Hello everyone! Lots to write about it seems. The 4th of July came and went in the U.S., and for me the day saw lots of celebration here in Nicaragua, but in the name of a different cause. On that day, a major celebration took place known as the Repliegue Táctico. This is an event which commemorates the anniversary of the guerilla fighters battling Somoza´s National Guard during the revolution in 1979. The Repliegue commemorates a specific instance where the guerilla fighters retreated from the city of Managua to Masaya to reconsolidate before trying to take the city of Managua (http://www.lavozdelsandinismo.com/nicaragua/2007-06-30/por-que-y-como-fue-el-repliegue-a-masaya/). Every year since a walk has been held from Managua to Masaya (approximately 30 kilometers) to commemorate the “tactical retreat”. I attended the event to learn about the historical significance of the Repliegue, and as a cultural learning opportunity. But it was also a much more political laden event than I had anticipated, feeling like a rally for the FSLN and Daniel Ortega supporters.
Nonetheless, it was an exciting day. The event began in the afternoon, as thousands of people crowded the plaza at the Mercado Roberto Huembes in Managua, a market named after another revolutionary fighter. I was there early enough to see everything being set up, as police cleared an area for the stage and soccer games were being played in the parking lot. By 4pm, the plaza was filled with thousands of people, wearing red and black (the colors of the FSLN), waving flags, and celebrating with song and dance. This year, 2009, marked the 30th anniversary of the Repliegue, so things were amplified in scope and degree.
Around 5pm the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, appeared on the stage, along with his wife, Rosario Murillo, the Nicaraguan ambassador to Perú and old time Sandinista, Tomás Borge, and a few others (http://www.presidencia.gob.ni/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=220:marcha-conmemorando-el-30-aniversario-del-repliegue&catid=63:julio-2009&Itemid=54). The group I was with was actually pretty close to the stage front, so despite all of the waving flags we were able to see Ortega and the others in detail. Ortega then opened up with a speech as the crowd quieted down. He talked about the significance of the history here, and he also spoke quite a bit about the situation in Honduras, talking about the importance of supporting Zelaya and reinstating a democratically elected president. Although, I couldn´t help thinking of the irony this presented, since Ortega and his party have been accused of blatant election fraud by numerous international sources (http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12607338) when they came back to power in the last election. Additionally, there was so much rhetoric present, including waving images of Che Guevara and Augusto Sandino, having to do with helping the poor and empowerment of the people, but it just doesn’t fit the reality of his presidency.
That afternoon, before the festivities began, our group had lunch in the market place. It is common, anywhere in Managua or surrounding regions, to be approached for money or food from impoverished men, women and children. As we were finishing our lunch, a young boy, who appeared about 5 or 6 years of age approached and asked quietly for some food. A friend I was with had some remaining beans and rice on her plate and offered it to the boy, who gladly accepted and sat down with us to eat. She asked him his name and age, and everyone in the group was a shocked to hear him say he was 9 years old. We have been realizing that here it can be very difficult to gauge someone´s age. The young people tend to appear much younger than they are, since their bodies often have less than ideal nutritional intake to develop on the same time frame as children in the U.S. or other industrialized nations. Further, the older generation here tends to appear much older than they are, since the hardships, heat, sun and malnutrition exacerbate the impact of aging here. I have talked to 50 year olds who appear 20-30 years older than their stated age. But even considering this, the boy in the market appeared very underdeveloped for a 9 year old. Having to beg for food in the market on a daily basis, it´s easy to understand how that might happen, just hard to palate.
With these kinds of images in my head, from just a few hours earlier, and the political realities of election fraud and corruption, it was a little hard to listen to the “rise poor people of the world” rhetoric stemming from the crowd and stage. But I know this was not a place to speak my mind, I was just there as an observer. I also know that there are other, or former, members of the FSLN party who recognize these contradictions and voice dissenting opinions from Ortega. But at that rally he seemed to still have a pretty strong base of support.
After the speech ended, the crowd of thousands made way, in perfectly chaotic fashion, for the streets leading to the highway towards Masaya. The walk had begun. In addition to the people walking the streets, hundreds of cars, trucks, and buses, packed inside with revelers waving flags and/or speakers blaring nationalist music made their way towards Masaya. There were also lots of motorcycles weaving their way through pedestrians, street stands, and automobiles. The sun had nearly set by this point, since it gets dark here around 6pm, but there was plenty of city and traffic lights all the way back to Masaya. Walking in the cool of the evening was much more preferable to walking that long distance in the heat of the day.
By the time we made it to the highway, the police had closed it to opposing traffic, and there were so many vehicles driving and people walking on the road towards Masaya that the walkers were moving nearly as fast as the vehicles. The walk was memorable, there was so much energy from the masses of people and celebrations, that it felt as though I could have walked forever. It was also a great opportunity to talk to other Nicaraguans. For a good portion of the walk, I traveled alongside a 60 year old man who kept up the pace the whole way. He was a life time resident of Managua and shared with me stories about the revolution, his family, current problems the country faces, etc. Stands along the road side also offered free snacks and coffee to the people walking, which kept us going. A five or six hour walk is a great way to get to know someone!
Along the way, I stopped in the city of Nindirí to watch Ortega pass by. He makes the walk himself every year, although there was debate on whether he would this year since he has developed a heart condition. We finally made it to Masaya around midnight. People gathered in the barrio of Monimbó for a final speech and celebration, and then the tired masses made their way back to their respective homes throughout Nicaragua. It had been quite a day.
Labor y Parto
The following Monday I started my rotation in the labor and delivery portion of the hospital. I was a little nervous going into it, not having any experience in this area, but I told the staff about my reservations and they have been very helpful in explaining everything that goes on and letting me assist in the process as I become comfortable.
It´s a little hard for me to compare my experience in this department to what it might be like in the U.S., since my rotation for maternity nursing is not until this fall semester, but overall it seems like everything gets done that needs to be, i.e., baby comes out of mom, baby stays alive, mom stays alive, everyone goes home (granted a little more complicated than that). Generally, every delivering mother requires the same sort of care, so it feels like we don’t struggle as much for resources as was apparent in the emergency department, where every patient might require different tools and treatment. There have been a few occasions this week that required cesarean deliveries, but these cases are wheeled into the adjoining operating room to be handled by surgical staff and equipment.
The biggest shock for me in working here, as I related to in a previous post, has just been the ages of the mothers. First time mothers seems to range from 13 – 19 pretty commonly, a 19 year old I saw last Thursday was on her third child! But young motherhood tends to be pretty normal here, and in developing nations in general, and there are pros and cons to be mentioned in both respects. Right now I am trying to collect further research data from the patients and staff here to explore the issue on a local level. I may post a little about this in the future as I learn more and just post my final paper here, once it is completed, for anyone that has interest in reading it.
Also, I would be remiss if I didn´t mention how amazing it is to watch a birth. Outside of the blood and drama, it´s amazing to see a new born child as they take their first breath. One side of me feels a lot of hope for the potential that this one new person can assume, and another part of me feels fearful, knowing the struggles they may have to endure, especially here in Nicaragua. But at some point all you can do is hope and pray…
Alright, that looks about all I have time to write about today. I´ll try and buy another disposable camera soon so I can post some more pictures in the next couple of weeks. Take care all...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Photo 19
Okay, here´s the last photo I am going to be able to publish for at least the next week or two, since I am out of film. But this is the Mirador de Tisey. From Estanzuela we walked about 12km up the mountain where there is a great viewppoint that overlooks the valley in all directions. Unfortunately, I could only fit a narrow point of that view in this photo, but it gives you some idea of the natural beauty here.
Photo 18
A small crop field, not sure what is being cultivated here, but in this region crops like coffee, tobacco, and potatos are grown.
Photo 17
A local caballero gearing up on a Saturday morning to move a small cattle herd from one pasture to another.
Photo 16
"El salto de Estanzuela!" The town generates a little income by charging tourists 15 cordobas (75 cents) to pass along the trail that leads to this waterfall. The pool is deep enough to swim in, and there are also several smaller waterfalls upstream.
Photo 15
The next several photos are from a trip that a few class mates and I took a couple of weeks ago up to the northern part of Nicaragua, outside of a city called Estelí. From there we departed for the small town of Estanzuela, which is famous for a beautiful water fall that I´ll show in another photo.
The northern part of the country is a little different from the south. There´s alot more ranching activity, the terrain is more mountainous and people have told me the culture is a little more "cowboyish." Sounds like my kind of place.
One thing that people in Nicaragua are trying to do more and more, is develop "ecotourism." Nicaragua has lots of natural beauty, more so than some of the other Central American countries, but Nicaragua receives less tourism related to its natural attributes because the country is still struggling to protect these natural resources from environmental degradation, or it does not have the infrastructure to support any significant amount of tourism to many of these locales. This is significant because in a country where many people struggle to make ends meet due to the poor economy, some development in this area could help to bring in more revenue.
Photo 14
This is the road to my house that I walk to and from the hospital most days. In heavy rain, which occurs frequently, these roads become small rivers, and some of the ponds that form contribute to the mosquito population I´m sure. When the road drys out with all of the heat alot of dust is created from passing cars or wind, which I am sure has a long term impact on the respiratory health of the kids growing up here.
Photo 13
This is a mural depicting the volcanic valley and the people living here. The picture was taken in the visitor center of the volcanic park.
Photo 12
Here I am walking the rim of one of the extinct craters. The crater to my right is very deep, with a lush green forest in the bottom. The smoking crater from the previous pictures is to my left. I asked Ramón if anyone had ever been down to the bottom of the forested crater and he told me only once, that he knew of. A while back a distraught man decided to commit suicide by hurling himself into one of the craters, but no one knew which crater, so a rescue worker had been lowered down there to search for him. Can´t remember if the man was found or not.
Photo 11
This is Ramón, whom I also discussed in a previous post. He is the one who recalled the stories of people living in the volcanic caves during the war to escape the violence.
Photo 10
This was on the approach up the rim of Volcan Masaya. The cloud like formation isactually sulfuric smoke coming up out of the crater. You can also see the cross of Bobadilla that I mentioned in a previous post.
Photo 8
Here´s a photo of Dr. Cordonero and I during some down time in the emergency department. He is probably one of my favorite doctors at the hospital thus far, very bright and good with patient care. He actually went to medical school in Cuba on a scholarship, but grew up here and returned to practice here. He is someone who has taught me alot about the Nicaraguan healthcare system and the problems it faces with funding contraints and more.
Photo 7
Here´s a picture of the front of the hospital I have been working in. If the building looks a little aged, it is. But it still stands. The ambulances that we have have mostly been donated by other organizations...otherwise emergency cases would likely be brought here in the bed of a pick-up truck.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
¡Vive San Pedro!, The Heart of America, med cabinets, labor y parto, Honduras, death of a boxing champ
A story before I begin, or am I just beginning with a story? ...
Monday night I attended a patron saint festival in the small town of Diriá. The festival honors San Pedro, the dedicated saint of the town, with a celebration that lasts several days. June 29th, on whatever day that happens to be, is the final culmination of the festivities. The festival itself was interesting and lots of fun. A replica of the saint was paraded through town with music and revelry. There was also an hour were all of the people circled together for a rosary and to speak about how San Pedro is the heart of the people there, although challenges remain that the community still faces, such as poverty, domestic violence, etcetera. But through prayer and community they hope to see positive changes in these areas.
One of the funny moments of the night though came when I had first arrived in the town. I was walking through the central park, with another student and a local friend, when a middle aged man came up to us with a question. He was obviously drunk, stumbling with his speech and steps, but we cautiously let him approach to hear what he had to say.
"¿De donde son amigos, alemán o gringo?" He asked the other student and I if we were from Germany or the US, alot of the fair skinned travelers here tend to be Germans for some reason. So we told him we were from the US, eyeing him for a reaction since some people here don´t like US travelers due to the history of US government and business exploitation in Central America. But our response didn´t phase him.
"Ahhh, amigos! Tengo una pregunta para ustedes...¿dónde está el corazón de América?"
Where is the heart of America? I thought...what is he asking exactly? Is he asking what the capitol city of the US is? I wasn´t sure what he meant and no one else in my group was forthcoming with a response, so I doubtfully replied "Washington D.C.?"
He looked at me funny, and then repeated the question several times, a little slower with more emphasis each repitition. I, not having any other idea to what he was asking, gave the same response, repeating it slower and with more emphasis each time.
Finally he shouted, "¡Nicaragua, Nicaragua es el corazón de América!" This did not make sense to me, was he saying Nicaraguan culture, or the Spanish language are so engrained in the US that it has become the heart of "America?" I decided that must be the case, and it didn´t matter much at that point as my company was urging me to move on rather than philophosize with an inebriated stranger in a park, something I am often a sucker for.
But I was still scrathing my head, so I asked the local who we were with what he meant. She smiled and told me that in schools in Latin America, America represents all of the americas, north, central and south. I had heard this before (thanks Silvana!) but it had never officially clicked I guess. Thus, being in the center of Central America, you can call Nicaragua "the heart of America." So I guess we are all americans afterall? I don´t think that has been written into immigration policy though, not by any country. And I haven´t heard if Lee Greenwood´s "I´m Proud to be an American" song has been translated into Spanish or any of the countless indigenous languages between Fairbanks and Patagonia...I´m still laughing at myself over that one.
Is this July already? My time here is starting to pass quickly in contrast with the first week here that seemed like a much longer period of time. I´m finally becoming accustomed to my stay here, learning how to get places independently and able to get along easier with the language, which is still far from fluent, but more functional than when I arrived. I´m also developing friendships with the people I work with or see regularly in the hospital and neighbors, which is something that a shorter stay here would not cater to. So while it is difficult being away from home for so long (I won´t be back until Aug 8th), I´m finally starting to see the benefits of being here for a longer period and feel more like a part of the community here as opposed to just someone passing through...which is essential when you want to serve the community you are in.
Monday morning I arrived at the hospital and was pleasently surprised to see a new medcabinet in the emergency room...it has separate droors for medications with alphabatized labels and everything! It´s nothing brand new, but gets the job done much better than what we had before. I had a picture of the old med cabinet to share but the film for that photo did not pan out.
This will be my last week in the emergency room though, as the next two weeks I will be moving on to the labor and delivery department, which I am kind of dreading but feel like it will be an important experience to have, especially to see how things are handled here. I think it will just be hard to see alot of the very young mothers giving birth. It is relatively common for women to give birth at very young ages, 14, 15 or 16. And often times their bodies aren´t developed enough to handle birthing well, which can create complications. It is unfortunately almost equally common for these young mothers to end up as single mothers with little means to further themselves, and children to raise, which creates a cycle of poverty. But we´ll see how things go next week, I am sure there will be more to talk about then.
Other news and gossip here...the coup in Honduras, a neighboring country, is making alot of headlines here. Some people are worried that if Honduras destabilizes it could spill over into Nicaragua. But presently it seems like there is lots of international involvement and pressure for things to resolve peacefully, although there is alot of conflicting opinion here on the ousted president Zelaya and whether he deserves to be reinstated.
Alexis Argüello, the mayor of Managua and a former boxing champ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/america_latina/2009/07/090701_1717_nicaragua_arguello_muerte_jrg.shtml), was also found dead yesterday (possible suicide), so the government has officially declared three days of mourning.
Okay, that´s all I have time to write, not sure if I´ll still be able to get these photos loaded, but if not tonight then I´ll try again tomorrow. Hope all is well for anyone reading this.
Monday night I attended a patron saint festival in the small town of Diriá. The festival honors San Pedro, the dedicated saint of the town, with a celebration that lasts several days. June 29th, on whatever day that happens to be, is the final culmination of the festivities. The festival itself was interesting and lots of fun. A replica of the saint was paraded through town with music and revelry. There was also an hour were all of the people circled together for a rosary and to speak about how San Pedro is the heart of the people there, although challenges remain that the community still faces, such as poverty, domestic violence, etcetera. But through prayer and community they hope to see positive changes in these areas.
One of the funny moments of the night though came when I had first arrived in the town. I was walking through the central park, with another student and a local friend, when a middle aged man came up to us with a question. He was obviously drunk, stumbling with his speech and steps, but we cautiously let him approach to hear what he had to say.
"¿De donde son amigos, alemán o gringo?" He asked the other student and I if we were from Germany or the US, alot of the fair skinned travelers here tend to be Germans for some reason. So we told him we were from the US, eyeing him for a reaction since some people here don´t like US travelers due to the history of US government and business exploitation in Central America. But our response didn´t phase him.
"Ahhh, amigos! Tengo una pregunta para ustedes...¿dónde está el corazón de América?"
Where is the heart of America? I thought...what is he asking exactly? Is he asking what the capitol city of the US is? I wasn´t sure what he meant and no one else in my group was forthcoming with a response, so I doubtfully replied "Washington D.C.?"
He looked at me funny, and then repeated the question several times, a little slower with more emphasis each repitition. I, not having any other idea to what he was asking, gave the same response, repeating it slower and with more emphasis each time.
Finally he shouted, "¡Nicaragua, Nicaragua es el corazón de América!" This did not make sense to me, was he saying Nicaraguan culture, or the Spanish language are so engrained in the US that it has become the heart of "America?" I decided that must be the case, and it didn´t matter much at that point as my company was urging me to move on rather than philophosize with an inebriated stranger in a park, something I am often a sucker for.
But I was still scrathing my head, so I asked the local who we were with what he meant. She smiled and told me that in schools in Latin America, America represents all of the americas, north, central and south. I had heard this before (thanks Silvana!) but it had never officially clicked I guess. Thus, being in the center of Central America, you can call Nicaragua "the heart of America." So I guess we are all americans afterall? I don´t think that has been written into immigration policy though, not by any country. And I haven´t heard if Lee Greenwood´s "I´m Proud to be an American" song has been translated into Spanish or any of the countless indigenous languages between Fairbanks and Patagonia...I´m still laughing at myself over that one.
Is this July already? My time here is starting to pass quickly in contrast with the first week here that seemed like a much longer period of time. I´m finally becoming accustomed to my stay here, learning how to get places independently and able to get along easier with the language, which is still far from fluent, but more functional than when I arrived. I´m also developing friendships with the people I work with or see regularly in the hospital and neighbors, which is something that a shorter stay here would not cater to. So while it is difficult being away from home for so long (I won´t be back until Aug 8th), I´m finally starting to see the benefits of being here for a longer period and feel more like a part of the community here as opposed to just someone passing through...which is essential when you want to serve the community you are in.
Monday morning I arrived at the hospital and was pleasently surprised to see a new medcabinet in the emergency room...it has separate droors for medications with alphabatized labels and everything! It´s nothing brand new, but gets the job done much better than what we had before. I had a picture of the old med cabinet to share but the film for that photo did not pan out.
This will be my last week in the emergency room though, as the next two weeks I will be moving on to the labor and delivery department, which I am kind of dreading but feel like it will be an important experience to have, especially to see how things are handled here. I think it will just be hard to see alot of the very young mothers giving birth. It is relatively common for women to give birth at very young ages, 14, 15 or 16. And often times their bodies aren´t developed enough to handle birthing well, which can create complications. It is unfortunately almost equally common for these young mothers to end up as single mothers with little means to further themselves, and children to raise, which creates a cycle of poverty. But we´ll see how things go next week, I am sure there will be more to talk about then.
Other news and gossip here...the coup in Honduras, a neighboring country, is making alot of headlines here. Some people are worried that if Honduras destabilizes it could spill over into Nicaragua. But presently it seems like there is lots of international involvement and pressure for things to resolve peacefully, although there is alot of conflicting opinion here on the ousted president Zelaya and whether he deserves to be reinstated.
Alexis Argüello, the mayor of Managua and a former boxing champ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/america_latina/2009/07/090701_1717_nicaragua_arguello_muerte_jrg.shtml), was also found dead yesterday (possible suicide), so the government has officially declared three days of mourning.
Okay, that´s all I have time to write, not sure if I´ll still be able to get these photos loaded, but if not tonight then I´ll try again tomorrow. Hope all is well for anyone reading this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
