FALA Students Working with EL Sauce, Nicaragua Community
During a debrief with Dean Crawley, FALA
students described what they learned from being immersed in the small Nicaragua community of El Sauce.
It was hard to keep up with each student's enthusiastic reports. Heather, Micah, Chandrah, Maya, Maryalee and Anneliesse would smile and nod in agreement as each shared a thoughtful insight. (Ziv was not able to attend the lunch interview with Dean Crawley, but was anxious to say that so much was learned.)
The students were a part of the community - living with host families who were either “very rich or very poor, there is no middle class.” FALA students were also quick to point out that the community came together despite this economic difference.
Students said that, “strong faith and emphasis on family united the community.” There was no judgement. There was music and there were animals everywhere.
The students reported that you might see more visible garbage, but there was very little waste. Water use was very conservative, even in the affluent households. There was one night a week when wifi was accessible and that also brought the whole community together.
El Sauce embraced our FALA ambassadors. Our students enjoyed helping with the classroom art project, saying that the students were “cute, sassy, expressive and comfortable.”
The other service project was to build a simple home for a family whose home was mostly made of plastic sheets.
The family needed to make sure their children attended school in order to qualify for the new home, which was four walls and a roof. Everyone in El Sauce was appreciative of the new home and what it meant for one family to be safe from the elements and protected from earthquakes.
Students pointed out that the trip allowed them to better understand and appreciate their own privilege. Through this opportunity, they discovered that having things is not what brings fulfillment.
Thank you Ms. Henes for your dedication to providing service and experiential learning for and with our FALA students.
