Xiomara

Xiomara is my Nicaraguan counterpart. As a Peace Corps volunteer, we are assigned a Nicaraguan counterpart to work with and to support us adjusting to Nica culture etc... Xiomara works for the Ministry of Health and as a Volunteer Coordinator for the non-profit Youth Footprints Association. Some PCVs are assigned couterparts who barely have time to work with them or who do not understand the objectives of Peace Corps or just are not passionate about their work. I got extremely lucky by being placed in Corinto with Xiomara. She is one of the most passionate, dedicated, caring women I have ever met. Some people do their job just for the money. Xiomara is most definitely not one of those people. She cares so much about the youth of Corinto, so much so that she gets paid almost nothing and she still works 10-20 hours extra a week without getting paid extra. This past Friday I threw her a surprise "We Love You Xiomara" party, disguised as my going away party. Past volunteers sent in videos describing their time working with her and their general impression of Xiomara. They sent in photos of all the work Xiomara has done over the past 8 years. I put on a presentation for Xiomara and she had NO IDEA! It was such a huge success. She said some of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, which left both her and me in tears. I've been thinking a lot about my future recently since I am finishing up this chapter in my life and I honestly cannot imagine my life without Xiomara and my other Corinto friends in it. People ask me if I will come back to visit Nicaragua and my answer is always YES! Of course! I do not know when I'll be back or for how long, but I do know that Xiomara and all of the amazing people I have worked with and become friends with in Corinto, have changed my life. I will never forget any of you and will most definitely be back to visit.

Thinking About the Future

Ah the big question everyone is asking me right now...what's next? That is a great question. I have a rough idea of what I would like to do, but no details yet. Plan for home- grad school (Master's in Public Health with a concentration in Urban and Immigrant Health-still waiting to hear back from Northeastern University, Boston, MA and SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY) and a great job that I love (honestly...who knows where I'll be working. I need to wait to hear back from schools to know where to apply).
People here always ask me if my volunteer-ship with Peace Corps helps me when I get home. It does! As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) I have non-competitive eligibility for government jobs. That means that my application automatically goes to the top of the pile. It does not mean that I will necessarily get the job; I still have to be qualified, but it does make things a lot easier. For graduate school there is a Fellowship program with grad programs all over the US. They offer scholarships, housing and a fellowship placement in a local organization connected to whatever you are studying. I looked into all of the fellowship programs offered and for me, nothing caught my eye.
So really my plans for the future are on hold while I await the decisions of Northeastern and SUNY. Also in thinking of future plans, I am a bit worried about reverse culture shock when I get home. After two years of being here, I've really become accustomed to the culture here and the general way of life. People talk about having a tough time readjusting to US life and catching up to where friends and family are now. I know I have an amazing group of people at home, so I'm not too worried about that. Hopefully I can find a job that will allow me to arrive 10-15 minutes late!

So I'll focus on short term plans until the long term plans can be figured out. Here's what my last month in Nicaragua looks like:
Thursday March 7- Art Fair with Asociacion Huellas Juveniles
Friday March 8- International Women's Day!! and my going away party!
Saturday March 9- Lindsey's going away party-pool party style
Sunday March 10- lunch with Texas Rotary Club and Chinandega Rotary Club donors. ALSO Nelsons going away and birthday party
Monday March 11-Friday March 15- last week in Corinto!
Friday March 15-Sunday March 17- going away party with Chinandega PCVs
Sunday March 17- Tony's going away party
Tuesday March 19- RING THE BELL=OFFICIAL END OF PEACE CORPS SERVICE!!
Tues March 19-Fri March 22- Chill with Host family in Masatepe
March 22-March 24- Leon
Sunday March 24- Emma's BIRTHDAY! HAPPY 21st! Head to the Atlantic Coast
March 24- beginning of April- Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, kayaking the Rio San Juan and saying goodbye to Nica.
April 9-I'm HOME!

What I Would Change...

Honestly there is not a lot I would change about my service. I was extremely lucky in the fact that I got placed with a fantastic counterpart. I'm happy with how I spent my 2 years. Here are the few things I would change if I could:
     1. I tried to work with the local sex worker group, the Girasoles (the Sunflowers), but had some trouble. The idea of my former sitemate, John, was to start up a community bank with the group. Each month the group would meet, would deposit whatever the minimum deposit had been decided by the group (usually 100 cordobas). Each month the community pot grows, allowing members to take out small loans. The idea is that the loans can be used to start up your own business. With a very low interest rate and the pressure of the money belonging to the group, members usually pay back the loan fairly quickly. At the end of the year, each member receives whatever they put into the bank and a portion of the interest collected from the loans. We set up meetings but usually no one showed up. This was at the beginning of my service when I was learning how to work with different groups of people with different lifestyles. With the Girasoles, since they were working all night long, it did not make sense to expect everyone to be there for a 9 AM meeting. I learned to schedule meetings and health fairs for the afternoon, at a place where they felt safe and arrange reunions around their busiest times. I teamed up with the Ministry of Health and with a local bar-owner and we put on a couple successful health fairs focusing on PAP exams, self breast exams and condom usage. If I could go back in time, I would have liked to dedicate a bit less time on the youth soup kitchen and a bit more time working with and helping to organize better the local Girasoles group.
    2. I lived with a really amazing host family here in site for the first 4 ish months. I decided to move out because I wanted to experience living in Nicaragua on my own; what it was like to pay bills on my own, cook for myself etc... I'm glad I did that. But I should have gone back to visit them more often. With such a passionate counterpart, I worked A LOT. Many weeks we worked 60 hours, putting on events at night and working the regular soup kitchen schedule during the day. Most nights I got back to my house exhausted, happy and very content with the work we had done, but tired, so I did not visit. We're still close and I will see them this Friday at my going away party, but I wish I had gone to hang out at their house more often.

At the moment these are the only two things I can think of that I may have changed. I can definitely look back and know that I really do not have regrets. Don't get me wrong, it has been a rollercoaster of emotions, sometimes changing 5 times in one day. But for Peace Corps, that's normal!

One Month

It has been 26 months since I left the US to be a Peace Corps volunteer. Thinking about it then, 27 months seemed like the longest amount of time in the world. I was pretty sure I would be able to do it, but it is a long time. Now, looking back, it has gone by so fast and comparing it to the rest of my life, 2 years really is not that much. I have not been posting recently because I have been so busy finishing up my service. Things to do before I leave: wind down my work (although I'm sure I'll be working up until March 14th) , empty my house, pack, complete a few documents for Peace Corps, medical check-ups to get rid of any parasites that might be hiding out in my body, plan my going away party, prepare myself emotionally to say goodbye to friends here AND on top of all that...plan what I'll be doing when I get home. Returned Volunteers have told me to enjoy the last days I have here and take as many pictures as possible. That is what I'm trying to do.
One of the things we had to do to officially be done with Peace Corps was an exit interview with the director of the health program. We talked about what i would have done differently if I could start over, my major successes, how I've changed etc... It's interesting thinking back on my time here. So how did I answer these questions?

Major Successes

-The soup kitchen is a major success and a major stressor. For those of you who do not know-the soup kitchen is for children who are under weight and under fed and whose families do not have money to feed them three times a day. These kids are amazing. Major stressor part of it is that we do not have a budget and sometimes the cooks do not show up. Budget-wise, we end up soliciting donations for various sources. The fantastic part is that we submitted a letter to this major energy company and they have agreed to fund the comedor for another year! That means we have one more full year of chicken, bones for soup, ground beef, drink mixes, vegetables and sugar. This is a HUGE help.
-Another major success is our new Association- Asociacion Huellas Juveniles (Youth Footprints Association-ASOHJUV). Through the Casa y Clinica, a group of youth have been trained in sexual and reproductive health topics as well as how to train their peers on the same subjects. This group of youth have now started their own non-profit organization focusing on the empowerment of youth through peer-to-peer trainings. We have been funded by a German organization and this week will be applying for funds to participate in Global Youth Service Day. Services offered by ASOHJUV are: free english and german classes, free psychology consults, a latrine building project, Youth Health Promoter Program, Domestic Violence Shelter, charlas in the schools and in youth groups as well as charlas about taking care of our environment and how to protect our human rights.  You can visit ASOHJUV's facebook page for more information:  http://www.facebook.com/AsociacionHuellasJuvenilesAsohjuv?fref=ts
For now, I will leave you with these 2 successes and will update you with what I would have done differently, my plans for the future and how I have changed in my next posts.

December/January Happenings

It's been a while since I posted...it's been a bit busy here but here are a few notes and happenings from the past month!

December

Natural High (noun): definition: ziplining.

For some reason I have always had a problem with birds. In London, I remember sitting under a tree in a park eating a sandwich with Alyson when out of nowhere a bird gang shows up and tries to steal our lunch. Here in Nicaragua, I was assured, “no our bird never bites anyone! You’re totally safe.” Then he pecked me on the hand with his sharp ugly beak. I think birds are mean. I have to say though, being able to fly is pretty incredible. Ziplining is the closest thing to flying, outside of a plane of course, that I’ll ever do. You get to fly through the jungle at incredibly high speeds overlooking beautiful bays and mountains. We even saw a mama monkey with her baby, just staring down at us strange creatures with our big red helmets. At times I was a bit nervous but instead of breaking and slowing down, I decided to just let go and enjoy it! The place we had our flying adventure is called “Da Flying Monkey Canopy Tour” and they just happen to be looking for a female guide…could it be that my new calling is this? Could I maybe give sex ed classes while ziplining? They’re somewhat related. A helmet is kind of like a condom. If you don’t wear a helmet you get a bump on your head. If you don’t wear a condom you get a bump in your belly. Totally related.

January 5, 2013

Ate my first mango from my very own mango tree. I shared it with two of my neighbors, aged 5 and 10. We ate it lightly salted, as it was still a bit acidic.

January 9^th

“You are an explorer. Your mission is to document and observe the world around you as if you've never seen it before. Take notes. Collect things you find on your travels. Document your findings. Notice patterns. Copy. Trace. Focus on one thing at a time. Record what you are drawn to.”

My exploring days here in Nicaragua are coming to a close. 2 years ago I started this amazing journey and it is 2 months away from being done. It’s so strange. It is something that I had wanted to do for so long and now I've done it. In 2 months I will ring the bell, symbolizing the close of my Peace Corps service and the time to move on to something new. The good thing about life is that although I’m done being in Nicaragua right now, there’s a lot more out there to explore and know.

Guest Post from Dad!

Now it feels like I am back—

Cold,rainy and on a bus where the windows are closed and with no chance of chickens-

In Nicaragua its always hot  and bright with a great probability of chickens—

I visited  not really knowing what to expect but for the joy of seeing my little girl

I found that and much more as Nicaragua is a beautiful place with very friendly people-

It surprised me from the beginning –I walked off the plane and into the airport and

Found a huge Christmas tree with all the lights and trimmings---

Our hotel the first night was across the street from the airport and so

I got introduced to Nicaraguan traffic---fast busy crowded---

Next day we took two buses –first to chinendega and then onto corinto

Not so fast but busy and crowded---

We spent the first 3 days in corinto-her home town—

Was able to see my daughter work at a pool hall tournament

That she had organized with her fellow workers-

Was amazed to watch her take the microphone and with great ease

Go into her talk about aids-how its transmitted and the proper use of condoms-

Talk about coming to the realization she isn’t a little girl anymore real quick—

I also loved walking around Corinto and getting stared at a lot and listening

To people yelling out kati Kati kati to her as we walk—my daughter the celebrity

I learned in corinto that we have it all wrong when we walk by someone

We know and say hello ---there you say hello when you intend to stop and

Talk—but if you are just walking buy and are not stopping and just greeting them

You just say Bye—which makes sense

So bye Corinto and then onto Masetepe-

We stayed at a really nice Hostel—which is basically a B and B(bed and breakfast) here-

Air conditioning-two beds-tv with cable-hot water shower and free breakfast—25.00 a night

We went to la laguna de apoyo-a lake formed by a nearby volcano-

Quite beautiful---got our picture taken together-

I almost slid off the mountain-now you know where the awkward gringa gets her awkwardness-

It was very beautiful-if you ever come to Nicaragua make sure you bring some kind

Of panoramic camera—well worth it-and there is some good shopping here

Also got to meet Kates initial host family-they were so happy to see her and me too-

I got to thank them for taking good care of my little girl-then onto Granada

Granada is probably the most touristry city in Nicaragua-

It has great colonial era type of building-many interesting cathedrals-

A nice park with food and souveneers along with artist both in the park and

In some of the surrounding buildings –a dormant volcano Mombacho

And a street I found while wondering around-that is about 20 blocks long lined

With stores on both sides selling just about anything you want-where you will probably be

The only gringo on the street—this is also where you start being followed by little kids

Begging for your change-you are not suppose to give them any because there is no way

To know where its going-I saw a child of about 14 sniffing glue(a big problem here I am told)

Walk up to what looked like 9 year olds-engage in a conversation and then the kids took money from

Their pockets and gave it to the older boy---so as hard as it is to resist its probably a good idea—

The week I was there was the days prior to the feast of the Immaculate Conception so

Every night of the week –there would be a statue being paraded around town with a band –

Till late(one time it was 1 am and fire works) and the next morning they were at it at 530am—

It’s a really fun and safe city---If you go to the volcano don’t walk down like I did-its only about 5 miles

But its all on a very steep incline and your thighs will hurt for days to come—unless you like this

So I really loved Nicaragua and had a great time with my not so little girl—

Only negative was never did get to ride a bus with chickens!!!!

Dad in Nica

 "Your dad is cool. He is just a cool guy."
That's pretty much what everyone who met my Dad had to say about him. While I was running an HIV themed pool tournament or giving the pre-test counseling for HIV tests, he was just wandering around, chatting with people. While I was in my close of service training in Granada, he was exploring Volcan Mombacho making new friends with people from all over the world.

But don't worry; we had lots of time to hang out together and for him to really get to know "my Corinto". We went to the beach and ate fish with its head and eyeballs still on. He walked the beach looking for shells and other gadgets. One cockroach came out while we were staying at my house, but he did get to see multiple lizards and ants. I think he was impressed by the work that we're doing here; the HIV events and testing and all of the relationships that I've made.It's just such an amazing thing to be able to introduce our families here in

It's just such an amazing thing to be able to present your family from home to your family here in Nicaragua. My Dad got to meet my host family in Corinto, everyone I work with from Peace Corps and local Nicas and he got to meet my host family from training in Masatepe. He got to experience the Nicaraguan buses, the pedicabs of Corinto and the mototaxis of Masatepe. 

I honestly could not have asked for a better trip. My Dad got to see exactly how I live here, while mixing in a lot of relaxation, beautiful views and a couple of spa treatments. It's going to be extremely difficult to say goodbye tomorrow, but we'll be seeing each other in 6 months. I will be looking forward to that.