Tires aflame in the streets. Thick black smoke rising up all over the city. A country’s transportation system completely shut down. Protestors blocking off main highways, police responding with tear gas. This is El Paro de Transporte.
At least that’s what a Nicaraguan news station would say. Certainly true, but a little hyped up. Sadly but surely though, this country appears to be falling apart. Inflation and gas prices are out of control while wages remain stagnant here. Truckers that bring food into the cities from the country side, city to city bus companies, and bus cooperatives that operate Managua’s public transportation can no longer afford to do business because of Nicaragua’s crumbling economy. Almost all of them have gone on strike, demanding government subsidies for gasoline. Many bus drivers and their supporters are blocking off main highways throughout the country. Almost no busses are running in Nicaragua right now, not even in Managua. Nicaragua’s entire transportation system is essentially shutting down until the government gives it more money. This makes getting to work difficult (but not impossible), but unfortunately makes leaving the city impossible. The only way that bus companies can stay in business is to either charge more from passengers or get more money from the government, and most Nicaraguans can’t afford to pay anymore than they pay now for transportation. Apparently this is an ongoing problem…a few years ago bus cooperatives in Managua tried to raise their fares to cover the rising cost of gasoline, and citizens responded with massive protests, blocking traffic, and burning a number of city busses. I try to reserve blame as I know very little of the situation beyond rumors and news reports, but in my humble opinion it seems as though the citizens and bus cooperatives are both justifiably infuriated, while the government seems totally inept.
The transportation strike only added to a slew of other problems that are plaguing this country. I’m no macroeconomist, but it would appear as though the economy here is bordering free fall. Wages and employment are desperately low while food and utility prices are going through the roof. Speaking of utilities, our water at the house gets cut almost every evening now for about 3 hours, which is quite little compared to a lot of other neighborhoods in the city who only get water a couple hours a day. Electricity cuts are starting to be implemented as well. At work the power is going out at 2pm until at least 5pm every day. According to rumors, at best things will stay the same, but will most likely continue to get worse. The fact that purchasing food and having access to transportation, electricity, and water is getting consistently more difficult for Nicaraguans is a blatant sign to me that this country is in real trouble.
Work in El Recreo continues to have its ups and downs, with the downs going as low as to cause me to talk with my bosses about changing my work situation. It is just so draining and painful to be a teacher to these kids…I never imagined that such young human beings could do such awful things to one another and to their teacher. I feel like every class is a battle – I have to fight to keep them involved and listening and I have to fight even harder to keep the class only on the brink of total chaos without going over the edge. The emotional energy required to keep up the fight for an entire 2 hour class is far greater than that which I posses. Sometimes while my kids raise hell (literally, they bring on the reign of Satan) in the classroom I just sit at my desk, ignore them, and write haikus about my job. That’s when I just don’t care anymore. Other times, when I do care, I try to get things under control, which usually results in me yelling a lot. Anyway, I have a helper in the afternoon class now with whom I can send off my 3 or 4 worst kids to go work in a location other than my classroom. Hopefully that helps. There’s some really cute kids in El Recreo that just come to eat lunch at the Comedor, which tends to put a smile on my face before or after classes when I see them. It’s nice because I don’t have to see their misbehaving and cruel side that would come out in a classroom, and they’ll know me as the gringo who loves on them, not the gringo who yells at them. All in all, work is next to impossible and intentional community life is challenging, but I’m happy I’m here. Life in Managua, life in community, and life in El Recreo is quite fulfilling and invigorating and I am very thankful to feel like my everyday existence here is profound. Hope all who read this are well.
Thanks,
Michael
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2 comments:
Miguel,
I am always overwhelmed by your incredibly honest descriptions of teaching there in the public schools. Really. It sounds impossible. It is impossible. You can't force someone to do anything, and your descriptions remind us that effective teaching is a partnership, between the student and the teacher. They have to meet in the middle. Surely there is some student, at least one, who is astounded that a young man with a beautiful smile and a red beard would go, and teach, and leave this "land of dreams" (in the imagination of Nicaraguans), and go the a land of burning tires and limited electricity and strikes and...Certainly there is at least one that is enchanted by you, and one that has stolen your heart?
Miguel, we hear nothing about Nicaragua here. Even when I search on the Internet news is hard to come by. Your blogs are invaluable.
A dear friend from Nicaragua recently called and wants me to "invite" her to the U.S. so she can come to work. I am considering the possibilities. She said the situation in Nicaragua right now is horrible.
I would like to hear a bit about how your vision of community development has changed based on the experience you have had thus far. If your teaching is (you feel) ineffective, is there a different approach that could make more of a difference?
What about community life...you said it can be difficult. How has the differing spiritualities impacted your household and different works? I have never lived in an intentional community with such a common goal and common faith; I would like to know how that experience has been...
I know it sounds stupid, and perhaps futile, but almost everyday when I let the water run to get hot, I think about Nicaragua, and I feel...wasteful. I remember my bucket showers. Relatively, my life is very simple here, and yet I live like a queen when converted to Nicaraguan standards. I personally have had to justify this "abundance", and the only way is by...thanks. By giving thanks and by giving out of my abundance. I remember while I was there (and in Chile) that I very very rarely missed the extravagance of a running shower or constant electricity. There was deep contentment in simplicity.
Miguel, I imagine your own faith in God is also in transformation. How do you read Scripture differently? In what ways has your vision changed?
One more thing: Carolina. Your dear friend from Whitworth. I ran into her on a random bus in Seattle. We remembered you. You are missed.
I hope you are well,
Peace to you, brother,
Aleida
P.S. I will send this to your facebook, because you seem to check your comments infrequently at best.
Eh, things sound tough, to say the least. In some ways, though, it's good to hear that so I don't romanticize that sort of work. We'll be praying for you at the Knox House.
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