DayZero part 2

Day Zero

Hello world! This is Amina and first off, I just want to say to all my friends and family that I couldn’t reach out to, that WE MADE IT!!! We got in around 8:30 Nicaragua time. When we first arrived, I was very shocked to notice that the airport didn’t look to far off from ours. I guess I was expecting the plane to land in a field and we walk off the plane into a van. It also relieved a lot of anxiety to finally arrive in Nicaragua.

When we got into the van, the first thing we saw was a bat, which scared me. We also put all of our luggage on top of the van, which was a little not America. Traveling to CEPAD (the place that we are staying) was interesting. What we saw was so similar to what we were used to. There was Shell gas stations and On the Run convenience stores and even good old McDonalds. There was also a lot of people just out on the streets hanging out. What really struck me while we were driving was that when we were stopped at a light, a little boy about 7 years old came knocking on the window and just waved at us. It was weird that he was just alone on the street.

My first impression of CEPAD was that it was much better that I expected. The beds are kind of flat and you cant put toilet paper in the toilet, but generally, I feel comfortable here. I feel content and am just going to take this experience one day at a time. It helped me personally a lot that as a group, we connected before we came here. I feel so much more comfortable knowing that we are all experiencing this for the first time together and we can all relate to each other.

Lastly, to my parents, I love you guys and thank you for supporting me and allowing me to go. And to Booby, I love you so so so so much and miss you and my kitties. I hope your holding the house down(and the laundry ).

Goodnight World.

"Day Zero" Part 1

Yesterday, "Day Zero," as we've been calling it, was an interesting day. The events of the day were pretty self explanitiory. We traveled from Newark to Miami, eating some Cuban food on our lay over (something I couldn't have been happier about- the taste of home!). Finally, we were on the flight to Managua. We were all in a weird state, confused about how we were feeling in the moment; strange, anxious, nervous, excited, scared- just a few of the words I heard being muttered around. I was feeling all of these things. I don't think any of us knew what to expect upon our arrival to Nicaragua.

I thought that my presence in this foreign place would hit me as soon as I set foot off the plane, but somehow it did not. The smell was strange immediately. Not a bad smell, just different than what we are used to...the smell of Nica.
We have all been learning about the disadvantages that this great country is forced to endure daily. I still don't think we know just how we are going to face these issues, how we are going to react to them. I am afraid to see the pain that these innocent people go through every day. However, I long to learn from them. I already have.

Although our exit from the airport was hectic, it was warm and welcoming. The Whitness for Peace delegates greeted us with excitement. We loaded all of our luggage ON TOP of the bus and were on our way to CEPAD, the place we will be staying while we are in Managua. It was difficult to see the city at night, but the impression was lasting. We were all shocked to see such a plethora of American companies such as Texaco, On The Run, McDonalds, etc. along the road. Maybe Nica isn't so different? The reality was quickly presented. Groups of young boys, children, gathered in abandoned building. They stared at our bus as we passed by, but they were not looking for trouble. I'm sure they were just curious. The most emotional experience for me on our first night was when we were on the bus, stopped at a red light. A boy, not older than nine years old, was tapping on the window of the bus, begging for money. Another waved as we drove away. I looked away, not in a negative way, but as a shield. I was trying to distance myself from feeling that pain, but I do not want to do that anymore.

I want to understand these children, these people. As a group, we talked about opening our hearts to the people of Nicaragua in order to understand them fully and deeply. We are all extremely excited to continue this project. Although we still don't know what to expect, we will soon confront the experience of a lifetime!

We are all safe and enjoying each other's company, no worries about that! Madre, Daddy, Nikki, Tay, John and anyone who is following this blog in support, I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH! I can't wait to share this experience with you!

Arrival in Nicaragua

The team has arrived safely in Nicaragua. We are having a wondeful orientation to the project. We are unfortunately having some internet connectivity troubles. We will post our daily blog reports once we resolve those issues. Stay tuned!!!

Team Dinner

On November 11th, Team Nica came together for a pot-luck dinner at Bryan's apartment. We had appetizers, Spanish rice, salad, a bunch of pastas and lots of desserts. Here are some photos from the night.

Mike, Jacquie, Mark, Keaghan

Whitney, Tanja, Jeff, Quinn

Jessie and Megan

Team Nica Members Meet World Changing Entrepreneur

Last week, Amira and myself (Bryan) got the chance to meet with and hear from Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes. TOMS Shoes is based on a revoluntionary business / charity model that is "one for one." Whenever a person buys a pair of their shoes, TOMS will give a pair to a child in need. They focus on children who need shoes to be able to go to school and those who need shoes to prevent major health problems. ex: podoconiosis.

While he was at our campus, Blake also gave a talk on the story of TOMS Shoes (which stands for "TOMorrow's Shoes." Buy a pair today and they'll give a pair tomorrow. Yup, there's no Tom - just Blake.) His story of success and service is truly inspiring. While on vacation in Argentina, Blake participated in a project that collected used shoes from wealthy Argentinians and gave them to poor children in villages surrounding Buenos Aires. The next day, Blake dreamed up an idea that was a mix of business and charity and was a way to continue giving shoes to children in need. Over the next few weeks, he made 250 pairs of shoes and returned to the States. Within just two weeks, he had gotten frontpage press for his idea, had 2,000 + orders and needed to head back to Argentina to make ALOT more shoes. Over the next few months, TOMS gained alot of attention, was soon being worn by celebrities and was spreading like wild-fire simply by word of mouth. To this day, they have never spent one dime on adversitising. (And that AT&T commercial? Luckily, Blake used AT&T and they had the idea to use him for their commerical. That has resulted in 100,000 + pairs of shoes given away.)

There's alot more great information on their site and many ways to get involved. Not to mention, some ethical shopping that can be done. Check it out.

Here's a short video introduction to TOMS Shoes:

One of Our Beloved Mentors

This is Jhon, one of our beloved mentors on this journey, who is patiently explaining the process to be part of our delegation, and stressing the fact that it is not a sign up program!

Proceeds Night at TGIF

We hosted a proceeds night at TGIF to raise money for our upcoming delegation. the rules were super simple, pass out flyers, and for two nights in a row if diners brought the flyer with them, the restaurant will donate 20% of their proceeds to Team Nica 2010.