El Sauce’s Charm is Less in Quiet Reflection, More in the Connections

In the month of September, Enlace Project had the pleasure of welcoming back an old friend. Colleen Dunham, who has come down to El Sauce for three extended visits since 2011—the first for a month, the second for six weeks, and this time for three weeks—has become enchanted with the welcoming people and culture of rural Nicaragua.

Colleen hard at work building a house during her latest visit.

Colleen explains that she came upon El Sauce by luck, when she was looking to travel during a “significant milestone” of her life. She came in contact with members of Rochester’s 4 Walls Project, and later the staff of Enlace Project. It wasn't long after her first meeting with Bonnie Yannie of 4WP that she was convinced and bought a ticket to travel. While she was expecting a calm, reflecting experience, what she found was somewhat different; she admits that when Enlace Project staff member Juan Mairena picked her up and told her she was to start working on a house the next day, she was taken by surprise.

Nonetheless, the experience was definitely worthwhile. By sitting in on Enlace Project’s English classes, she quickly made friends with Peace Corps volunteer Rachel Ropkey and several Nicaraguan students from the class. Student Jahaira Lira, who is now in level 2 in the advanced class, would invite her over to meet her parents and do her hair. Pepe Hernandez, who leads 4 Walls Project efforts, also became a good friend, despite the initial language barrier. “I thought I would feel excluded, but I never did,” she admits.

Andrew taking a break from work for a photo-op with one of the local kids!

Since the initial trip, Colleen has learned a great deal about Nicaragua, and is taking Spanish classes in Buffalo. This trip she came down to visit families that she has become close to and work on a house for 4 Walls Project. Joining her is Andrew Schantz, who had never traveled to Nicaragua before. While he notes that there have been some challenging moments, he also explains that it has provided him with many new insights.

Colleen says the thing that struck her most was the disparity of wealth between Nicaragua and the United States. She explains that many of the material things and opportunities that we have in the U.S. simply aren’t available here. However, in return, Sauceños also possess some qualities that are harder to come by in the U.S. Namely: “resourcefulness, patience, and generosity.” Colleen, and possibly Andy as well, will return to El Sauce for sure in the future. In the meantime, their experiences of the most recent trip are sure to stay with them.

Colleen and long-time friend Pepe Hernandez. 

“If there is one thing I want to say about El Sauce, it’s this: Just come. It’s easy, inexpensive, and life-changing.”

-Colleen Dunham.

--Written by Sean Conner

Student Testimonials: Richelle Pennington

Richelle Pennington is a Junior Pre-Physicians Assistant, Biology major from the State University of New York at Geneseo. In her free time, she is the volunteer coordinator for Geneso's Outing Club, the Charity Chair of Phi Lambda Chi, the secretary for Biology Club and an EMT for the Geneseo Fire Department. Richelle traveled to El Sauce with the Summer Service Learning program in 2013. Her experience, she explains, is one that will say with her for her entire life:

Richelle Pennington, pictured center right (yellow shirt), at the hospital in El Sauce.

In regards to traveling abroad, I have been fortunate enough to travel a lot in my lifetime. When I was younger I lived in Geneva, Switzerland, which gave me the chance to understand another culture besides my own outside of the United States of America. Since then, most of my trips outside the country have been for leisure, to see new place or visit family and/or friends. I have learned a lot in my travels but in the end I’ve realized nothing compares to being fully immersed in a totally new culture.

When I initially applied to journey to El Sauce, Nicaragua I planned on working at a rural health post so that I could give back to the community since I really enjoy patient care. I know Nicaragua has its issues in the health care world so I saw this opportunity to be right up my alley. I was aware I was going on a “service-learning” trip but I continued to tell myself this was more of a volunteer trip and focus on that. I never thought about the fact that I would be taken on a journey. I met new friends, slid down a volcano, listened to music, traveled to cities and mountains, spent quality time with my host family and learned a new culture as well as a language. I was given the chance to help out, which I did. I was able to assist with vitals, help calm down patients and even preform a few pap smears. I was able to give a little but in reality I ended up learning so much more in the end.

Climbing up Cerro Negro near León.

I now see how to immerse myself in a culture, which is to live how everyone else does. I also see how back at home I take many things for granted such as water, food, transportation and my family. After my experience I now feel much more fortunate for all I have been given and will use this to help me realize what issues are and are not realistically important. I will use the experience and knowledge to tell others how important service is, but in the end an adventure like this will ultimately change your thinking and how you live for the better. I may have stayed only one month in El Sauce, Nicaragua but my involvement there has made a lifetime impact on me. 

Student Testimonials: Jo Speicher

Jo Speicher, from the State University of New York's Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, participated in the university's two-week summer program in El Sauce. Jo, who is studying to be a Nurse Practitioner, had previously traveled to Nicaragua and worked on the Atlantic Coast in the city of Puerto Cabezas. Thus, El Sauce provided an opportunity for her to experience a different aspect of Nicaraguan life working in rural medical posts. She writes:

Jo with her Sauceño host mother.

It was an honor and enjoyable privilege to be a part of a team of six students from SUNY Upstate Medical University this past July to visit the quiet community of El Sauce, Nicaragua. The noble organization, Enlace, coordinated our stay by arranging every detail with meticulous care. The people of El Sauce are warm and welcoming and my host mama has become a dear friend.

We were introduced to the health care system in Nicaragua by actively participating in clinics at health posts in surrounding rural areas. The local doctors who accompanied us challenged us to think critically and discussed symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments as well as allowing us to do hands on assessments of the patients. We performed respiratory assessments, blood pressure checks and did numerous pap smears. Visits to the local hospital and Casa Materna gave us a further look at the MINSA (Ministerio de Salud, or the government’s Department of Health) system in Nicaragua. The frustration but also ingenuity of the doctors was evident when they creatively met the medication needs of their patients.

The trip was not all work with no play. The staff of Enlace Project planned after-hours entertainment as well. We found respite from the heat by swimming in a few local rivers. We had salsa lessons, which we then practiced at a local Karaoke establishment. We waited for the rain to clear and squished under a pavilion to finally watch a horse race. My favorite was participating in the ‘English School’. I enjoyed watching the students who are dedicated to learn English. Their camaraderie and fun was contagious.

The leaders of Enlace have incredible maturity as young leaders within this community. I was extremely impressed with the different levels of local involvement, from tourism promotion to micro-financing. Enlace is to be commended for its mission and goals and has definitely made a difference in the small community of El Sauce and for the visiting groups like ours. Perhaps Enlace could be a model for many other areas of Nicaragua (and the world) that would benefit from having similar programs. I suggest a TED Talk to promote this unique program.

I would love to return with a big chunky grant to further help promote Enlace’s work! Maybe next summer!!

Student Testimonials: Patrick McCormick

• Patrick McCormick, a State University of New York at Geneseo Junior studying Political Science and Pre-Med, traveled to El Sauce in May 2013. During a two month stay, Pat participated in both the Humanities II and Service Learning programs that Geneseo offers. As president of Geneseo's Peace Action club, he looks back on the experience fondly. 

  In reflecting on his experience, Pat came across a journal entry that he had written for the Service Learning class, this one dated June 25, 2013:

  

  Patrick with his host father, Luis.

  My initial game plan of working with the dental health campaign was abruptly altered when the opportunity to work at the clinic with Dra. Sara fell into my lap. I really enjoyed working with her because she took time to explain what problems each patient was having as well as making me write down words I did not know. The four hours I spent there were a great insight into the daily challenges of a general practitioner and she was amazing at keeping me involved despite my limited Spanish. After four hours of continuous patients without any break, I was able to really appreciate the work she does in a community like El Sauce.

  Not to be out done, my afternoon was a totally different sort of adventure. Yesterday Luis, my host father, invited me to accompany him to the small community of Sálales to the northeast of El Sauce. He was there to try and solve a water rights issue and was also accompanied by two police officers and three others. One police officer gave a long speech on how the police would fight drugs in the community and asked the people to help as well.

  Luis has quite a way of commanding the respect of the people. They were far more attentive and responsive to his speech than that of the police officer or other man that spoke. After talking to the community we marched up toward the nearby mountain to take a look at the water dispute first hand. Apparently there is a man claiming his father gifted him the land where the water gathers, a spot that is no more than 20ft by 10ft, and claims to have the rights to the spring of water. The townspeople badly need the water and the discussion held theirs was lengthy, but rather fruitless in the end. Eventually we left thanking the community, and finally hopped back in the police truck that we road up in.

  The resolution of these types of community issues is Luis’s job everyday. He tells me that he must travel to communities in and around El Sauce and try to find solutions to all sorts of problems just like this with the hope of improving the community. I am very impressed with how hard he works and just how much he cares for these communities. He does not get angry or frustrated, yet continues to work everyday at this task. I guess that it is not surprising to me that Silvia loves him dearly and praised him for his enormous heart when he left after dinner; he truly cares about improving the lives of the poor and downtrodden. For my part I gained a whole new perspective on Luis today and much more respect for what he does. Our difficulty communicating has made talking hard at times, but I am honored he invited me to go to Sálales with him. This was an excellent day in El Sauce.

  For more information on Enlace Project's Study Abroad Opportunities, click here.