This title derives from what I’m doing at this present moment as I write this blog on my computer that is worlds away from wireless internet. I’m watching TV with my host family like every night: telenovelas, which translates into soap-operas. But these are like the ones we have in the US where the characters of Hope and Brady from Days of Our Lives never (including their faces that are hard as rocks from botox) change, believe me I started watching that as a newborn. So unlike some soap-opera’s in the US that stay running for twenty or more years the ones here are written for a much shorter period of time, around 4-6 months. They come in “chapters” and tonight (yes tonight) is the last chapter of Madre Luna. And here is my last “chapter” of Nicaragua.
A lot has happened since you’ve last read I’m sure. I’ve dined at the fine TGI Fridays with the press secretary of President Daniel Ortega, Dr. Paul we call him. I’ve entertained my mom and aunt for a week. I’ve pulled a few all nighters or something close to that. I’ve tried to work. I’ve sent a lot of text messages…
The story I really want to tell you and write it down for future use is an experience I had just last week. I get to work at 9am like always and my supervisor is not there so I sit and wait. I’m not waiting one minute and the boss of the environmental department comes in and says, “Jackie you want to do something?” Of course I quickly agree and next thing I know I’m in a truck with another man who works in the office with me. We go to an elementary school called Enrique Schmitt and round up about 30 ten year olds. We only had the one truck which had a front and back seat as well as the empty bed in the back. In the front seat with me were four girls. In the backseat were easily ten if not more girls. The back of the truck was overflowing with the rest of them. I still have no idea what we are doing but the truck takes off and keep a pretty slow pace as to not loose any kids. We ended up driving to the highway at the entrance of Ciudad Sandino. Now this is a major four lane highway that has a thin median separating the two lanes from the other two lanes. The kids feel out of the truck quite literally while unloading and ran across the highway while truck drivers slammed on their breaks. All down the median strip someone had dug holes about four feet apart for about a fourth of a mile. The kids came to plant trees that were dumped at different intervals along the median. The trees are baby trees that are planted in a black plastic bag for with soil. The kids ripped off the bad filled the hole with the little tree and in some cases filled the hole with extra dirt. The kids were being kids, going crazy and running up and down the median in some cases stepping all over the newly planted trees. Another fault to this project was the black plastic bags the trees came in every single one was left next to the newly planted tree not one kid thought of picking it up. A man who works with me and I started picking the bags up. I thought: Well, we can’t teach the kids how to pick up trash but at least someone is doing it. So we put all the little plastic black bags into a larger clear bad to condense the trash. All good so far…wrong. Next thing I know this man hurls the bag of bags over the two lane highway into a bush. Time literally stopped as I watched this bag fly over my head and the highway into this bush. My jaw dropped, I put the most quizzical look on my face and I noticed that the main boss of the environmental department was also watching. I didn’t say anything I just turned around in disgust, hoping someone noticed my silent reaction. I kept picking up the black plastic bags in another type of silent protest.
I think this story is a good example of how people here really only have their jobs because they get a pay check. I talked to my project coordinator about it and she agrees that is usually the case but assured me my supervisor (who wasn’t at the tree planting site) is very different. I agree with her. I’ve been with my supervisor for eight weeks and she always looks for a trashcan to throw her trash into even though I must admit it’s very inconvenient, always. In summary if I can summarize a whole country’s environmental condition and problem is that of trash pure and simple. It is a part of the culture, no one is taught to use a trashcan. It is a part of the culture that needs to change but saying and doing are two separate things. This will take decades to change.
As for the infamous absorption tanks…the holes have been dug by a majority of the beneficiaries but we have been sitting and waiting for the hormigon (red sand filter) for three, count them, three weeks. I literally heard “tomorrow” “tomorrow” for three weeks. Maybe I should have been more forceful, but that’s easier said then done when you are also trying to build a repertoire with the people with whom you work. I sit here on the eve of my last day working at the Alcaldía who today told me “tomorrow” …again. My supervisor and a friend of ours also invited me out to a farewell lunch on my last day. I accepted with the pretense of: I will only eat if the hormigon is delivered; otherwise I’m going on a hunger strike. Humor with a touch of sincerity may just do the trick?
21.7.08
Description of where I Live Work and Play:
I live in a small four bedroom two bathroom house, but we only use three bedrooms and one bathroom. We have a living room and a room that is more or less designated for my host mom’s salon, nail painting and hair cutting. We have a small kitchen that has a refrigerator, stove and countertop. We have a back porch area that has a table that we sometimes eat at on the weekends when there is nothing good on television. Past the porch there is the patio that has a concrete floor but has two trees growing also. There in the left corner is the only sink in the house where we do all the washing of dishes and clothes. To the right on the patio are clothes lines where we hang our clothes to dry.
I work in the nicest building in Ciudad Sandino. There are actually two buildings both have two floors and are connected by a walkway on the second floor. It’s protected by a gate and a guard station but anyone can walk in and out. The environmental office is on the second floor in the right hand corner. This office consists of three cubicles and there is another desk/office in the main open part of the office. The walls are white and the trim of the cubicles is a dark wood.
Since I’m working on this absorption tank project part of my job site is in Oro Verde which is a community on a hill side across from the entrance of Ciudad Sandino. They mainly have dirt streets but there are two main streets that are “paved” with cement blocks. Generally it’s a mixture of home types. There are nicer ones with tile entrances and then there are ones with dirt floors. These two homes could be found right next to each other, I’m not sure how this happens. All the homes are close together and the people of the community are generally friendly.
Where I play? Well most weekends we take trips to other cities like Granada, San Juan del Sur, Masaya, Jinotega, Leon, etc. That’s where I do most of my playing. But I also have some downtime and special experiences here in Ciudad Sandino. My neighbor, Paola, is 13 and one of my host sister’s friends. She is super mature for a 13 yr old and I enjoy hanging out with her…plus her dad works for an import company so he brings home boxes of samples like snikers, twix, juices ….you know “good ole USA” stuff. She invited me and my sister to the opera in the National Theatre in Managua the other night. That was quite an event. She had free tickets because her music teacher was playing in the orchestra. The show was Madame Butterfly and it was pretty amazing to say the least and my first opera experience ever…I know Signe would be jealous. I’m pretty sure we were the only people from Ciudad Sandino as there were famous new casters there and other rich and famous Nicaraguans. My host sister dressed me again and they some how found 5 inch heals that fit my big foot and I WORE them, I almost fell…a lot. But it was fun none the less.
Where else do I play? Usually once a week two other interns here in C.S. and I go out to ice cream and talk about our week. I took my sister and Paola out to a fair the other night and they convinced me to get on a mechanical bull where 100s of Nicaraguans were watching as I almost fell on my face…but my sister promised to do it if I did it, so she got on it too, but rode it more gracefully. I also went with Paola and my host sister’s choir to a town outside of Managua to attend a special mass and enjoy the concert my sister’s choir was giving. That was super fun and I got to meet some more people who live around my area. I basically take any opportunity I’m given because I know the other option is to sit at home and be a tasty feast for some zancudos…which is another word for mosquitoes in Spanish. I wrote an ode to them:
Los Zancudos
You bite
You suck
I’m out of luck
I see you
Hordes of you
Hovering
Landing
Playing tag
I’m watching you
You can’t get me
Covered by the net that protects war torn skin
You’re out of luck
So that’s how I play…
I work in the nicest building in Ciudad Sandino. There are actually two buildings both have two floors and are connected by a walkway on the second floor. It’s protected by a gate and a guard station but anyone can walk in and out. The environmental office is on the second floor in the right hand corner. This office consists of three cubicles and there is another desk/office in the main open part of the office. The walls are white and the trim of the cubicles is a dark wood.
Since I’m working on this absorption tank project part of my job site is in Oro Verde which is a community on a hill side across from the entrance of Ciudad Sandino. They mainly have dirt streets but there are two main streets that are “paved” with cement blocks. Generally it’s a mixture of home types. There are nicer ones with tile entrances and then there are ones with dirt floors. These two homes could be found right next to each other, I’m not sure how this happens. All the homes are close together and the people of the community are generally friendly.
Where I play? Well most weekends we take trips to other cities like Granada, San Juan del Sur, Masaya, Jinotega, Leon, etc. That’s where I do most of my playing. But I also have some downtime and special experiences here in Ciudad Sandino. My neighbor, Paola, is 13 and one of my host sister’s friends. She is super mature for a 13 yr old and I enjoy hanging out with her…plus her dad works for an import company so he brings home boxes of samples like snikers, twix, juices ….you know “good ole USA” stuff. She invited me and my sister to the opera in the National Theatre in Managua the other night. That was quite an event. She had free tickets because her music teacher was playing in the orchestra. The show was Madame Butterfly and it was pretty amazing to say the least and my first opera experience ever…I know Signe would be jealous. I’m pretty sure we were the only people from Ciudad Sandino as there were famous new casters there and other rich and famous Nicaraguans. My host sister dressed me again and they some how found 5 inch heals that fit my big foot and I WORE them, I almost fell…a lot. But it was fun none the less.
Where else do I play? Usually once a week two other interns here in C.S. and I go out to ice cream and talk about our week. I took my sister and Paola out to a fair the other night and they convinced me to get on a mechanical bull where 100s of Nicaraguans were watching as I almost fell on my face…but my sister promised to do it if I did it, so she got on it too, but rode it more gracefully. I also went with Paola and my host sister’s choir to a town outside of Managua to attend a special mass and enjoy the concert my sister’s choir was giving. That was super fun and I got to meet some more people who live around my area. I basically take any opportunity I’m given because I know the other option is to sit at home and be a tasty feast for some zancudos…which is another word for mosquitoes in Spanish. I wrote an ode to them:
Los Zancudos
You bite
You suck
I’m out of luck
I see you
Hordes of you
Hovering
Landing
Playing tag
I’m watching you
You can’t get me
Covered by the net that protects war torn skin
You’re out of luck
So that’s how I play…
Maybe I’m just lost in translation…
I complained about their work ethic and then I come back after winning the grant proposal while being on vacation with my mom and aunt and half of what we agreed to do next week was done while I wasn’t there...So they, or at least my supervisor, does get down to business, which I did know but it’s in spurts. I could look at this situation of things being done when I wasn’t there in several ways…1. It is a more sustainable project because it’s being implemented Nicaraguans 2. Do they really know what’s best for this project? 3. Do I really know what’s best for this project?
I try to outweigh any doubts about any project, especially this one, with hope and faith: everything WILL work out. So I jumped on that train of thought from day one when I was given this project to work on. After talking to my mom and aunt who have lots more life experience and are a bit more mechanical they were raising questions that I had tried to answer but couldn’t so I banked on hope and faith…again. But I do have to face these issues my supervisor sometimes seems to ignore. These issues include: 1.What happens when the tank is full? 2. What happens to the waste material being poured down the drain?
Well my questions got answered by an unexpected source. On the last day of vacation with my mom and aunt we got WAY off the beaten path and back in the rainforest of Nica we met a professor and eight students from University of Portland who for two weeks had been traveling around Nica and visiting a variety of development projects. They were spending these last three days writing a collaborative paper about their findings, which were more sustainable etc. First off, I wanted to be in their class. Secondly we caught this professor at just the right moment and he was super excited to learn about my absorption tank project. AND HE KNEW ABOUT THE TANKS. He answered all my questions and doubts and told me how the materials and design worked. He gave me his unconditional support and I felt good. He also had two student aids for translation etc. who were prior Peace Corps volunteers. One of them had also done a similar project in Guatemala and willingly gave me contact information to learn more about a simple device that can built to strain out food materials. To say the very least it was a very productive conversation that included a side of grad school possibilities…of course.
So I get back to Ciudad Sandino and we aren’t following the work plan laid out and agreed upon while writing the grant. That’s annoying but I shouldn’t get caught up in that. (Hopefully this happens a lot) Instead let’s concentrate on the people, why I’m here: relationships, bettering and empowering people’s lives. I don’t doubt that it will happen, because I’ve already seen it happen, but let’s do more…
I’m excited about the last three weeks, I have a focus. I get to watch change in progress. I get to be behind and on the scenes.
As for this weekend though my colors are black and red…it’s a celebration of sorts and you can google it if you really want to know…
I try to outweigh any doubts about any project, especially this one, with hope and faith: everything WILL work out. So I jumped on that train of thought from day one when I was given this project to work on. After talking to my mom and aunt who have lots more life experience and are a bit more mechanical they were raising questions that I had tried to answer but couldn’t so I banked on hope and faith…again. But I do have to face these issues my supervisor sometimes seems to ignore. These issues include: 1.What happens when the tank is full? 2. What happens to the waste material being poured down the drain?
Well my questions got answered by an unexpected source. On the last day of vacation with my mom and aunt we got WAY off the beaten path and back in the rainforest of Nica we met a professor and eight students from University of Portland who for two weeks had been traveling around Nica and visiting a variety of development projects. They were spending these last three days writing a collaborative paper about their findings, which were more sustainable etc. First off, I wanted to be in their class. Secondly we caught this professor at just the right moment and he was super excited to learn about my absorption tank project. AND HE KNEW ABOUT THE TANKS. He answered all my questions and doubts and told me how the materials and design worked. He gave me his unconditional support and I felt good. He also had two student aids for translation etc. who were prior Peace Corps volunteers. One of them had also done a similar project in Guatemala and willingly gave me contact information to learn more about a simple device that can built to strain out food materials. To say the very least it was a very productive conversation that included a side of grad school possibilities…of course.
So I get back to Ciudad Sandino and we aren’t following the work plan laid out and agreed upon while writing the grant. That’s annoying but I shouldn’t get caught up in that. (Hopefully this happens a lot) Instead let’s concentrate on the people, why I’m here: relationships, bettering and empowering people’s lives. I don’t doubt that it will happen, because I’ve already seen it happen, but let’s do more…
I’m excited about the last three weeks, I have a focus. I get to watch change in progress. I get to be behind and on the scenes.
As for this weekend though my colors are black and red…it’s a celebration of sorts and you can google it if you really want to know…
9.7.08
A typical week in the office
I sit at work in my second story office cubicle (oh
yes they have cubicles in Nicaragua) typing this. My days in the Environmental Department of the Mayor’s office are quite interesting and always a little different.
Some of the most entertaining days were a few days ago when I started writing my grant. (I may combine events from different days into one day just to make this a more enjoyable story.) I was pretty serious about getting the grant proposal done and my supervisor was a little more lax about the subject, which I understand now because we were starting it a week and a half in advance which is almost unheard of in Nica. Anyways I hardly had more than 2 minutes of her attention at a time because she kept getting called out of the cubicle or receiving a visitor or painting her nails or getting a phone call or text messaging or chatting or gossiping or the best one is when she calls multiple reunions in her office to sell Avon products to her fellow building members. Needless to say the first few days of grant writing showed little fruit.
It’s hard to work with someone in Spanish on a proposal that they will have a large role in but you’re writing it for a group of funders who want to see certain things. Basically I’m the middle man. Therefore I have to talk my supervisor, Jazmina, into doing certain things and hoping we actually complete them if the grant is accepted. Just imagine a group partner who thinks in a completely different way than you do, sometimes doesn’t listen to what you say and there is a language barrier. It’s rough.
One day we had a visitor, a friend who often drives us around in his truck or car. He is in his 50s and is also an engineer for the Mayor’s office. I’m not sure what the main purpose of the visit was but he ended up explaining to Jazmina and me how one can run their shower water into the absorption tank in the ground. He draws a picture to better explain his description and he goes as far as to draw a very voluptuous woman in the shower. He did it out of humor, of course, so we all had a good laugh. I think I laughed the hardest because of the awkwardness of it all, a colleague of mine drawing a naked woman…that would never happen in the US…I don’t think…
And that basically sums a day in the life of Jackie, but more so my last week of work.
yes they have cubicles in Nicaragua) typing this. My days in the Environmental Department of the Mayor’s office are quite interesting and always a little different.
Some of the most entertaining days were a few days ago when I started writing my grant. (I may combine events from different days into one day just to make this a more enjoyable story.) I was pretty serious about getting the grant proposal done and my supervisor was a little more lax about the subject, which I understand now because we were starting it a week and a half in advance which is almost unheard of in Nica. Anyways I hardly had more than 2 minutes of her attention at a time because she kept getting called out of the cubicle or receiving a visitor or painting her nails or getting a phone call or text messaging or chatting or gossiping or the best one is when she calls multiple reunions in her office to sell Avon products to her fellow building members. Needless to say the first few days of grant writing showed little fruit.
It’s hard to work with someone in Spanish on a proposal that they will have a large role in but you’re writing it for a group of funders who want to see certain things. Basically I’m the middle man. Therefore I have to talk my supervisor, Jazmina, into doing certain things and hoping we actually complete them if the grant is accepted. Just imagine a group partner who thinks in a completely different way than you do, sometimes doesn’t listen to what you say and there is a language barrier. It’s rough.
One day we had a visitor, a friend who often drives us around in his truck or car. He is in his 50s and is also an engineer for the Mayor’s office. I’m not sure what the main purpose of the visit was but he ended up explaining to Jazmina and me how one can run their shower water into the absorption tank in the ground. He draws a picture to better explain his description and he goes as far as to draw a very voluptuous woman in the shower. He did it out of humor, of course, so we all had a good laugh. I think I laughed the hardest because of the awkwardness of it all, a colleague of mine drawing a naked woman…that would never happen in the US…I don’t think…
And that basically sums a day in the life of Jackie, but more so my last week of work.
27.6.08
Work Ethics
The paper has been completed and I have begun to concentrate on my job here. After a long afternoon on how to write a grant proposal for FSD, I was overwhelmed. There are a lot of pieces that go into a grant and they give us two and a half weeks to write it. The idea of putting in more septic tanks is a good one, however, FSD does not fun infrastructure or aid, which simply giving away septic tanks can be categorized in that way. They want sustainable projects. What does sustainable mean? I’m figuring that out. It means education and ensuring the project continues when the intern (me) is gone. Sustainable also means, under the best circumstances, that it will also need no more money given to it, instead in-country participants will have the means to fund the project in any necessary ways.
So with septic tanks I first have to have the need of the community stated. So we will go around to some 50 or 60 families and survey them both on their knowledge about the disposal of their dirty water and if they would be willing to put forth the labor as long as we are supplying materials. The survey will be a key part to showing the grant funders that the community has interest and a need for septic tanks. Also from this survey we will be able too see what knowledge the community has or doesn’t have about water disposal and septic tanks. Then we will make a brochure about dirty waters and septic tanks that especially hits points not as well known in the community.
Unfortunately this week has been possibly the least productive weeks of my life. I had a fairly full day of work Monday. Tuesday I had an all day trip to Esteli for a meeting. Wednesday I was told not to come in until the afternoon, which I found out was because my supervisor had a meeting all morning. Then I got a phone call today saying to take the rest of the week off because my supervisors child is ill and she doesn’t feel well either. So I basically haven’t worked all week and most of the kids down here with me working 9 hour days are kinda mad at me. But that’s just the way things work here. Even when we are working we are taking a break every hour to paint our fingernails, stare off into space, or eat something. We know we are over-worked in the US and down here they have no one to really answer to and get little work done. Trying to balance these two mindsets and be as productive yet as relaxed as possible is all of our challenge here in Nica these days.
Other than that…a group of us traveled to Granada last weekend and stayed overnight in a hostel. It was a nice weekend together but Granada is a really touristy place that you sometimes can feel like a number with a dollar bill sign. It’s a hard feeling to explain. Like most trips, the place doesn’t matter it’s the company.
Last night (Wednesday) we went out to dinner and dancing to celebrate our coordinator’s (Mariana) birthday as well as an intern’s good-bye party (Katie has been here since Jan. and Wednesday was her last day). It was a very good night. We ate Mexican food and then went to Hipa Hipa, a dance club who were celebrating their ten year anniversary. So it was a great night of celebration. Needless to say when I got the call this morning not to come in today I was slightly relieved since I got in at three in the morning last night. But I give it to all of my friends who got to their jobs at 8am this morning (Thursday).
So with septic tanks I first have to have the need of the community stated. So we will go around to some 50 or 60 families and survey them both on their knowledge about the disposal of their dirty water and if they would be willing to put forth the labor as long as we are supplying materials. The survey will be a key part to showing the grant funders that the community has interest and a need for septic tanks. Also from this survey we will be able too see what knowledge the community has or doesn’t have about water disposal and septic tanks. Then we will make a brochure about dirty waters and septic tanks that especially hits points not as well known in the community.
Unfortunately this week has been possibly the least productive weeks of my life. I had a fairly full day of work Monday. Tuesday I had an all day trip to Esteli for a meeting. Wednesday I was told not to come in until the afternoon, which I found out was because my supervisor had a meeting all morning. Then I got a phone call today saying to take the rest of the week off because my supervisors child is ill and she doesn’t feel well either. So I basically haven’t worked all week and most of the kids down here with me working 9 hour days are kinda mad at me. But that’s just the way things work here. Even when we are working we are taking a break every hour to paint our fingernails, stare off into space, or eat something. We know we are over-worked in the US and down here they have no one to really answer to and get little work done. Trying to balance these two mindsets and be as productive yet as relaxed as possible is all of our challenge here in Nica these days.
Other than that…a group of us traveled to Granada last weekend and stayed overnight in a hostel. It was a nice weekend together but Granada is a really touristy place that you sometimes can feel like a number with a dollar bill sign. It’s a hard feeling to explain. Like most trips, the place doesn’t matter it’s the company.
Last night (Wednesday) we went out to dinner and dancing to celebrate our coordinator’s (Mariana) birthday as well as an intern’s good-bye party (Katie has been here since Jan. and Wednesday was her last day). It was a very good night. We ate Mexican food and then went to Hipa Hipa, a dance club who were celebrating their ten year anniversary. So it was a great night of celebration. Needless to say when I got the call this morning not to come in today I was slightly relieved since I got in at three in the morning last night. But I give it to all of my friends who got to their jobs at 8am this morning (Thursday).
14.6.08
Well I’ve been in Nicaragua for a week now and I haven’t seen the internet for about 5 days. Anyways, we’ve had about 5 days of orientation (in which I spent a day and a half with my friend Brendan, who was in Bolivia with me) and now we are with our families. I’m currently typing this up in my living room while my host dad watches boxing. We just finished a “competitive” few rounds of virtual billiards, a game program that came with the television. My family is a mom, dad and 17 year old daughter. They all are really great and complimented me on my Spanish, so I’m feeling good about that. Living conditions are interesting…not as nice as the kids (Megan and Kate) have in Masaya (about an hour down the road). I have so many bug bits that I don’t have the courage to count them for fear I will hit triple digits. So I may get dengue or malaria…we’ll see. On a happier note, I did get a mosquito net with Winnie the Pooh on it with the resourceful help of my host mom. So tonight will be my first night sleeping under it, hopefully it’ll work. It’s pretty hot here…no, it is very hot here, all the time, constant sweat (and itch for me).
I start “work” Monday. Besides not knowing where I’m going or who I ask for when I get there, my real concern right now is this 20 page paper I have due for a professor who took me to Colorado in late May. Doing research and writing 20 pages in uncomfortable conditions is a very intimidating situation and therefore I have waited until the last minute to begin. I just hope I don’t get sick before Friday, when the paper is due. If I do, that could be an extremely sticky (pun intended) situation. Plus I was served and ate lettuce tonight, which could be foreshadowing the days to come. Positive thinking could prevent any unwanted mid-night wake-up calls.
On a lighter note, the coordinators are really great. There are three, two from Nica and one from Puerto Rico who went to college in New York. They are all very different from one another, which is refreshing to see different points of views and such.
Gracias por leer. Thanks for reading…hopefully and I do not doubt more stories (probably funny) to come.
Hope all is well state-side or wherever you may be reading from.
I start “work” Monday. Besides not knowing where I’m going or who I ask for when I get there, my real concern right now is this 20 page paper I have due for a professor who took me to Colorado in late May. Doing research and writing 20 pages in uncomfortable conditions is a very intimidating situation and therefore I have waited until the last minute to begin. I just hope I don’t get sick before Friday, when the paper is due. If I do, that could be an extremely sticky (pun intended) situation. Plus I was served and ate lettuce tonight, which could be foreshadowing the days to come. Positive thinking could prevent any unwanted mid-night wake-up calls.
On a lighter note, the coordinators are really great. There are three, two from Nica and one from Puerto Rico who went to college in New York. They are all very different from one another, which is refreshing to see different points of views and such.
Gracias por leer. Thanks for reading…hopefully and I do not doubt more stories (probably funny) to come.
Hope all is well state-side or wherever you may be reading from.
3.5.08
A New Journey- Una Viaje Nueva
Off again I go!
This time I'm headed to Nicaragua for the whole summer. I received this internship a few months ago through a campus and alumni supported scholarship. I'll be headed down with five other great girls from Gettysburg...including Megan of course! We have all been matched up with different NGOs or other organizations throughout the country. I'll be in Ciudad Sandino with a Dominique. When she's working with public health initiatives, I'll be in the Municipality working on sustainable environmental development. Our specific jobs and projects haven't been mapped out perfectly yet, but I should be working with either reforestation, dirty waters management, composting or recycling. I'm very excited to be involved in any of those projects!
As a part of this internship we have to write weekly updates to Gettysburg and other students doing similar projects, but state-side in Gettysburg. It should be interesting to share with each other our struggles, accomplishments and just beautiful moments we encounter. Therefore I'll probably be using some of my entries from there to put in here, so they should be extra reflective and hopefully exciting reads!
I love all your encouraging words last time, keep it up!
Jackie Sue
This time I'm headed to Nicaragua for the whole summer. I received this internship a few months ago through a campus and alumni supported scholarship. I'll be headed down with five other great girls from Gettysburg...including Megan of course! We have all been matched up with different NGOs or other organizations throughout the country. I'll be in Ciudad Sandino with a Dominique. When she's working with public health initiatives, I'll be in the Municipality working on sustainable environmental development. Our specific jobs and projects haven't been mapped out perfectly yet, but I should be working with either reforestation, dirty waters management, composting or recycling. I'm very excited to be involved in any of those projects!
As a part of this internship we have to write weekly updates to Gettysburg and other students doing similar projects, but state-side in Gettysburg. It should be interesting to share with each other our struggles, accomplishments and just beautiful moments we encounter. Therefore I'll probably be using some of my entries from there to put in here, so they should be extra reflective and hopefully exciting reads!
I love all your encouraging words last time, keep it up!
Jackie Sue
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