Letter from Stephanie Owen

Well, Minnesota?

I ran to a computer this morning to read the results of yesterday’s election in Minnesota. Complex emotions flooded my mind and heart. To alleviate the pain a little I took off out the door, ran to the León baseball stadium, and ran up and down the stairs twenty times. How eerie it was to vote for Paul Wellstone via absentee ballot and hear about his death the next day. He received over 6,000 absentee votes and I felt thankful that mine was one of them.

Moments after I found out about the accident my friend Idalia happened to stop by with a plant for my garden. "Let me plant it for you." she said. The flower, bright orange, sends me Paul’s fire whenever I look at it.

Although the days are sunny and hot, evenings have been cool. While helping Amati with his uniform (blue dress pants, black shoes, and white shirt) we both lamented not having a light blanket to help us endure the 70 degree nighttime cold front!

Amati and I attended a León baseball game last night (we won!) with Amati’s new friend, Eugenio. His mom fled Nicaragua to Miami during the war in the 80’s and has now returned due to the ‘democratic’ government. They have opened their doors to Amati, so he now has a friend that he sees nearly daily. Now and then I recoil at the idea of Amati making friends with the wealthy of Nicaragua. “That is not why we are here!” I say to myself. Then I catch myself with “I, too, am the wealthy in Nicaragua.” If I recoil at their lifestyle and values, I must recoil at my own. Believe me, self reflection and evaluation is inevitable for me these days.

Nica time vs. Gringa time

Last Sunday I was told there would be a Science fair at Amati’s school. The buses would pass at the normal time (6:25 am) for parents and kids. Though I found this early hour for a school event on a Sunday a bit bizarre, I took it seriously and was at the bus stop at the right hour. It didn’t come. With ten minutes before the starting time (7:00 am) I hired a taxi to bring us. No one had arrived except for the grounds crew who opened the gates! An hour later the bus arrived, at 9 the parents started rolling in, and at 10 the fair started! Everyone laughs at my inability to understand that. I must arrive late in order to be on time in Nicaragua. (Though I must say, this rule is inconsistent. I have been scolded for arriving late since then, so best to arrive on time and bring a book!)

New Home

Amati and I have our own space now. Our house takes up a section of another house. Doña Rosita, the owner, was forced by the Sandinistas to sell half of her house, as she was only allowed one. (The original house was the size of nearly a block.) My house is part of her half. In many middle and upper class Nicaraguan homes one room is usually exposed to a garden where the clothes are hung and beautiful tropical plants grow. Imagine sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast by your garden! Rosita sees that Amati gets on the bus as she sweeps the sidewalk. She offers mangos or pastries she buys from vendors passing by carrying goods on their heads.

Little creatures like us and our house, and Amati has named a few of them. Rojito, the hummingbird, has visted a few times when Amati and I have been reading to one another, his favorite diversion these days. (What wonders no TV and no phone do!) A week ago I found a paperclip sized gecko on Amati’s boxers hanging on the line. Silverwing, a bat, leaves his mark by regurgitating fruit seeds on sheets and tables.

Political Scene

Politics have been chaotic here. As my friend Lorenzo says, “War, stealing, war, stealing, death, war, stealing, war..."

Since taking office in January, President Bolaños, has tackled corruption head on mostly focused on his former boss, ex-President Arnoldo Aleman.

Aleman took a serious blow when he was forced to step down as president of the National Assembly. Aleman is accused of funneling about US$100 million in state funds (mostly donations from outsiders after Hurricane Mitch) to bank accounts belonging to friends and relatives.

The move came after several attempts to revoke Aleman’s parliamentary immunity were blocked by legislative leaders loyal to Aleman. But representatives of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) formed a majority alliance with PLC deputies loyal to President Enrique Bolaños to push the vote through.

The powerful Catholic Church, which also faces serious corruption charges, has shown criticism of this initiative against corruption. A report coming out of the conference of Bishops criticized Bolaños anti-corruption campaign warning that it could provoke “a thirst for vengeance that, once started, would be unstoppable.” Progressive Catholics, however, have long complained that the Church has supported the government ideologically and the government has supported the church economically.

Paternalism

It has been discouraging to hear Nicaraguan community organizers say that often times the actions of the donors in Japan, Denmark, US, Germany, and Italy are more hurtful than helpful to Nicaragua. The words paternalism and dependency come up often in these discussions.

In León there are over 19 Sisterships at work. In fact, 54% of the money used by the Mayor’s office is given by foreign countries. Many sisterships similar to PML are reevaluating their goals and strategies, as they are seeing a trend in thinking by both the donors and the receivers that is detrimental to Nicaraguans. Because of all the crises and deluge of foreign assistance in the last 30 years, a belief that donor countries have the answers to Nicaragua’s problems is predominant. Great Nicaraguan minds are underutilized as a result of this, and there has been a trend of dependency and diminished organization of the communities. Handouts hurt. I have met several people who, upon receiving money from relatives in the States, stopped working and studying. Both Nicaraguan and foreign NGOs see this trend of passivity and are concerned. Efforts are being made to step back in order to provide Nicaraguans the space, training, and encouragement to be sculptors of their own destiny. Emphasis is placed more on teaching rather than simply donating, expecting them to be the head and brain of community projects rather than the hands, legs, and feet.

Challenge for Sister State Projects

How do NGOs do this when they have the resources and have seen effective project examples in their own countries? How do coordinators in Nicaragua justify to the donors in the North why thousands of dollars sit in the accounts? The North wants results, but those who live here see that it is necessary to wait with disbursement until the many people have their minds and hands, and hearts invested in a project in order that it survive. Sister State coordinators repeatedly say that the failed projects are those born in the minds of the North. Failed projects usually are initiated with only a few active participants. Sisterships must ask themselves, "Who wants this project more, the people of Nicaragua, or the folks donating the money and space?" If it is the latter, NGOs must have the courage to close the project and focus attention on active, invested communities.

To illustrate an example of North arrogance, let me share a story. A few days ago a fair-skinned man approached me at the ice cream stand and struck up a conversation. From South Carolina and on a mission trip, he said, “I am here building. We come down every few months to help construct churches, schools ... we’ve done everything.” We've done everything screamed at me. Even though I know he didn’t literally mean he had done everything, those are the murmurs of a "save the day" spirit the coordinators of NGOs warn donors about. Projects born from ego stroking "save the day." Motivation ultimately benefits the donor’s self esteem more than the Nicaraguan people.

As a result of these insights I have committed myself to observe and learn rather than pursue my ideas about what Nicaraguans need. Some of these ideas have been: to seek funding for a school for the blind, to ensure that kids at 57 preschools have breakfast, to create traveling learning centers and libraries for the preschools. At this moment the best I can do is quiet my mind of my initiatives in order to pay attention to and support initiatives birthed by Nicaraguans.

Education

As a teacher, I have been observing the education system. The importance of preschools is enormous, as at preschool age most kids in the countryside are helping parents work. Some teachers go from house to house in order to accompany the child to school, as parents are reluctant to give up the useful, little hands the child provides at home. As time passes I will be getting out to the countryside to visit more schools like Briseyda’s, the Innocent Creature’s Preschool. She is one of the 57 teachers who come from their rural communities to receive training in educational pedagogy. These trainings are made available through PML support. As with most of these teachers, she has a high school education and her salary of 15 cents an hour (for 4 hours a day) pays for one meal of rice and beans for three. Instead of using the money to feed her family, Briseyda uses the money to buy scissors or crayons for the kids, then works in the afternoon washing or cleaning others’ houses. She is especially proud of a 4 year old student who began preschool with hesitation but is now multiplying and reading.

Most of these preschool teachers open up their own homes as schools for up to 48 students at three different levels. The government provides 4 notebooks and 4 erasers every other year. Despite the minimal support given by the government, these teachers are required to submit daily evaluations of each student, plus monthly portfolios of student work. Some of the kids walk an hour to at their preschool.

According to the Nutritional Institute of Central America and Panama, the single biggest factor contributing to a child’s potential for acute malnutrition is the education level of the child’s mother. One teacher uses her pay to provide a glass of milk to the kids. She believes that the knowledge that the child is being fed in school may persuade parents to keep kids in school even during the toughest economic times.

I have also spent time with Narciso and Marta, two dedicated volunteers who created a drop-in center for the handicapped. There he teaches the blind how to make paper mache masks, beautiful piñatas such as the carrot piñata we broke here on my birthday, and stuffed animals. He has a Saturday radio show to advocate for the handicapped. With three broken wheelchairs, Narciso can create one that works. He teaches carpentry and electronics. He scuba dives and swims like a fish. Narciso is also blind.

Narciso speaks about the handicapped in Nicaragua who have brilliant minds but have no accessibility to classes in Braille past 5th grade. The white walking sticks are too expensive, so most are trapped in their homes, especially those in the countryside. His dream is to generate money through the sale of the items created at the drop in center to begin a community school for the 57 adolescents and adults with a desire to continue their study of reading and writing in Braille, as well as developing a skill to move toward self sufficiency. I look forward to continuing my friendship with this inspiring, committed man.

I could go on and on! For those of you who got to the end, thank you for sticking with me! Please send a few sentences telling me what you have been up to!

We love you!

Stephanie and Amati