Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Day 3: World Vision, Wheelchairs, Pigs and Chihuahuas
First, thanks for reading. We are really happy that you are following us on this incredible journey. We are having an amazing time and continue to feel very grateful to be here.
Our morning started at around 7:30. We began by getting a debrief of the World Vision ADP's (Area Development Projects) that we visited today. These projects are heavily focused on children, their mothers, community health, development and support. Each day we start with a rough agenda but we truly do not know exactly what to expect or what the day will bring. Our first visit was to a Health Outpost. Whenever we roll into a village we are a bit of a spectacle. There are not many Americans here at all so we get lots of looks...but they are all friendly. We walked into the waiting room of the Outpost where six or so mothers sat patiently waiting with their children. The Outpost was comprised of four or five small examination rooms. On this day there was no power. It seems that they only have power every other day or so, and this day they were expecting power but had none. The attitude of the Medical worker who managed the Outpost was so incredibly positive that most of us never noticed the lack of power. She spoke of how the donations from World Vision provided medical supplies for her facility, and how grateful she was to have them. A trending concern in Nicaragua is the rise in teenage pregnancy. Our team interacted with the patients, took lots of baby pictures then moved on to our next stop.
Tipitapa...love that name...Tip-e-top-a...anyway... In Tipitapa we visited a public school that was simply full of kids. While we were there, the kids were outside...running and playing in a large packed dirt courtyard...most in their white and blue uniforms. We were taken to a back lot where a garden had been planted. In an effort to curb malnutrition, World Vision had gotten permission from the Nicaraguan government to implement a garden on school grounds. The students work the garden and use the produce to make their lunches more nutritious. We stood out in the garden with fifty or so students as they explained how they managed their small crop. They seemed very proud of their efforts, and as we interacted with them they were happy to show us what they can do and how they maintain their crop. Later we would think about our own school system and how teaching and showing our own kids how to source their food would give them so much more perspective. The visit was full of energy. The kids seem to love our Teammate Glenn Nichols. Glenn has been wearing his trademark straw Fedora for most of the trip and today he punched it up with a pink striped shirt. His passion and enthusiasm has been contagious among our team and the people we visit. We spent a great deal of time with the kids asking questions and taking photos. As we were leaving we noticed several kids carrying brooms. The instructor explained to us that the students are responsible for cleaning the school at the end of the day. Some bring their own brooms but if a school mop or broom gets broken, they have to take them home for their parents to make the repairs...yeah...that would go over well back home!
Next was Messiah City. World Vision partners with Free Wheelchair Mission to distribute wheelchairs. One of those recipients was a beautiful five year old girl named Guatalupe. We parked the van on the dirt road and made our way across freshly swept dirt, around chicken coups, past open-air stone ovens and up to meet Guatalupe and her parents. She was very shy as her father explained that she had been born with a muscular disease and has never been able to walk. The wheelchair has provided her with the mobility needed to go to school and she even gets invited to attend Pinata parties. Her parents only spoke of the positive. They were excited and thankful that Guatalupe now has mobility and a chance to live a better life. We were able to pose for a group photo with Guatalupe and Glenn even let her wear his Fedora.
There are some people that you meet in life that you know you will never forget. Isaac will be one of those people. Isaac is 81 years old. At one time he had a wheelchair that he had borrowed, but it was taken away. He was left without a chair until someone in his family had applied to receive one from Free Wheelchair Mission. Isaac greeted us all like we were old friends. His wife frantically pulled out chairs and placed them in a circle in the yard so we would be comfortable as we visited with Isaac. An incredibly handsome man, he has been married to Isabella for 55 years. They were such a beautiful couple and Isabella stood beside him as he sat and explained to us how the new wheelchair has helped him make the three kilometer trip to the Health Outpost. Isaac was full of life...constantly smiling and sharing pieces of his story. We could have sat there for hours, and his energy and cheerful spirit made it hard to leave. Before we left, Isabella asked if we could pray together. We are fortunate to also have Alex Rodriguez on our team. Alex has experience preaching and he was even able to deliver the requested prayer in Spanish.
Our next stop required a fairly long drive into the mountains. The scenery was breathtaking, and I wished we had more time to take photos. We stopped at another school and enjoyed learning about a World Vision program where select students could earn a Carpenters Certificate which will dramatically improve their chances of finding better jobs as well as build more efficient communities. The young carpenters spoke proudly of their work and were very thankful for the support that World Vision provides.
The last two stops of the day were actually Free Wheelchair deliveries. The first was just off a dirt road back into the jungle. We walked down a narrow path to the secluded home of Steven. Steven sat watching on his front porch as we wheeled the chair toward him. Steven is only six years old. He has severe heart problems and suffered a heart attack at age five. Just recently he fell and broke his leg. Steven needs a wheelchair because he can't walk very far without putting too much strain on his heart. Glenn was given the honor of placing Steven in the chair. The brand new Gen 2 chair fit him well and he smiled when we asked if his girlfriend was going to push him around. He has a beautiful spirit and with the obvious support of his family it was easy to see that he would have a happy life despite his physical limitations. During the visit we met two teenagers that had us all laughing. Both were dressed alike...and both had obviously had exposure to the dreaded Jersey Shore characters Pauly D and the Situation...yes, popped collar, blow-out hairstyle and perfectly trimmed eyebrows...in the middle of the rainforest of Nicaragua. They followed our teammate Jennifer Collison around the entire time we were there. It seems Pauly D really likes her green eyes. They sadly waved goodbye as we shuffled her on the bus for our final visit.
Delivering a wheelchair to someone is an emotional and serious event. The recipient has typically been in need of a wheelchair for some time. Our last visit of the day and our last wheelchair delivery in Nicaragua was anything but serious. At this point in the day we had traveled bumpy, dusty roads and climbed in and out of the bus in sticky humidity. We were all a little weary but excited about the next delivery. Our last stop was in the mountains, and the delivery was to a beautiful seventy-eight year old lady named Anna Maria. Anna Maria had been waiting twenty-six years for a wheelchair. She wanted more mobility so she could get out of the house and visit and assist others in her community. Anna suffers from severe arthritis. Teammates Jenn and Kelly Overton had the honor of delivering the chair to Anna. We were allowed into her dark hard packed year through a tin gate. As we approached, a broad smile crossed her face. Jenn picked her up and placed her in the chair. As Anna proceeded to tell us how much she appreciated the chair...a pig ran out from the bushes, sniffed the wheelchair and proceeded to scratch itself on a nearby tree. Anna laughed. Our team scattered to clear the way as the pig returned and bit the family Chihuahua...(I'm not making this up). Anna's grandchildren scolded the pig and huffed his way over to a makeshift bed and sat pouting and snorting while we continued our visit. Finally, as we waved goodbye to Anna Marie...the pig came out for one last pass but was quickly doused into submission by a four year old with a water gun.
And so ends our day in Nicaragua.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
FSC Council Sells Micro-Financing Gift Cards
Opportunity International helps end global poverty and hunger through micro financing (micro loans to budding entrepreneurs). FSC Council is selling gift cards. When you enter your card number at the Opportunity International website, you are helping these entrepreneurs grow their businesses, which provide them to better support their families. After choosing a client loan to support, you will be able to follow the client’s progress during the loan period via Opportunity’s email updates. By engaging in Opportunity’s work, you will find that when clients build businesses with Opportunity loans, they often set in motion monumental changes.
There is a special matching grant opportunity for these cards, multiplying the value of your donation. With a $10 purchase, the Council is matching $20 and an anonymous donor is matching $10 -- making the card worth $40 on the website.
For more information to introduce this to your Council, contact Frank Arvidson at farvidson@ussco.com.
Cranbury Council Lends Support to a Family Through Opportunity International
Eduardo Francisco and Family
About Eduardo Francisco
- City: Palawan
- Country: Philippines
- Loan Requested: $475
- Loan Term: 50 weeks
- Loan Use: Additional capital and expansion
- Date Posted: June 11, 2012
- First Repayment: June 04, 2012
After Typhoon Frank devastated Iloilo City in 2008, they moved to Palawan and though he was a stranger there, this didn't hinder Eduardo from using a small amount of capital--about $9--to open his business. He recalls on his first day, he earned only $1.40, barely enough to feed his family. But he was determined to persevere with his business.
He imported products from Manila and local retailers. He says that being honest in his business dealings and making good contacts are essential to growing a thriving business.
Eduardo plans to expand his business and add more products for their store. He also wants to hire workers to operate the store while he's out buying products and to make repairs. He and his family are active in their church and are valued members of their local community.
To learn more about this, contact Steven Leibowitz at sleibowitz@ussco.com.
Day 2: Opportunity International
It is difficult to adequately capture the images and emotions that our team experienced on our first day of activity. Our evening discussion clearly illustrated the tremendous respect and humility we now have for the people and organizations that we visited today. We started the day traveling with Opportunity International. Most of us know about their micro-financing programs for small business owners and farmers in under-developed countries, but that is actually only part of what they do. Much of their work focuses on community development and education. In business we use the word "empowerment" quite a bit. Sometimes I wonder how well we know what that word actually means, but today we saw clear examples of how...with the right level of support and encouragement... people have the capacity to better their own lives and create a sustainable living situation. Empowering them to contribute in their own success.
After a brief introduction at Opportunity International’s headquarters, our van took us out to a remote farm. The dirt road was deeply rutted and pitched us from side to side. We gave each other uneasy glances and at one point we were certain that the van would go no further, yet our driver was undaunted. He kept pressing the gas until we eventually leveled out and found better traction. About fifty yards from a farm house we had to stop as the road was washed out by heavy rains. We entered the yard to scampering chickens and farm animals...and a beautiful, shy little girl who peered at us from around the crude brick columns supporting the roof of her house.
David, our OI guide, is a truly remarkable man. He came to Nicaragua from a much higher salary in Manhattan and has become an expert in Agriculture and Yuca production. During our travels he explained OI's mission with impressive passion. We were then introduced to Earnesto the farmer. Earnesto has been working with OI to learn more effective ways to grow Yuca root. Yuca root (not Yucca, which is different) looks like a large sweet potato and can be dried and ground into flour. Earnesto had been breaking from the traditional practices of his neighbors by partnering with OI and experimenting with more progressive farming techniques. He is now seeing a higher yield in his crop production, and that is impacting his family and his community. Earnesto was clearly proud of his farm and the fact that he was now helping to support his community by hiring a couple of local workers. We chatted with him for a while and he explained how Yuca is harvested and how producing higher quality Yuca improves his profit. He, in partnership with Opportunity International, has created a small model of how education and support, coupled with personal drive, can improve lives.
After leaving Earnesto, we were taken to a school that OI had started in January of this year. David explained that 47% of the children in Nicaragua never stay in school until the 6th grade. OI bought land and built a school that is home to fifty-seven kids ages twelve through fourteen. The kids can actually attend the entire five years and earn their High School Certificate as well as a Certificate in Agriculture, Technology or Tourism. We were permitted to walk in on an active classroom. The kids were learning to journal and speak English. Some seemed very shy and a little surprised to see the whacky Americans standing at the front of the room, sporting all types of cameras and electronics. They were all dressed in crisp white and blue uniforms and the classroom was very neat and orderly. Integrated into the process of learning agriculture, the school raises chickens and some crops. The production from their little farm actually pays about 35% of their school expenses. The concept is simply to educate young people on how they can be effective leaders in the future of their community. The school hopes to add fifty students a year.
One of our last visits for the day was to a small village deep in the jungle and down another somewhat challenging road. The story goes that the village was basically inaccessible due to severe flooding and erosion. The people in the village couldn't access the outside world, which includes medical care, supplies, and education. With the help of OI, the local people petitioned the government to repair the road. We met many of them on the front porch of a small house. They were so full of pride as they described going door to door to gain the level of support needed to confront the local government to fix their road. They actually have a plan and a list of other community development projects they hope to implement.
The dirt roads that we traveled today were full of life. People were actively doing chores or traveling by motorcycle, riding in carts pulled by bulls or horses, or dangerously hanging off crowded pick-up trucks or smoking buses. Loose pigs, chickens, cows and dogs were present in most yards.
Speeding by in our van all day we watched a world very different from ours. I am hesitant to say impoverished because poverty is relative. The people of Nicaragua seem to be proud, hard working and somewhat happy. They clearly live in a challenging environment. Many of the homes are little more than tacked together shacks with dirt floors. Children run the streets in bare feet, which leaves them vulnerable to worms that find their way in and cause disease. They need assistance, but they seem most interested in assistance that will afford them the opportunity to help themselves. They need a chance. Opportunity International is doing an excellent job of working with them...not over or through them...but with them, to provide support, not charity, and that enables them to find success while maintaining their dignity and sense of pride. It was an honor to visit with Opportunity International today. Keep them in your thoughts as you look for ways to share your financial resources.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Day 1: Flight Day
The entire travel team has safely arrived in Nicaragua! We are so excited and honored to represent our Councils and our company on this amazing trip. We take that responsibility very seriously. The Travel Team represents nearly every business unit and from areas of the country. Team members traveled from California, Oklahoma, Atlanta, Cleveland, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Buffalo, and Denver. Sunday evening we all flew into Managua (The Capital City) where we were greeted by Jim Fischer from World Vision US and our escort Franko Gooseman from World Vision Nicaragua. We made our way through a pretty simple and almost casual Customs process, gathered our bags and piled into a waiting van. The trip from the airport to the hotel took us through town and provided a glimpse of the difficult living conditions that many people here face. Random silhouettes in dimly lit doorways hinted at what is to come. We arrived at our hotel around 8:30...quickly ate dinner and discussed our plans for Monday. Our trip on Monday will include a visit with Opportunity International. We will have exposure to the amazing work they do to help small business people, Farmers and Artisans grow their trade and enhance the lives of their families while contributing back to their communities.
The Travel Team is excited and ready to bring back the story. We have a very full agenda for the week that will include travel to areas where World Vision is most needed. We will visit with World Vision representatives in the field, doing what they do to improve living conditions. On Tuesday we will visit with a recipient of a Wheelchair from Free Wheelchair Mission. And on Wednesday we will participate in a Habitat Build in a nearby village.
We intend to post a daily blog to keep you updated on what we see and experience. Through stories and photographs we want to include you on this journey. Please follow along if you will. We would also appreciate any questions or comments that you might have. We welcome the interaction.
Thanks for your continued support of our Foundation and those Organizations that we proudly serve. Your time, talent and treasure continues to make a positive difference at home and across the World.
All the best,
The Nicaragua Travel Team
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)