My first week in Granada, Nicaragua

After a month in Xalapa (Mexico) - where I enjoyed a bit of quiet time after a very busy year - I finally continued my travels to Granada, Nicaragua. My first challenge: trying to understand why I had to fly to Miami to get to Managua.

Although I could not see the point in that, I got on the plane towards the very busy airport of Miami where I had to answer the same questions as usual: Who are you? What do you do for a living? Where are you going? What will you be doing there?

The flight to Managua went smooth and before I even noticed, I was standing on Nicaraguan soil. Felipe, La Esperanza's regular taxi driver, was waiting for me at the exit with a sign that had my name on it. I immediately recognized him - he's rather difficult to miss, he's one big, but extremely friendly Nicaraguan - and about an hour later he dropped me off at La Casita. It was good to be home. Granada hasn't changed that much since I walked the streets two years ago. Still a lot of horses with carriages, the Calzada remains the place to be and the Nicas are still as friendly and inviting as ever. Granada is a place of contrasts: beautiful, colonial buildings surround the 'parque central' with in the center of town the gorgeous cathedral. However, when you take your time to look around, there are still lots of homeless people, drunk, sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk or street kids with their noses stuck to a glue bottle.

My first week in Granada felt like complete chaos. It always takes me a while before I get used to a new place: the heat, the food, the language, the people - it's easy to underestimate the impact of such big changes. And I'm forgetting the most significant change: a new job. As soon as I got here, I went to talk with Pauline Jackson, Operations Director at La Esperanza Granada, and she told me that I would soon be taking on the job as Volunteer Coordinator. This means that the many volunteers that arrive every week will soon be my responsibility. A major challenge! Next week, I also start working as an English teacher at the local university UHISPAM, an extra challenge I am willing to take on.

It was the perfect moment to arrive to Granada. Each year around this time, the people of Granada celebrate the 'Hípica', a beautiful horse parade, for which all Granadinos leave their houses to celebrate together on the street. The Parque Central and the streets around it, were all packed with people, Nicaraguans and foreigners, who came to enjoy the festive atmosphere that surrounds this centuries-old tradition.

La Esperanza Granada - Who? What? Where? How?

For those who've just decided to have a look at this blog, I would like to introduce the NGO that I am currently working with: La Esperanza Granada. Two years ago, I completed an internship with them and in those three months I spent in Granada, I only got a small taste of what this organization does, who's involved, how they work and where they are present. On August 7th, I arrived in Granada once more with the idea to spend about a year here getting to know the daily ups and downs of an NGO. It is my intention to report regularly on the projects and initiatives this organization develops to improve the educational situation in the poorest 'barrios' of Granada.

"Lack of education is the problem
Volunteers are the means 
Children are the future" 

La Esperanza Granada is a non-governmental organization (NGO) funded by individuals, groups, schools, etc. that provides opportunities and resources to improve the educational situation in the poorest neighborhoods on the outskirts of Granada, Nicaragua.

Who?

La Esperanza Granada was founded in 2002 by a group of travelers who wanted to do something for the poor communities of Granada. At first, the objectives were far from clear or concrete: rebuild roads, provide water, help local businesses, provide medical care, etc. As the number of volunteers increased, education became the main focus. Over the years La Esperanza changed into a recognized NGO headed by a Board of Directors existing of both Nicaraguan and foreign members. At any given moment, the organization counts on a large number of volunteers from all over the world. Volunteers are the life and soul of La Esperanza. It is them who keep the organization going.

What?

La Esperanza's main focus is on primary education. In Nicaragua about 85% of all children go to primary school. This means that there is still a large number of children that do not go to school at all. The quality of education remains a big problem. A Nicaraguan child takes about 10 years to finish the 6 years of compulsory education. Only 40% of the kids who go to school, finish primary school.

At this moment, more than 2000 kids go to school thanks to the efforts of La Esperanza Granada. Below an overview of what La Esperanza Granada does exactly:

• One-on-one Tutoring in primary schools
• English and Computer classes
• Purchase of school materials, sports materials, etc.
• Renovation of school buildings and school materials
• Construction of new classrooms and new schools
• Extra teachers
• Scholarships for highschool students
• University Scholarship Program (Ayudantes)
• Medical Care (dentist, eye examination, etc.)

Where?

La Esperanza Granada is actively present in different barrios on the outskirts of Granada. The map below shows the poverty level of the city center and the communities surrounding the city. LEG currently sends volunteers to five different barrios, most of which have a pink color on the map, meaning that the inhabitants live in situations of extreme poverty. Only the city center (yellow area) has a relatively low level of poverty.

© http://www.inide.gob.ni/censos2005/CifrasMun/tablas_cifras.htm

How?

La Esperanza Granada receives donations from ex-volunteers and other donors who usually have a certain connection to the organization. All funds go directly towards the different projects. Thanks to the frequent cooperation with schools and universities, La Esperanza is able to count on a large number of student groups who come to work on a variety of projects. This way the NGO is able to develop larger and more significant projects, such as the construction of new classrooms.

Furthermore, La Esperanza makes sure there is one Ayudante, i.e. a Nicaraguan university student, present at each school to support the volunteers. To be able to provide this support, the NGO has set up the 'Ayudante Program', a scholarship program at university level for which the student or ayudante works at one of the schools during the week and goes to class during the weekend. La Esperanza pays the university fees, school materials, uniform and everything that is necessary to offer the student every opportunity to complete his university studies. Two ayudantes were recently hired as full-time coordinators: Karen as the administrative coordinator and Donald as volunteer coordinator.

© La Esperanza Granada

Time to say goodbye

Sunday, 30 June 2013 - It was quite painful to get up this morning. The fact that I went to Couleur Café the night before my big departure to see my friends one last time, may not have been my best idea ever. I did enjoy every minute of it and it was worth the suffering. It felt good to see everyone again. This past week I spent every day running around town just to get everything ready and in the evenings I enjoyed the company of family and friends.

Suddenly the week came at its end. Sunday morning 5AM I hear the alarm clock. A refreshing shower, a quick look to see whether I packed everything, still trying to stuff as much as possible into my hand luggage. An empty room ... I thought it would feel strange. I don't have the feeling though that I'm really leaving everything behind. I always said that I would leave this place one day. This is just the next step. No time to stand still or look back. I always rejected the idea that every single person has to follow the same road on their way to fulfillment and happiness. I'll look for it elsewhere ...

Travel Itinerary

For many of you it remains quite unclear where I'm actually headed. Therefore, I decided to give a short overview of the different stops on the way. Sunday morning I departed from Brussels Midi, took a train to Paris from where I flew to Mexico City. I'll be staying here with a couple of friends before I take a bus to Xalapa, Veracruz, a small city in the Gulf of Mexico. Here, I'll be visiting my host family from four years back. I'm planning on spending a month with them. My host mom, Conchita, has arranged for me to work at a local school for kids with Down-syndrome. After a month I'll continue my travels to Granada, Nicaragua - my final destination ... for now.

I came to Central America to get some experience with development cooperation, more specifically in the field of education. It is not just a way to do something meaningful for others, it also offers me the chance to learn. I therefore consider this experience as a great added value to my future. At the moment I'm working with La Esperanza Granada on their educational projects. It is my intention to spend at least a couple of months participating in the everyday activities of the NGO and to help dedicate the funds that we raised (currently €5725) to decent and sustainable projects. All information concerning these projects will be put on this blog, so stay tuned!

First Stop: Mexico D.F.

On Sunday 30 June 2013, I took the TGV from Brussels to Paris. At the Charles de Gaulle Airport I spent about five hours waiting to get on the Boeing 747 that would take me to Mexico - very impressive how such a heavyweight is able to take off into the air. After an 11hour flight, I arrived at Mexico D.F. and took a cab to Huixcuilucan where I would spend a couple of days with friends before continuing my trip. First it's time to recover a bit. As soon as I get to Xalapa, I'll bring you some more news. Till then ...