Naksa Nakisma!

I have been in Waspam for the past week and suffices to say that I have hit the ground running, sprinting, like a bat out of hell since I arrived. Waspam is located on Nicaragua´s North Atlantic Coast along the Río Coco that creates the border with Honduras. Waspam is the cultural, political and commercial hub among all the villages along the Río Coco. Here, the language is more often in Miskito than Spanish and I have been learning a little (for example--Naksa Nakisma= Hello How are you).

The groundwork for the water development project is of and running but in a different way than I imagined. The project is focused on a small village named Kisilaya that is 6 kilometers down river from Waspam. This is an entirely indigenous community that is rather organized- there is a local governing body, neighborhood coordinators, but especially the women are organized much of which can be contributed to the influence of my mentor- Rose Cunningham- international recognized human rights activist working with Madre for the past twenty years.

Rose´s work in Kisilaya has been ongoing for the past 6 years. During that time she has developed the Seeds of Hope program that has provided non GMO seeds to this community which primarily survives on agriculture. They have developed a seed bank and expanded their farms along the rivers- which is especially apparent right now, in the middle of the harvest. Everyone is extremely busy harvesting, transporting, storing and selling their bounty before the harsh weather of the rainy season sets in. Did I mention this is one of the wettest places on earth- receiving 30000 inches of rain annually. Other projects Rose and her team of lady organizers have completed is the building of a Women´s Center in Kisilaya, introducing a telephone at the center, providing bikes for transporting goods to Waspam, regular education opportunities and most recently provided sewing machines and material.

I have spent almost everyday in Kisilaya since my arrive a little over a week ago. Mostly I am walking 12 kilometers days there and back. In order to provide the groundwork for exploring sustainable water options, first we have to get some sort of water in the community---which means the bulk of my time will be spent organizing water committees, cleaning and repairing existing wells and providing an exchange between Kisilaya and other communities that are using rainwater and ceramic filters. Step by step, poco a poco, we are making progress. The last week was spent meeting organizations working on water issues, evaluating wells--- 15 were evaluated and only two are partially working. As a result, people are using river water for everything, which is extremely contaminated. Women and girls, who are primarily responsible for fetching water, washing clothes, and cooking, spend the bulk of their day either at the river or collecting water from the river. The wells have not worked in this community in years. The state of the wells is pretty horrible in some cases the main culprits, according to the community- are gangs of young guys that basically vandalize the wells and destroy them..... I am still struggling to see the benefit that they would get from doing such a heinous thing. This project--- improving water quality, access and sustainability--- might possibly be the project that takes over my life.

After walking all day everyday in the hot! sun, the Kisilayans generously share ripe juicy watermelon and coconuts from their land that make the most satisfying treat possible after a long day of work. Finally, the week ended in Kisilaya with a grand festival at the Catholic church (thank you colonization once again) where you can find everyone cooking up a storm, singing and enjoying the break from the hard hard work they excert daily.