DALEME UN PESO . . .

Here in Nicaragua it is common, no expected that you keep your front door open when guests are over. This is even more important when you (a female) are being visited by a male. Who knows what could be going on behind shut doors? So, as a foreign woman in Nicaragua I usually abide by this social rule. When my few male friends do come to visit, mainly David, I keep my windows open and I keep my doors that way too.

But, with front doors open comes any number of lovely experiences. First off there are heartbreaking starving street dogs that come in search of food. They are skin and bones with inflamed sagging nipples (you just never know how many litters they’ve had). Second, small children usually end up sitting on your door step. They usually need a bath, have tangles in their hair and have a sack full of corn or beans in one hand, “daleme un peso.” Give me a peso they say.

Give me a peso? What will you do with that peso? Where do you live? Where is your mother?

Give me a peso? NO.

I know a peso is not much. In fact it is about 5 cents U.S.A. The thing is, I don’t really have the money to give every kid that comes to my house a peso. And, I know where some of them live, their mothers and their grandmothers.

Tell me this, how many of my pesos do you buy street fireworks with?



Daleme un peso.

Nope.

VIHsida (HIVaids)

Teaching some jovenes about HIVaids. Love it when they take notes!

Ermm . . . this is Braden.

We organized a Peace Corps Nicaragua wide Assassin game (I'll explain soon). We're just preparing with our water guns.

Los Pipitos- Thrusday mornings. . .

I’ve already written about Los Pipitos. But, a little refresher is in order because now I have pictures!

On Thursday mornings I help facilitate a class in Los Pipitos. Los Pipitos is a Nicaraguan NGO that works with disabled youth and builds centers in all the departments to meet their needs. They generally are run by volunteers (mostly mothers). They have speech therapy classes, sign classes, youth groups and support groups. Anyway, I help teach a class on autovalidismo, something like a ‘how to function on your own’ class.

We open each morning asking our students, ‘como estas el dia de hoy?’ and wait. They each take their turn, go up to a box on the ground and pull out a face depicting how they feel.

This is Lenin, a young man with Downs Syndrome illustrating our morning activity. Although he does not talk much he is becoming fairly adept at signing simple phrases. Our favorite is, ‘a mi me gusta bailar,’ me, I like to dance. When ever either one of us signs it we inevitably end up dancing around the classroom. Wonderful if I do say so myself!