By Blair Dowler
Matagalpa, Nicaragua, which is known as the “Land of Eternal Spring.” Photo by Blair Dowler.
Riding along the winding roads, the scenery was majestic. There were rolling mountains and deep valleys, and the rows of green trees seemed to go on forever. It would have been easy to mistake my surroundings for the beauty of Appalachia. This was not familiar territory, though. I was traveling along the mountainous terrain of the beautiful country of Nicaragua.
In March 2018, as a member of the faculty and staff of West Virginia University (WVU), I joined Christine Jacobs, Rachel Nieman and Daniel Brewster, an associate professor in sociology, in leading a group of 57 students on a study abroad service trip to the land of lakes and volcanoes. With the nature of this large group, I knew we would have an impact on the places we visited, but I did not realize the impact Nicaragua would have on me. The correlations I found between this beautiful country and my home among the hills took me by surprise.
The students on this trip varied in majors from journalism and biomedical engineering to occupational therapy and Spanish, but they all had one thing in common—a passion for helping people. Each student was enrolled in Brewster’s sociology of health and medicine course. They were also involved in the WVU Global Medical and Dental Brigades, a student group that works with community partners to achieve sustainable health and economic goals and has collaborated with the national organization Global Brigades to facilitate work in Latin America.
When we arrived in Managua, Nicaragua, I knew I had stepped outside of my comfort zone. Everything from the language to the heat was different, but the most exhilarating part was the intense feeling of possibility that rushed over me. The next day, we traveled to Maria Cavallari, a beautiful facility in Matagalpa, where we would eat our meals, spend our free time and reflect on our work each day.
Medical and Dental Brigades
Our work began right away. As a group, we provided nearly $110,000 in medical and dental supplies, which we organized to facilitate the medical and dental clinics in the communities of Las Limas and La Corona.
When we arrived in the communities, Nicaraguans from near and far were lined up to see the physicians and dentists. Many walked an hour or more to make it to the clinics so they could receive much-needed medications—things as simple as ibuprofen. Mothers carried their children for miles so they could receive check-ups, some for the first time.
Over four days, our students worked with 14 medical professionals from Nicaragua to serve 2,652 patients at the medical and dental clinics, a new Global Brigades record for one university during one individual brigade. The patients went through several stations within the clinics, including triage, consultation, dental, gynecological, pharmacy and charla, which is health education. In each section, students were assigned to work with the medical professionals. Additionally, an electronic file was created for each patient to facilitate their future visits to Global Brigades clinics.
For the first two days of the medical and dental clinics, I worked in the community of Las Limas helping ensure the patients made it from triage to consultation. I was able to interact directly with the Nicaraguans, and it was humbling to see that even though they may have walked for hours to the clinics and waited in long lines, they did not complain and always responded with kindness and smiles. Through these visits, we saw numerous patients with parasitic and bacterial infections, respiratory illnesses and skin infections, which can be largely attributed to their poor living conditions and lack of access to clean water.
For my last two days of clinics in the La Corona community, my role was a bit different. I spent most of my time entering data or working in the pharmacy, but I was also able to spend time with the students during the charla activities. During charla, we taught the young boys and girls the importance of brushing their teeth and washing their hands. After the lessons, we played soccer, sang songs and learned dances and traditional Nicaraguan games.
Public Health Brigade
After four days of clinics, we moved into the public health portion of the brigade, which consisted of two days that would really put us to the test. We worked in the community of Cuatro Esquinas, located in Jinotega. From the moment we stepped off the bus, we were welcomed with open arms into the community and the homes of the six families with whom we would be working.
There, the work was not the type most of us were used to—physical labor. We worked alongside masons and the men of the six families to build sanitation stations to improve the public health of the community. We swung pick axes to dig trenches for septic tanks and piping, carried and laid blocks, mixed cement and hammered nails into boards at the instruction of the masons. The sanitation stations we helped construct would include a toilet with running water, a shower and a place to wash clothes.
Our motivation came from the families we served. From their stories and the photos of religious figures and children that hung on the walls of their homes, it was easy to see they were also determined to change their own living conditions. Most of the homes consisted of one room with dirt floors, which served as the kitchen, bedroom and living space for the entire family. Increasing the number of public health facilities can help prevent a lot of the illnesses we witnessed in the clinics the days before.
As we worked alongside these people, we felt as if we became family members. On our last day, when we completed the stations, we learned that the six families we served in Cuatro Esquinas were the last to receive their stations, meaning every family in the community now has access to proper facilities. It was a time for celebration.
The entire community came out and held a beautiful ceremony at a local school. An elderly lady who served as a representative of the community read us a poem she had written, and children dressed in traditional clothing performed choreographed dances. One boy even sang us a song in English. It was difficult not to get emotional, as it was awe-inspiring to see the grace and appreciation of the Nicaraguans. We were then invited to dance and sing with them, and then, with children atop shoulders and riding piggyback, we formed a circle and shared with them a West Virginia tradition: we sang “Country Roads.”
A Lasting Impact
On the last day of this nine-day adventure in Central America, our group had the opportunity to enjoy the scenery of Nicaragua. We traveled to a nature reserve where we hiked to a beautiful waterfall and saw many exotic animals. Immersing myself in the country’s natural beauty, it was hard not to recognize what this trip had given me. The Global Brigades coordinators, translators and volunteers opened my eyes to how they strive each day to change the lives of people in resource-reduced countries around the world.
During this journey, new and renewed friendships bloomed among the members of our group. Each evening after work, there was time for reflection. As the students opened up and told their stories and shared their dreams and passion for helping people both at home and here in an unfamiliar land, they restored my faith in humanity. As they talked with and helped the kind folks of these Nicaraguan communities, they painted a picture of a future of hope.
While I did not eat in extravagant restaurants or stay in luxurious resorts during my visit to Nicaragua, I was easily submerged in the country’s authentic culture. I encountered humility, selflessness, compassion, resilience and perseverance. This journey and these people changed my outlook on life.
