Una Despedida

Hey all, this marks my last blog post!

I'm still way too absorbed in all this to properly digest it, or even try to summarize 3 1/2 months of mayhem and growth..

But, I've been thinking a lot about how I've changed as a result of my time here in Central America..so here it goes!

1. You can't choose culture..you inherit it.

I came here thinking my U.S. identity meant nothing, and I was wrong. Just because I'm not proud of my government doesn't mean I don't carry culture around on my sleeve. Living here has forced me to really confront that identity for the first time. I've learned that the world is not one place, and I only know a very small, specific part of it.

2. There's more to language than words.

I used to think speaking Spanish was a function of how many words I knew. But now I understand that without the right expression, tone, emotion, pronunciation, no one knows what the hell you're talking about. Language isn't about memory, but expressive adaptation.

3. The world's not small..but we want it to be.

Kids with field day t-shirts from New Jersey, families living under signs from the New Zealand government..every time the word "globalization" popped into my head, it was because someone else was imposing culture, or religion, or idelogy. The world's not getting smaller, we're just shrinking it.

4. You're only as old as your adventure.

Being halfway across the world is like starting from square one. It was a poetic slap in the face to come here and realize I only know what I'm doing in my own comfortable little bubble.

So, at the risk that these four epiphanies seem delusional or incoherent, I'm going to formally close off my blog with someone else's words...

Siempre hago lo que no puedo hacer, para que yo pueda aprender a hacerlo.

I always do that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.

--Pablo Picasso

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Thanks so much again for following my adventure!!!
I'll be sure to post photos when I can,
but that won't be until late December...
Happy Holidays!

El Programa

So I've been putting some of my final work together for ICADS, and realize that I haven't been very specific about my work here in Matagalpa!

So here it goes..

Usura Cero was launched in mid-2008 by the Sandinista government in Managua as the first national microfinance program in Nicaragua. It had originally planned to reach out to 80,000 women in five years, but at the end of 2008, it had already granted loans to over 70,000 in all.

The loans have specific requirements..some of which are strictly followed, some aren't.

The idea is to only loan to women from urban barrios (neighborhoods)..a sharp contrast from other programs that largely target subsistence farmers and agricultural production as a whole. There are 16 regional offices--one for each departamento (state) in Nicaragua. The office here, in Matagalpa, currently manages 242 groups of women. Officially, these are called "grupos solidarios"..groups of 5-10 women that are meant to support each other through the duration of their individual loans.

In Matagalpa, 53 of the 242 groups are currently in debt. There is no money available for loans to new groups, so for now, the money is just being recycled for second/third loans.

The amount of each loan varies between 1,850 and 5,500 cordobas ($89-$265)..although the vast majority of women, in my experience, opt for the maximum loan of 5,500. There are four plans for repayment--3, 4, 6, or 8 months..and interest increases with time--1.27, 1.66, 2.45, and 3.24 percent respectively. This is much lower than what the private banks offer here, but contrary to public opinion, microfinance is not free in Nicaragua.

I've been tagging along to learn from the four different stages of these loans.

First, there is "capacitación"..the two training sessions required for each loan recipient prior to receiving her check (and one for each subsequent loan). They are interesting to take part in. Organized by an external institute, they focus on business strategies as a way for women to manage more money than they usually see in a month.

Second, there is distribution..a fun kind of celebration where the groups come together for their checks. Usually, this is accompanied by a speech from a government official, or something formal to contextualize the event.

Third, there are payments. Working in the office means getting to interact with women that come in to make weekly payments..always an interesting opportunity to see how the loan is progressing.

Fourth, and probably most importantly, I get to travel with the "Oficial de Crédito" on collection visits to the barrios (neighborhoods). This is the most life-changing part of working here..getting out to the barrios, and engaging with women who are surrounded by immense poverty.

My views on the program, and microfinance as a whole, are mixed..but it's something I won't comment on online. I will say that this has been an unreal experience--something I won't ever be able to forget. I can't wait to bring my experience back to Hampshire and try to make sense of all I've seen in these quick two months.

I will try and get to a computer next weekend for my final (!!) blog. After that, we will be traveling back to Costa Rica with little time to get online..finishing up with finals, presentations, etc..

But for now, thanks so much again for checking in! It's been fun writing here..has been a nice little weekly ritual. :)

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Some Developments

I came to Nicaragua with a sense of what "development" means: that we, as Americans, are part of the "developed" world. They, as the global poor, represent "underdeveloped," or "developing" people.

There are, of course, innate issues of political inequality that penetrate those ideas. I can't say I haven't stopped to think about them, but my life certainly hasn't changed because there are poor people in the world.

We offer sympathy, and money, to this other "world"..never stopping to think about what that means, or the framework in which we think that's okay.

I'm no expert. But living, working, and making memories here has completely reversed the way I see development.

I understand now, with all honesty, that we, as a country, are underdeveloped.

1. We are underdeveloped until we realize that America is not one country, but thirty-five. Not one language, but thousands.



2. We are underdeveloped until we read. Until we read and read and understand our history of imperialism.



3. We are underdeveloped until we see the fence we built from space.



4. We are underdeveloped until we take responsibility for our actions. Until we say no to the World Bank, and yes to harmony.



5. We are underdeveloped until a smile says we can listen.



If we can't look inwards--if we can't change the way we think about the world--then it's no wonder development is taking so long.

La Playa

So, I know I didn't blog this weekend, and I can't pretend this is my photo, but I did have a solid excuse for not checking in ;)


Be back soon!