When I came to Nicaragua over 13 months ago I believed strongly in fighting and overcoming some of the structures that oppress and dehumanize people here. When I started teaching and tutoring I felt I was in the position of educator and motivator, one who would not only help students pass their classes but also help them swim against the currents of anger and violence that are so ferocious in the neighborhood of El Recreo. As a teacher and tutor I learned many lessons that reformed my notion of social justice in El Recreo, and working in the microlending banks with the women of El Recreo has further transformed that notion. I must admit that as a North American who never in 2 years of JVI will become completely fluent and culturally competent, there is a limit to the tangible effects that I can have in my work. As a foreigner, there are still things that I don’t get about how or why locals do things and what they are saying to me sometimes. That lack of understanding makes it harder for me to be the teacher that steers students toward nonviolence and success or the microlending bank worker that empowers women and lifts them out of poverty.
So if I’m not shaking things up in El Recreo’s social or economic structure, what am I doing? I still believe that social justice is a pivotal piece of what I do here in Nicaragua. But for me, in these 2 years here, social justice is quickly becoming an issue of my relationships with my coworkers and the individual residents of El Recreo. The scope of issues that concern me has steadily narrowed from international to national Nicaraguan issues down to Managua city issues to El Recreo neighborhood issues and finally all the way down to the issues of the bank woman that stays late to confide in me, the former student who I run into in the street, or the family of a coworker. If I do work for social justice (and I believe I do), it is now at the personal level more than anything. In my context right now, social justice is being someone who the bank women can trust in a neighborhood of untrustworthy men. It is being a consistent friend and encourager to former students, a friend and motivator to coworkers, and a humble student of Nicaraguan lifestyle. With this new, micro-level approach to social justice, I am using my talents. I am not an accountant, teacher, or social worker by trade, nor do I posess native spanish fluency. So I offer what I can to the women and children of El Recreo and to the workers of Proyecto Generando Vida; I listen to them, feel for them, encourage them, and accompany them as they carry out their vision of social justice for their own homes and community.
Life as a second-year Jesuit Volunteer
In the early days of December, four wide-eyed compassionate, intelligent, and highly capable U.S. citizens left their homes and came to Managua to begin their 2 years as Jesuit Volunteers. So for a time we squeezed 10 volunteers into one house with six beds; 4 JVs preparing to depart, 2 JVs entering their second year, and 4 newbies. The new volunteers spent much of their time in homestays and in language school, and Jenna and I said our goodbyes to our four community mates of the previous year. They departed on December 19th for the U.S. for the first time in two years. The new community of six has been settling in since the 20th or so, and we had a wonderful celebration of Christmas together, complete with a terribly boring pageant in the neighborhood church and a wonderful dinner of BBQ chicken and pre-packaged mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing sent down from the states.
"Jesus the Destroyer", a statue inside our neighborhood church
While the new volunteers got themselves oriented to life in Managua, Jenna and I kept ourselves busy and joyful with visitors. My friend Katie from college dropped in to visit for a few days on her way home from Bolivia, and after Christmas my Mom flew in to begin her whirlwind tour of everything I know in Nicaragua. With the Spanish skills that she’d honed over the past year, my Mom stayed in homestays with the same Nicaraguan families who hosted me in the past, and successfully made friends with all of them! She spent time with my house community, came to work with me one day, made two trips to the market, rode the city busses (slightly more insane than a Seattle city bus), and relaxed at the beach and in the charming city of Granada. It was fun for my coworkers, host families, and community to meet her, and it was wonderful to share with her what my life is like here. Jenna simultaneously had her family visit, and it was a blast finally getting to meet all these family members of hers that I had heard about throughout the last year. The new volunteers also got to tag along a few times for some parent-sponsored meals and fun.
My community in the pool
Patrick drinking a beer underwater
With all the visitors gone, our new community continues the process of settling in. The role of second year volunteer is a complete role reversal for me, but I very much enjoy it. It’s been a reassuring experience now that I’ve had to test my Spanish abilities and knowledge of how things work in Nicaragua more so than I did before. Also, not to speak to soon, as I am sort of on vacation so the stress level is quite low, but I feel in many ways as though I am cresting the hill of culture shock and language frustrations. My friendships with a handful on Nicaraguans (specifically my two closest coworkers and my host family from my neighborhood) have improved dramatically over the last few months, and those strengthening friendships have helped to ease my continual transition into Nicaraguan culture. I feel as though the last 13 months have also paid off in terms of language abilities. After all the frustrations of understanding 90% of the words someone says but not having a clue what their point is, I finally feel as though I can fully express myself and fully comprehend most people with whom I speak Spanish. Gracias a Dios. Por fin. All that being said, I am excited for this upcoming year. Work starts full time at the beginning of February. I eagerly anticipate a year with minimal culture shock and miscommunications.
Peace and Love to all,
Michael
1 comment:
sweeet pictures miguel
xoxo
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