Getting into Nicaragua a little late, I made my way through customs and immigration. Outside, there were hoards of people shoved up against the glass doors, looking for loved ones. There was a moment of panic when my phone wouldn't connect and I realized I didn't know what Antoni looked like, and vice versa. Luckily, I was wearing a shirt with a Colorado flag on it, and I noticed a man looking hard at me. His little piece of paper said "Karlie" and I was instantly relieved. After grabbing my bag, Antoni and I started on our journey from Managua to Rivas. His English was minimal, as was my Spanish, but we managed to make small talk before settling into our drive. I always struggle with arriving to a destination at night, as I am trying to take in all sights, which is difficult in the dark. After a relatively uneventful drive, although we get did stopped at a police road block, we arrived at the hotel at midnight. I was exhausted from the trip so I fell into bed, to wake up at 6am and start the day.
The next morning, after a breakfast of coffee, eggs and toast, we all piled into the van to head to the school. This is the first trip for many of our kids and I am interested to see how they grow. There is still a lot of youth and immaturity, not in a bad way, but just something I notice. In Cambodia, we had 3 weeks to mold and grow their minds, I hope that they are at least curious enough to keep coming on these trips and maturing.
The first day at the school was overwhelming, as first experiences always are. Being in a new situation, in a foreign language, with so many different variables is a lot to handle, especially after not much sleep. I started out with a tour, and began where I am most comfortable, the preschool. I sat and drew pictures with Victor, a little boy with down syndrome. We read books, which was good for me to practice basic Spanish while the kids practiced basic words. Although some kids at the school are very friendly and loving, some are shy and take some time to adjust. I slowly made my way through the different classrooms, meeting different children and doing my best to communicate. I felt quite lost with the children who are deaf, as I know no sign language. In the next few days I am going to have to work extra hard to learn some words so I can communicate. I have been practicing my name. There is also a sweet little boy named Jesus, who is blind. He is so insanely smart and asks so many questions to paint pictures in his mind. Alexis, one of our students, let him play on a keyboard and I think he fell in love. A handyman actually changed a light socket in his classroom to a plug so that he could play piano more often.
After the students went home for the day, I took three of our student volunteers on a home visit. The first home we went to belonged a mother, her boyfriend, and her 6 year old son, Elgine. Elgine was about the size of a 2 or 3 year old. He has Motor skills disabilities, but he has no problem mentally. He was very shy, but didn't stop smiling the entire time we were there. His mom hasn't sent him to school yet because he does not have a birth certificate, although it is something she is working on. She does not work, she stays at home and takes care of Elgine, her companion makes the household income to support the family. Their home was made of brick, but very basic, one room, an outhouse and an outdoor room to shower. They use well water for bathing, and borrow water from their neighbors for drinking. Their diet consists of beans, rice and cheese. The mother was quite young, and seemed as though she did have plans for getting Elgine into school and physical therapy.
The second home visit was of an 11 year old girl, Hennessey, who suffers from a "brain paralysis", as it was described to us. She also has heart problems, which requires medication that weakens her immune system. She was just hospitalized for a week due to pneumonia. Hennessey's stepfather has renal failure, so he works very little. Crystal, our translator explained to her mom that if Hennessey were to go school, she could go to work to support her ailing family. It was very hard to decipher whether or not Hennessey knew what was going on. She didn't respond to sounds but did respond to touch. I don't know how much was reactive and how much was recognized.
It is too soon for me to know for sure, but there is a part of me that worries that these home visits will reveal laziness on the part of the parents. The children may be disabled, but the parents have a responsibility to still care for the child, give them physical therapy and do the best they can. I understand that money and resources are limited, but even spending one day at the school, which is free for the students, shows that change and improvement is attainable. I don't feel like I will have enough time here.
