A Fable in the Flesh

The Goods and the Ills

All the Goods were once driven out by the Ills from that common share which they had in the affairs of mankind; for the Ills by reason of their numbers had prevailed to possess the earth. The Goods wafted themselves to heaven and asked for a righteous vengeance on their persecutors. They entreated Jupiter that they might no longer be associated with the Ills, as they had nothing in common and could not live together, but were engaged in unceasing warfare; and that an indissoluble law might be laid down for their future protection. Jupiter granted their request and decreed that henceforth the Ills should visit the earth in company with each other, but that the Goods should one by one enter the habitations of men. Hence it arises that Ills abound, for they come not one by one, but in troops, and by no means singly, while the Goods proceed from Jupiter, and are given, not alike to all, but singly, and separately; and one by one to those who are able to discern them.

Aesop was a wise man.

The stress of going from Pearl Lagoon to Managua and back in a four day period definitely takes its toll on the body; after 14 hours of self-imposed dehydration, heat, dust, and bone-jarring bumps, I arrived in Pearl Lagoon exhausted. Three days later, I had to make another trip – this time to Bluefields. Although the second trip was far less extensive (a one-hour boat ride), it was made in the rain, then followed by a sleepless overnight stay before returning home the next morning. The combined travel resulted in a fresh cold – nothing too bad, but enough to slow me down and make me mildly miserable.

Then I started to feel a pain in my lower left leg. Within two days, my ankle area had become swollen, red, and hot to the touch. Cellulitis! I was prescribed a course of antibiotics and told to notify the Peace Corps Medical Office in the event that the situation failed to improve, or worse. Praying that my infection would not turn out to have been caused by the multi-drug resistant form of a staph bacteria known as MRSA (no more trips to Managua for me, please!), I took my first pill and sat down on the porch with a book to relax.

At which point I was bitten on my palm by a yellow fly, and my hand and arm swelled like a balloon. An itchy, burning balloon. I slathered myself with hydrocortisone and called it a night.

 The next morning, another yellow fly bit the back of my thigh while I was washing clothes outside. Again, massive amounts of swelling and itching. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I thought to myself, as I once again reached for the hydrocortisone.

It’s now a little more than a week later. The effects of the viruses, bacteria, and insects that ganged up on me have faded, and I’m more or less back to normal.

“So where’s the Good?” you’re probably thinking.

Well, just take a look at these awesome sandals I found in Managua! A steal at only $6, they are durable, easy to clean, and (trust me when I say this) quite Nica-rific.

Oh yeah, and my SPA application was accepted!

Words of the Week: Lo bueno y lo malo – the good and the bad

So...what have I been doing, exactly?

During service, every Peace Corps volunteer has the opportunity to apply for grants to assist in the realization of capacity-building projects. The funding mechanisms differ in their focus area, application requirements, and funding limit. For those of us in the health arena here in Nicaragua, there is the Volunteer Activities Support and Training (VAST) mechanism, the Peace Corps Partnership Program (PCPP) mechanism, and the Small Projects Assistance (SPA) mechanism.

The idea behind this provision of monitory support is that, in the right situation, this resource (though relatively small, with a maximum of $10,000 USD in funding) can make a tremendous impact on community development. When we talk about “the right situation” we mean one in which 1) the problem and its solution have been identified and prioritized by the community itself, 2) the community can build on its own strengths and abilities to solve the problem, and 3) that the community can continue to actualize the solution in the absence of external support (the solution is sustainable). To quote the Peace Corps, “A cornerstone of the Peace Corps approach to development is the belief that success is achieved by helping people develop the capacity to use their own skills and resources to improve their lives. Identifying assets and resources from within the community and building on such assets to increase self-reliance and sustainable development are critical elements of the Peace Corps philosophy. While sustainable development efforts depend first and foremost on local commitment, resources, and skills, outside resources may help expand a community’s own asset base and strengthen an activity’s positive impact.”

As anyone who has ever worked on a grant application knows, a lot goes into the process. Writing the application itself can take weeks to months; after a project is identified and developed, one must carefully craft a convincing argument, complete with evidence, as to why that project deserves to be funded. Data is gathered; price quotes collected; letters of commitment from community partners secured; plans, timelines, budgets developed. There are rounds of edits to the draft before the final application is presented to a small grant committee, who reviews the application and determines whether or not it is worthy of funding. Before an application is accepted, however, the volunteer and a relevant colleague must travel to Managua to defend the application before the committee. A successful defense results in a final round of edits, followed by transmittal of application to Washington, DC, where funding is awarded. And then the real work begins.

This all to say that I’ve spent the last few months working with my colleagues on a SPA proposal to implement a series of trainings on three strategies developed by the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health (MINSA) that are designed to prevent maternal and infant morbidity and mortality through an increased understanding of maternal child health and the promotion of institutional care, promote healthy infant and childhood development through proper nutritional practices, and increase women’s knowledge of and access to family planning methods. We’ll be conducting these trainings with over 100 lay community health workers, or “brigadistas,” from three of Pearl Lagoon’s more inaccessible communities. If this project accomplishes what we intend it to do (and we certainly hope it does!), the brigadistas will serve as the communities’ first line of defense in the protection of maternal and child health, working autonomously in places that MINSA cannot reach with any regularity, and keeping MINSA informed of the health of their community members. This is extremely important work, as these communities all suffer from relatively high rates of high risk pregnancies (such as those among adolescents and those who have already birthed numerous children), obstetric emergencies, and childhood malnutrition.

While this is not all that I’ve been doing, it is without a doubt the project I am most excited to be working on. I was in Managua on May 3 to defend the proposal, which went very well. There are still several hurdles to jump, but I’m cautiously optimistic that things will work out. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Words of the Week: recursos – resources, desarrollo - development

Celebrating the Earth

Pearl Lagoon is incredibly rich in natural resources: a lagoon teeming with fish and shellfish, sandy beaches used as nesting sites for three species of sea turtle, rivers of clean fresh water, and fertile soil in which grow coconut, palm, pineapple, yucca, hibiscus, mango, papaya, plantain, Ethiopian apple, pine, rosewood, breadfruit, rose, and a myriad of other flowering and fruit-bearing trees, root vegetables, herbs, and medicinal plants. These resources may seem inexhaustible, but they are in fact in danger of rapid depletion to total destruction. Wood is harvested for housing, furniture, and decorative carvings. Forests are slashed and burned to make way for cattle, or for the sprawling, monoculture palm oil farms. The fish, shrimp, lobster, and turtle populations are being decimated by overfishing. Trash collects in yards, on roadsides, along shorelines, and in rivers. The factories, gas stations, and latrines that lie along the shoreline of the lagoon further pollute the water, affecting the health of local wildlife and community members alike.

Local leaders are trying to take the steps necessary for environmental preservation and replenishment. The going is hard. There is little infrastructure in place to support programs for trash disposal, recycling, and reforestation. Currently, for instance, there is no public trash dump, no vehicles to collect and transport trash, nor facilities to process recyclable materials. Resources are hard to come by, making the development of this infrastructure difficult. The laws instituted to protect local wildlife have been difficult to enforce. But before you start thinking this is simply a sob story, let me tell you about what the community is doing for itself.

Many local farmers are holding on to their lands, and continue traditional crop rotations, enhancing produce variety and maintaining soil fertility. Crops are sold locally.

Many fishermen respect the established fishing seasons for lobster and sea turtle. Many are also discontinuing the traditional practice of collecting turtle eggs for consumption.

University-level students study agroforestry to learn the best techniques and practices for natural resource management. Programs are offered here in Pearl Lagoon, in Orinoco, and in Bluefields. Selecting a career in agroforestry betters the community’s chances of conserving and, in some cases rejuvenating, the natural environment.

Schools teach children about environmental protection and good environmental hygiene. Students learn innovative ways of reusing materials such as plastic bottles, plastic bags, and aluminum cans.

Community members try to keep their neighborhoods well-tended and free of trash. Working together, they clean public spaces: cutting grass, trimming trees, raking, and collecting trash. Trash is buried or burned regularly (perhaps not the best environmental practice, but given the currently limited options, it is the best way to dispose of wastes that may otherwise lead to illnesses such as dengue fever, malaria, hepatitis, leptospirosis, leishmaniasis, diarrheal diseases, parasitic infections, scabies, tetanus, and skin and eye infections.

This past Monday here in Pearl Lagoon, we celebrated Earth Day with a festival that I am proud to say I helped to organize. All of the activities in some way or other allowed us to appreciate our natural resources, and raised awareness of our need to protect them. Working together – farmers, fishermen, students, parents, health professionals, local and national government officials, NGO staff members, volunteers, police officers, faith-based leaders, teachers – this community may be able to bring Pearl Lagoon back to what it was “long ago.”

Word of the week: medioambiente – environment

Auntie Sara

As some of you may know, I'm living with a host family that includes a now three month old baby girl. Allow me to present you to the most beautiful baby in Pearl Lagoon, Lexi Elisa:

And I get to play auntie :)

I Hate Mondongo

There. I said it. Whew! Feels good to get that off my chest.

When you join Peace Corps, you are signing on to live in a foreign country for over two years. You are agreeing to adapt to a new culture; to respect the customs and traditions of your assigned community; and to remain, at the very least, open-minded when encountering local norms that vary from your own. Living in your assigned community, you may start to worry that, in order to properly integrate, you will need to give up who you are – cast aside or hide that which makes you you – in order to be accepted by your neighbors, coworkers, and host family. You may question when to conform, when to reject, and when to tread the line by maintaining your own values while incorporating aspects of the host culture (becoming “bicultural,” so to speak).

After fifteen months of living in Nicaragua, I’ve made some adjustments – picked up some mannerisms, altered some speech patterns, radically changed my diet (to the detriment of my waistline), found new interests and hobbies, developed a taste for country music and reggae. I’ve become a little more patient. A little more willing to sacrifice privacy and personal space. A little more tolerant of noise, dirt, bugs, and chaos. And I think that the people of Pearl Lagoon are coming to know me, accept me, and trust me.

But there are some things I just can’t adjust to. One of them is mondongo: a traditional soup made with the intestines, stomach, and feet of pigs. At its best, I find the soup to be greasy and uninteresting. At its worst, even the smell makes me queasy. The problem is, nearly all of the members of my host family love mondongo, and we eat our meals together. As it is in many other cultures, a woman’s self-worth is, in part, based on her ability to cook and to feed her loved ones. Refusing an offering of food can be seen as a rejection of the cook herself. So, in order to avoid insulting or hurting any feelings, I would eat small amounts of the mondongo each time it was made, begging off a larger portion due to lack of appetite.

That is, until yesterday, when I walked into the house for lunch and was olfactorily assaulted by the smell of boiling pork intestine. I decided then and there: I couldn’t keep living a lie. I needed to tell my family of my mondongo aversion. Sheepishly, I confessed. And you know what? It went well. My relationships with my host family members are strong enough now that there was no offense taken (especially because they know how much I enjoy all the other food they cook). They were only sorry they hadn’t known sooner. So, while everyone else dined on mondongo yesterday, I had a big bowl of beans and plantain.

This is just a small illustration of what I’ve been realizing of late: though I may adopt elements of the local culture, it will never truly be my culture. I will never be a full-fledged Laguneña, because I will always be American, for better or for worse. But that’s okay. No one here wishes me to be something other than myself. Their only true expectation is that I remain respectful of their way of life, regardless of whether or not I personally choose to embrace it.

And, truth be told, there are plenty of native Nicaraguans that don’t like mondongo either.

Words of the Week: cambiar – to change; aguantar – to endure, put up with, withstand

Me Talk Pretty One Day

Learning a new language is a daunting task. Learning two simultaneously is downright frightening. My current speech pattern is a horrendous mixture of American English, Nicaraguan Spanish, and Creole English. It makes me feel linguistically incompetent, but poco a poco it goin get betta, right?

For your enjoyment and enlightenment, I present you with a sample of what I’ve picked up over the last three and a half months. To be clear, what I’m talking about here is Creole English, not the true Creole that some (especially those from the older generations) speak. Many of the words are a direct translation from Spanish, as is the grammatical structure. The true coastal Creole is much more of a departure from my mother tongue, and therefore much harder (and sometimes impossible) for me to understand.

Belong – Used to discuss or identify place of birth (“I belong Detroit”)

Big Belly Woman – Pregnant Woman

Boonka/Boonky – Butt

Clide – Tired/sick of

Cut off – Turn off

Eibo – Almond

Moi – Term of endearment for small children

Pear – Avocado

Pinda – Peanut

Pine – Pineapple

Poonka – Fart

Punch – Strike out (baseball)

Reach – Arrive

Spring Chicken – Frog

Stay – Used to discuss where one is living currently (“I stay Pearl Lagoon”)

Strike – Inject

I continue to struggle with the proper use of pronouns, verb conjugations, question construction, and overall pronunciation, but I’m having fun (which is important too, right?) learning. And when all else fails, I can fall back on my intermediate (though quickly deteriorating) level Spanish. Or speak American English veeerrryyy sloooowly.

Happy Anniversary

…to me! I’ve officially completed one year of service today (NOT April fools!). This past year has been one of small triumphs; big disappointments; moments of joy, frustration, and sadness; self-reflection; and lessons learned. My site change dramatically altered my course of service; it has provided new opportunities, but in many ways it put me back at the beginning. So while technically I am now officially halfway done with my service, I feel like I’m only three months in. There are new friendships to form, new working relationships to establish and grow, new work plans to develop and implement, a new language to learn, and a new culture to adapt to. It’s exhausting, yet exhilarating.

While there are times I still question the wisdom of my decision to pack up my life in the states and join the Peace Corps, overall I’m glad I did. As most returned Peace Corps volunteers will tell you, what makes this experience so worthwhile is not necessarily the work-related activities you will complete during your two years of service, but rather the relationships you will build, the places you will visit, the food you will eat, the music you will listen to, and the all of the everyday occurrences and special events you will witness and take part in as you become integrated into your community. I’m guessing I’ve already changed quite a bit since my arrival in Nicaragua, and no doubt I will change even more by the time I complete my two years of service. Physical wear and tear aside, I hope that these changes have been for the good.

PS – A very happy birthday (tomorrow) to two amazing women in my life: my grandmother, Margaret, and my godmother, Marty!  ¡Felíz cumpleaños, abuelita y madrina!

Word of the week: cambiar – to change