it’s hot! but it could be worse, right? it could be snowing.
we left managua after breakfast today and began the long drive to the chinandega province, the town of somotillo (and hotel el puma) and the village where we are working, jinocuao (heen-yo-coo-AH-oh). we stopped in leon (we’ll come back here later in the trip for a break) for lunch at the “super chicken” restaurant (it wasn’t called that but the chicken WAS super. i think the real name was “pollo helado” which you can look up).
back on the bus and a couple hours later, BINGO, hotel el puma (no translation needed). (they have a pool.) (it’s empty.)
about 30 minutes away is the village of jinocuao (jc). unlike so many years past, 92% of our trip has been on paved roads. the other 8% is on surprisingly good dirt and gravel.
on sunday afternoon, we made it to jc and were welcomed by the community leaders in a ceremony in the community’s church. they sang (beautifully) several songs of welcome and then went around the room, introducing themselves and telling us about the different districts (5 or so) that make up jc.
this is largely an agricultural community where they plant and sell corn, wheat, cashews and sesame seeds. many of the children leave the community to go the costa rica, el salvador and the u.s. to work and be able to send money home. we heard the story of one mother who hasn’t seen her daughter in 6 years, she lives abroad working and can’t afford the passports to come home with her husband and two children.
the women in this community clearly play a leading role both in the leadership of the districts as well as in the economy, the farming and the home and family. their sense of self, their determination, their spirit are all humbling. and i think we were all touched by a beautiful “opening ceremony.” ask someone from the trip about it…there are many more details than i can possibly write here.
we checked out the clinic building that will see our two docs and 3 nurses put to the test. we walked to the construction site where the lower half of the walls for a new school already stands. it appears we will help put a roof on the building, dig a new latrine and haul sand from the river bed to the worksite as well.
fried chicken dinner in the village. ‘nuf said.
back at the puma, we assembled the first of 450 “home health kits” which graham will distribute during his daily classes. he will explain ibuprofen, tylenol, antacids and other things we all use on a daily basis and largely take for granted.
then to bed. some of the rooms have a/c, some don’t. but they all have beds and those appear to be working quite well.
good night, god bless.
