Compas de Nicaragua

Compas is an amazing organization that really believes in the power of community cooperation, and collaboration as a major means of progress and change.  I could speak of the pride of being a meager assistance to a noble and epic endeavor but the experience far surpasses that sense of accomplishment.  The breadth of beauty, history, and culture that Compas is able to share with its groups in limited time is remarkable.  The bio gas and drain projects they are executing are simple, fast and sustainable, the benefits of which could be as priceless as the memories and friends you'll make in their creation.  The rewards of this program are innumerable and heartwarming and the proof is the sincerity of dedication in all the people who have made this an international achievement in service.
-Christopher Mayer

During one of the afternoons we were digging the gray water removal trenches, a student from the other college group let me know the Women in Action were making the soyfoods I had heard so much about. I headed on back from the house to the WIA center. When I reached the center there were two Nicaraguan women holding a large piece of cheesecloth while a fellow student poured a steaming, thick white mixture into the cloth. The liquid was squeezed out and the pulp was poured into a large mixing bowl. I was asked to stir the vegetables the other students had cut up. Using a massigve wooden spoon I stirred the tomatoes, green peppers, onion and oil in a giant metal pot and watched them brown. The smell soon filled the entire building. One half was filled with the students and women cooking and the other half was filled with tubes and saws and leftover plastic bits from the grey water systems. Another woman began stirring the soybean pulp with a variety of ingredients. First she added oil and vinegar and a red powder that roughly translated to color, though I can't be sure. It looked like paprika but wasn't as fragrant. She then chopped and added two large bunches of fresh mint and a pitcher full of freshly hand squeezed mandarin juice. It smelled incredible. Once the soy pulp had been throughly mixed, two of the women poured the mixture into the pot of sauteing vegetables and a third woman stirred in some salt and pepper. I was on handle holding duty, which was harder than it sounds. The small rag I was using as a hot pad was beginning to get quite hot, and eventually I had to give up my position. The women took the leftover liquid, now known as soy milk and brought it to a boil. After boiling they added lots of fresh cinnamon bark, vanilla and sugar. They served it warm, and although it was nearly 90 degrees outside, the drink was delicious. I could see myself making it in the winter here in Wisconsin. The soy foods dish, which was similar to what we know as Textured Vegetable Protein, or TVP, was smooth and light colored. The taste was reminiscent of a taco I once had for breakfast. They served it to us burrito style in a freshly made corn tortilla. According to the WIA, this giant batch of soyfood and soy milk can feed up to 150 people for a week. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

Ashley Beyer

We spent much of our first week in Nicaragua digging holes for bio-gas stoves. It was interesting to find out that the residents in La Paz could install them faster without us, but were grateful for our help and company. The people accepted our help readily and humbly worked along side us even thought they could have dug the holes five times faster. I believe they supported community interaction and friendship more than "rushing to get things done". I enjoyed talking and laughing with them while working. The work days depicted, for me, what a perfect world would look like. People of all races, knowing different languages, working hand in hand to better a community. It was beautiful.

Elise

     Having the opportunity to stay in Nicaragua, and work on projects that will really change someone's life is an incredible feeling. The bio-gas stove project in La Paz and the gray water systems in La Primavera are both things that will help to make the lives of the people there easier. The best part of working on the projects was actually getting to work side-by-side with the people who will be using them. The bonds we formed while working are incredible. All of the connections that I made there are strong, and lifelong. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, and I know that when I am able to return I have a home waiting for me.


Stephanie Oechsner

This trip has been completely amazing. I came here to maybe touch the lives of the Nicaraguan people, but they have touched my life much more than I could ever touch theirs. This trip has opened my eyes to what it truly means to be in need. What it means to be content with so little. What it means to sacrifice. What it means to be selfless. Not only were we able to work alongside the people of Nicaragua to help make their lives easier with bio-gas stoves and graywater systems, we were able to really get to know them. Goodbyes are not easy, and I have never cried so much over people I only knew for a few days as I did saying goodbye to these people. If you are cold and they may only have 1 jacket, they will gladly give it to you off of their back to make sure that you are comfortable. They welcome you into their homes with open arms and hate to see you go. The people here have touched me forever, and all I cn say is come here and see for yourself. You will never regret it. It will be life changing and you will never be the same again.

Nicole Hansen

Today we tried to finish up the gray-water systems we started in La Primavera. Compas Director Mike Boudreau quickly sorted out which women still needed work at their house despite having over 30 potential sites where Compas and Women in Action are working in the community by Lake Managua. We put the last buckets of crushed rock in to the ditches to filter the graywater, and the Bowdoin College group from Maine stayed out later than they´d originally intended to help out before they leave for La Paz de Carazo. The women themselves helped us carry the buckets from the truck into their yards. Despite having children and other concerns, these women still find the energy to work, often, harder than we do.

Adam Woods

Today is our last full day here in Nicaragua. It has passed so quickly! It is so strange to think that my home is not here, but rather it is half a world away and a full temperature spectrum away. This trip has been beyond-words-rewarding. It feels great to help an entire community times two by just being present. I will always and forever be in wonder of the simplicity and contentedness of this place. 

As a first time visitor, I have noticed four small things that I'd like to share:

1. Curtains- Always decorative, sometimes creating a wall. Different patterns on the curtains seem to resemble the family that owns them.
2. Plate Designs- Not always simple and basic, like the ones I´m used to at home. They offer a little insight into the creativity of this place.
3. Pillowcases- From elephants with birds sitting on their backs to floral patterns, I feel like I have seen all types of pillowcases. Somewhere to rest my head while I´ve been here.
4. The outstanding importance of plastic lawnchairs/ In contrast to home, here people sit around outside almost every night, and in order to do so, lawnchairs are necessary. Not only are they used for relaxing at nighttime, but they are also dinner table chairs, working chairs, sun tanning chairs and tables.

Aside from these four things, there are millions of other things that I have noticed subconciously and conciously about this place. It is full of beauty and happiness. Returning home will never be so difficult.

Natalee Kasmiskie

We started digging the 1 meter wide, 1 meter deep, 3 meter long trenchs for the bio gas stoves last Friday January 8th. My group worked with a local farmer in La Paz, Wilmer. We put the bio gas in at his house. Wilmer is a farmer with construction work experience, so he helped make sure that we were very precise in our work. We "gringos" dug the trench in the beautiful Nicaraguan sun. Wilmer's family would offer us drinks or fruit when we got tired, and would pull up chairs under the shade for us. We got to have a traditional drink called chicha which is made of corn, strawberries, and sugar. The bio gas will help the environment by using a renewable source, cow dung, and families will not have to cut down the forests allowing them to be preserved. This also helps the families because it lets them spend more time at home instead of having to go farther and farther out to get wood and it is easy to maintain. I have grown physically stronger by the work I have done, but most importantly I have learned to pay attention to the things that matter most, our environment and the people we create bonds with.  

Laura Leyh

Hola de Nicaragua! This trip has surely been a blessing from God! The Compas orginization helps not only the people of Nicaragua but also those of us who are lucky enough to be a part of the experience. I was given the opportunity to join a family for five days on the outskirts of the village of La Paz, Carazo. There we were able to create memories that I never thought possible. Not knowing more than three phrases in spanish, I was constantly challenged by the language barrier. However, the more time we had with our family, the less that barrier affected us. Leaving them for the next part of our journey was very difficult, and many tears were shed. This has been an eye opening experience, and I hope only to return as soon as possible. Thank you Compas de Nicaragua for making this all possible!  -Mateo William Halter
 

Welcome to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh service group blog. We are a group of eleven students spending two weeks working on Compas de Nicaragua projects in Managua and La Paz, Carazo. While we´re here we´re also documenting our experiences and conversations with project members and host families in journals to help us write personal narratives about our trip when we return. Each student in our group will write a brief blog entry while we´re in Nicaragua and after we return in order to share our experiences here. We hope this first person account of the projects Compas sponsors here in Nicaragua will provide a window on the amazing community development work and solidarity building Compas helps accomplish. 

Welcome to the Compas de Nicaragua Blog.  We will be using this space to post updates on the program and to answer any questions that you all may have.  Please feel free to post a questions or concern and we will do our best to respond shortly.  Thanks!