Poetry Slam is a Slam Dunk!

“Ruben Dario!”  The quick response one can expect to hear from any Nicaraguan when asked who the country’s greatest poet is.

“ummm… Dr. Seuss?” A response you’d likely get from the same question to an American.  But why?

Poetry gets to the heart of what it means to be Nicaraguan.  At every level of school poems are read, learned, and performed by students.  Many can still recite some of their favorites years later including Enlace Project’s very own Yacarely Mairena who shared a poem with visiting SUNY Geneseo students during a class on poetry.

In keeping with this cultural tradition of poetry, Enlace Project English students worked for weeks on poems of their own to be presented at the first (annual?!) Enlace Project Poetry Slam on June 18^th.  In front of an audience of over 50 people as well as a panel of 5 judges, twelve students from both the primary and secondary level English classes showcased their works.  Poems embraced a wide variety of topics from the beauty of motherhood to emotional defenses of the environment. 

Amazed Geneseo students in attendance remarked that they couldn’t believe how expressive students were in a second language, with many readily admitting they didn’t feel capable of producing such strong poems themselves.  Such is the impact of poetry in Nicaragua where everyone is born with the heart of a poet. 

The remainder of the evening was spent enjoying all things quintessentially Nicaraguan for dinner (gallo pinto, plantains, and queso frito) and laughter filled conversation between Geneseo students and the aspiring poets.  Enlace Project is proud to help facilitate these types of intercultural exchange and will continue to embrace them as an important part of our mission.

Written by Patrick McCormick, 2015-16  Intern

 

From the Ashes: Ocotal Recovers from Forest Fire

In late May, tragedy struck the mountain community of Ocotal outside of El Sauce.  A fire set at a farm below the mountain, meant to clear a field, burned out of control consuming a large swath of the pine forest on the mountain.  Armed with only small amounts of water in portable packs and their farming tools, the men of the community fought the fire by collecting fuel into isolated spots, containing the burn and halting its progress.  Thanks to their efforts and the fortunate beginning of the rainy season, the fire was brought under control in two days.  The around the clock battle was more than just an attempt to protect the community, the forest also represents an important resource for Ocotal.

The pine forest is owned by the community’s patriarch, Don Mauricio, and is an important source of income for him and his family.  At first glance it might not be apparent how, but a closer look reveals that the trees have a secret; many of them are marked for logging.  If this doesn’t fit into your conventional view of sustainable development, tranquillo!  Like everything else in Ocotal, this project is aimed at maintaining a balance with the environment.

Six years ago, an action plan was put in place aimed at using the mountains natural supply of pinewood while preserving the environment and longevity of the forest.  The plan fits in with newer views on ecological preservation that indicate efforts to regulate any and all change to a forest may pose even greater risk than occasional natural disaster like forest fires.  More simply, by removing trees at a sustainable rate, the community is providing a safer alternative to natural forest fires and creating a positive economic impact at the same time.

Students tour the damaged section of the pine forest.

For visitors to Ocotal, a walk into the forest offers a perspective on how fragile the balance they strike can be at times.  The stark difference between tall and proud trees growing in most of the forest and the burned area is startling.  The trees killed by the fire are unusable and they will not be replaced quickly.  Yet, there is reason for optimism as community leader Gustavo Martinez-Martinez pointed out to a recent group of students.  Among dead pine needles on the ground are small specs of green: new trees.  Thirty years from now, he says, they will replace their dead parents, providing an important resource for Ocotal.

 Written by Patrick McCormick, 2015-16 Intern

Meet Our New 2015-16 Intern: Patrick McCormick

Pat is a 2015 graduate of SUNY Geneseo and earned a BA in Political Science. While at Geneseo, he was President of Enlace Project Geneseo club on campus and helped fundraise for Enlace Project as well as promote the study abroad opportunities to El Sauce that Geneseo offers.

During his time with Enlace Project, Pat will help us connect with more US based partners, run our marketing, and continue to develop the English program. Along the way, Pat hopes to hone his Spanish and his understanding of Nicaraguan culture.  Recently we had a chance to chat with him about his plans for the internship.

Q: What made you want to work with Enlace Project?

A: For me Enlace Project offers me the chance to work with an organization that has a unique and important development strategy.  Too many well-intentioned NGOs end up in creating a dependency trap that actually hurts the people they are trying to help.  Our model focuses on teaching people skills and building the human capital to make people independently capable of improving their own lives.  And obviously my previous time in El Sauce played a huge role in me applying for the internship.  As a student I made meaningful connections with my host-family and the people here over the course of two months that I get to keep strengthening and growing today.

Q: Do you have any favorite Nicaraguan food?

A:  I love all of the fresh juices you get to have here, really makes Tropicana look bad.  For me though, plantains, especially “maduro,” are an absolute must eat.  You can never go wrong with gallo pinto though.

Q: What are your goals for your time here?

A:  I want to strengthen our connections to our partners in the United States.  Many of our supporters and partners would love to be more involved and I want to make sure that we create opportunities for that to happen.  I will be reaching out to groups we’ve worked with in the past, as well as to new groups in the coming months to explore what those opportunities will look like and how to make them a reality.

If you are interested in learning more about working with Enlace Project or just have questions and want to contact Pat, email him at mccormickp19043@gmail.com.