis in order to receive education. We piled foam Alphabet mats and brought them to the center of the school where we used tubs of water and soap to scrub off the dirt built up since last year’s “cleaning day.” After each of the rooms were cleaned, we started a trash clean up. After a day like that you start to become more and more thankful for everything you have back home.

            Today was the groups first official day at Escuela Especial. Everyone was assigned a room where they would work with the students and help the teachers while Will and I went with Krissy, Crystal, and our translator on home visits. The first home we stopped at belonged to a little girl named Josline. Josline has Down Syndrome. In the Nicaraguan society having a disability is not viewed the same way as in the US. It is rare to find parents of children with disabilities that value the life of their child with a disability as much as one who doesn’t. It is common that neighbors or friends/family believe the family has done something wrong, resulting in a child with a disability, which is not true. But Josilines parents treated her like any other child and found a huge amount of pride in her. As we asked her parents through our translator Ana about their lives, Josiline ran around with a smile, not something common among children with Down Syndrome. Her mother explained that once she was of age they planned to place her in Escuela Special sor Maria, the only school in the area that provides education for children with disabilities, because they didn’t want her to be judged in a normal school.

            The next home we visited was the home of Juan Fransisco a little boy with a heart condition and cleft palate. His mother explained that the arteries and veins in his heart are constrictive and knotted, preventing proper blood flow and oxygen to certain parts of his body, resulting in a blue color around his fingers, toes, and eye lids. Even though Juan was energetic he became tired quickly. After asking his mother questions we learned she isn’t satisfied with the help she has been receiving and wants to find help in other locations, but her biggest problem is money. Each bottle of medicine costs the family around 30$ a month, which is a huge sum of money. It was especially hard for me to hear that his arteries in his heart could burst at anytime, killing Juan. His mother, similar to Josline’s, felt so much pride and love towards Juan, despite his heart condition and cleft palate, which was nothing less than inspiring to whiteness. The home visits show the struggles that the families deal with on a daily basis and we see and experience them first hand making the lessons we take home so much for impactful.

            The last home we went to was the home of Earling Anthony, who was born without his femur bone. One of his legs continues to grow normally while the other is around 16 cm shorter, making it nearly impossible for him to walk. We learned that the only source of income for their family was through his father who sold CD’s on the street. This made me wonder how they afford doctors visits. His mother and Crystal explained that once Earling was old enough he would be fitted for a shoe with a bigger sole, lifting his leg enough to even out his leg lengths but Earling would have to learn how to walk again. I had never seen someone, let alone a child, with this type of disability before, so while talking to his family it was shocking being exposed to that.

            So far, I have been reminded of everything I have to be thankful for in Vail, and why I should never take the education I have for granted, along with the resources we have to help children with disabilities. It is truly a luxury. Finding a way to mean more to the children and teachers at Escuela Especial and to be able to leave knowing I truly influenced their lives in a positive way would have to be my biggest goal. So in the presence of deep-rooted thought I want to find a way to make that happen.

Living On A Dollar

    I have never understood why some people in this world are lucky enough to be born in better circumstances than another? Someone with the same overall goal as I, someone with a mother and a father, someone with the same desires, someone with the same abilities as I...lives in a third world country while I live here in Vail, Colorado. But, humanity has one universal similarity, in the face of struggle and destitute we all do what we have to in order so survive. In the film, "Living On A Dollar" the people in Guatemala manage to feed their families as well as other in their communities, while providing an education for their children, while running small businesses out of their homes. Each day is nothing less than a struggle. That is why I don't believe I could survive in the conditions shown in the film, to wake up each morning, fearful that a loved one or a member of your own family won't have enough money for the bare-necessities. Or that my (theoretical) children may not eat enough to help fight off a sickness. That would be the hardest thing for me, I couldn't cope with the worries and constant struggles the Guatemalans cope with each and every day. It is nothing less than inspiring and empowering for me to, in my everyday life, or when I go to places like Cambodia and Tanzania and Nicaragua; to strive for more and improve those who's lives I touch.
 
    In the film one thing I found especially profound was something the crew of "Living On A Dollar"  continuously had trouble contemplating was, "How do the impoverished people in Guatemala, live and thrive on one dollar a day?" The members of the film struggled to obtain the calories and nutrition their bodies needed each day, only having one dollar to spend, especially after leaving their homes in the US where an abundance of food is a normality.  Think about your daily life, how often do you leave the water in the sink running longer than necessary? I do it, I do it too often no matter how much I try to catch myself. How often have your parents withdrawn money from the ATM at will? Mine do. Everyone here in the Vail Valley lives an opulent life, some more than others, but non the less, we have so much here. At times it is taken for granted but after watching this film and going to Cambodia and Tanzania it is becoming more apparent to me that there is so much more than wealth to the world. So, when watching this film and seeing how the families filmed coped with having around one dollar a day to spend while still providing for their children and their children's education...it was nothing less than inspiring.

    Looking at the drastic differences in lifestyle between the Guatemalans and people here in Vail/the US, there are actually quite a few similarities in what we value. Family is a huge importance in our lives. The Guatemalans and people in the US put family first, especially in close-knit communities where extended family is commonly found. Money is also a widely found value, no matter where you are in the world, but more people here have the luxury of using money to not only buy things we need, but things we desire. In the film, one of the young boys who became friends with the crew, labored each day to help his parents pay for his education. Not only is that a huge sense of independence for a child but he realizes the value of education over using the money for a "toy." How we, as humans, use our money is entirely dependent on how much we have and that is what makes someone as young as the boy in "Living On A Dollar" so independent. One last universal value is; happiness. The crew interviewed numerous families in Guatemala and no matter how hard their struggle they continued to smile and offer nothing but kindness. Many people here have all the money in the world but can't lend out a single helping hand, not even a smile. We should take a lesson from the people in Guatemala as well as the millions of others faced with hard lived and continue to value happiness at the end of the day. So I intend to take these three values; family, money and happiness into mind while going to Nicaragua. I don't just want to learn names, I want to know about their families and the hardships they have conquered. I hope to learn what family, money and happiness mean to them and if I in anyway can help influence their lives in a positive way.


 

Friday, 28, November NICARAGUA

My name is Nikkomi, or Nikko, whichever you prefer, I am 16 years old, and this year I will be going to Nicaragua! If you have read my previous blogs you know about my experiences in Tanzania and how they impacted not only myself but those on my trip and the children as well. I also have been to Cambodia, these service trips change who you are as a person for the rest of your life. By helping those who have very little, I would say below the bare necessities, you learn unconditional love, patience, and your eyes are opened to how hard life is outside of the bubble of luxury inVail, Colorado. I am beyond ecstatic to embark on this new journey.
In Nicaragua I will be working, along with eight other students, in Escuela Especial Sor Maria Romero, a school for disabled children. We will be working with the students in classrooms; teaching as much as we can and helping improve not only their education but overall happiness. We will also be going on home visits so we, being undeniably privileged, can understand how harsh their living conditions can be and that regardless they strive to make the most out of what they have. There are around ninety children who attend the school, some too disabled to physically go to school. many of the children have disabilities including; including autism, Asperger's Syndrome, cerebral palsy, Down's Syndrome, and deafness. Each of these disabilities effects each child differently and one of the many purposes as to why we are there is to provide them all there is to give.
One thing that I am very nervous for on this trip is how well I will be able to communicate with the people in Rivas, Nicaragua, especially at the school. I want everyone at Escuela Especial to know that I applied to go on this trip to Nicaragua for one reason, to help in anyway I can.


(This is where you can follow me and read about my experiences before, during, and after Nicaragua)

Memories To Last A Life Time

Memories To Last A Life Time

            These past two days have been filled with nothing less than some of the most memorable moments of my life. Around 12:30 on Friday, we said our “good-byes” to the students from Baby Class to Class Five. On each arm, I had at least five to six kids asking me for my contact information and why I had to leave. I realize that, no matter how many times I say good-bye, it never gets easier. All the students who I bonded with the most were in Class Four, so I made each of them individual letters saying what I will miss the most and promising I wouldn’t ever forget them. I ran to hug “the crew” (which I was let into several days after teaching in Class Four). It consisted of mostly the class four boys such as Honest, Christian, Otto, Benard, Emannuel, Peter, William, and a few others. Christian, whom I bonded with the most, held a letter up to me, smiled and hugged me before running away. It was heartbreaking because that was the last time I would see him and the moment seemed too short. All of the students seemed to change my heart in some way, and having to leave the people who shaped your life for the past two weeks made it all the more difficult. We rushed to the cars and drove straight home to prepare for the dance we had planned for Class Six and Seven. We cut fruit, made fairy bread (bread with butter and sprinkles), cooked nuts and popcorn, and grabbed the decorations. Rasta John, who by far is one of the chillest guys I have ever met, came to DJ for us. Shortly after we finished setting up for the dance, all the students and teachers came dressed up in their best clothing. After a few minutes, we were all dripping with sweat from dancing, but it didn’t matter because this was the last night we would be spending together. Seeing the kids smiling outside of school and having the time of their lives was the best feeling in the world.

            Saturday, I had no idea what to expect other than a very long Dola-Dola ride through Tanzania. We drove out of Arusha through several small towns/villages until we reached a dirt road with a sign reading “Maasai Lands”. (If you don’t know who the Maasai are I suggest you Google them now.) The land around us was not lush like in Arusha, with huge banana trees and brightly colored flowers. This area of land seemed to stretch on for miles in every direction, and the ground and trees looked like they came directly out of “The Lion King”. Upon arriving, the very first things I noticed were the Maasai people’s clothing and jewelry. The men and women who greeted us all wore brightly beaded necklaces, earrings, and headdresses. They had red and blue patterned cloths wrapped around their bodies and embroidered belts to keep them from slipping. We probably looked ridiculous with our dull-colored clothing and little jewelry. As soon as they saw us, they began to sing a welcoming song. They only used their voices/vocal cords, but it sounded like they had drums and other instruments. We were welcomed into their “village”, which is a tourist attraction site, but the people who showed us around were born Maasai and all the money made goes to their actual village nearby. We learned all about their life and the different stages men have to go through in order to go from being a boy to a man. One of the most important rituals for the men and women of the Maasai to go through would be circumcision. Once the men turn eighteen, they must be circumcised in order to marry, and the girls can be at any age to undergo this process. What really took me by surprise was the incorporation of Christianity with the traditional Maasai culture. As a Massai man, you can have more than one wife. Freddy, our Maasai tour guide (“Freddy” was not his given Maasai name), explained to us that his father at the age of 77 has 14 wives and 89 children. To them, this is completely normal, but it definitely took us all by surprise. In the Christian religion, it is said that one man can have only one wife, so for the Massai who consider themselves Christian, there is a conflict. Their culture is one of the most unique I have ever learned about, but to have it changed by another religion made me wonder, “How long will it be before their culture is completely modernized?” Going to see the Massai and their way of life was another reminder of how big the world is; it’s not just Vail, Colorado, there’s a much bigger picture. To end the day, as we were driving through Massai Lands after leaving, we spotted several zebras and two giraffes. I never in my life thought I would be able to see those animals in their natural habitat, in the wild,  with my own two eyes. Saturday was a day I will never forget. In fact this whole experience is something I will never forget.

After teaching the students at LOAMO, seeing the impact we had on their lives in class and on the home visits, and loving how they take care of one another in their communities are just a few reasons why this trip will last a lifetime. 

Godfrey

Godfrey

            Yesterday, I went on another home visit, this time to the home of Godfrey and his son, Brian. Brian is in Kinder at LOAMO, and Godfrey works in the kitchen there. Each morning, they bike down from their home to the stoplight, where Godfrey drops Brian off so he can catch the bus. Godfrey is not allowed to take the bus, so he bikes all the way through the city to LOAMO. The ride from their home is not an easy one, by any means. The road to their house is made of sand and mud and lies along a steep hill. It took us thirty five to forty minutes just to drive to their home from the school. Once we arrived, we were surprised to see five mud huts, each no bigger than a small bedroom, surrounded by huge, lush trees. Godfrey led us to his home, where we were greeted by his wife, his wife’s grandmother (who is between 90 and 100 years of age), and their five children. We walked into their home and saw that they only had two rooms. The main family room had two couches, a small coffee table, and one small cabinet filled with all their dishes and clothing. On the wall behind the couches, their shoes were hung from nails. There was no electricity, heat, or running water. When we asked where the bathrooms were, they waved their hands in a circle, meaning, “We go anywhere”. Once the family was comfortable with four “wazungus” (the word for white people in Tanzania) in their home, we started to ask them questions.           

Money and water are the two main resources that they lack. In order to get water, they have to walk several miles to an ever-changing water source and back, which is very difficult because they live on a steep hill and have to carry several buckets of water. Their two eldest daughters, who are eighteen and nineteen, had to drop out of secondary school because they could not afford their schooling anymore. Now, they spend their time at home, keeping the house tidy and preparing food. Their oldest son, who is fourteen, goes to a small, government-run school in the city. In Tanzania, the government school’s level of education is not like that of LOAMO – it is very minimal. The only reason that Brian, their second, seven-year-old son, goes to school at LOAMO is that LOAMO allows one child of a staff member to attend school for a reduced price. Their last child, who is four, does not go to school, even though she is old enough to attend baby class. After we established their financial situation, we asked about where they got their food. They explained that Godfrey’s wife sells produce in the town below their home. Godfrey is the chef at LOAMO, so he brings home food each day, which creates an atmosphere of sharing between them and the four other families that live there.

It was so inspiring to meet and learn about Godfrey’s family. They live so simply and even with the little education, water and food they receive, they are so happy. They welcomed strangers (Ms. Gutmann, Mallory, Tate and myself) whom they had never met into their home with open arms and let us ask personal questions, which I’m sure was intimidating. Every home visit is different. There are some heartbreaking stories and some stories that make you smile for hours. I think going on these home visits is so inspiring because we usually only get to see their lives from an outsider’s point of view. Everyday, we only get to see how the children at LOAMO act in school, and actually going to their homes and hearing about their struggles opens our eyes to how different and beautiful the lives of the people here in Tanzania are.