Peace Corps Nicaragua

November 16, 2010

I made it! Yes, hard to believe that two years passed so quickly, but I am back in the grand old US for the foreseeable future. I left Nicaragua on the fourth with a heavy heart and a lot of mixed emotions. I of course was glad to be coming home to family and loved ones, but was and am still terribly sad to have left my community and the people who have loved me like their own family for the past two years.

My projects wrapped up perfectly. The washboard project was a huge success. A total of thirty-six were purchased and transported to El Charcón. I never thought they would arrive, but they did and they were perfect. I think this is one of the best projects I did, because it had such an immediate effect on the quality of life for the women in my community.

All of the people who bought grain silos from project last year repaid, and we were able to buy more materials. By the time I left an additional ten silos had been ordered and more people were interested in buying them. Two of the banks closed and reopened for another year. The interest rates on the savings were between 20 and 25% and the committees were very organized and ready to continue. The third bank I work with decided to continue working with this year’s bank and will open closer to Christmas.

I was fortunate enough to be able to spend almost the entire last month in my site without leaving. It was such a treat to be able to spend that time with my community and it reinforced how important the people are to me. With the help of some of the girls from the soccer team, I organized a big going away party with a DJ and food for the entire community. About three hundred people showed up and we danced the night away, me in my brand new Nicaraguan cowboy boots.

My final day was wonderful and horrible at the same time. By 5:30 in the morning people started showing up at my house to say goodbye and from then until I left on Don Mario’s Ox cart it was a steady procession of tears and hugs. I waited for the bus at Doña Marco’s house and was an emotional mess. Saying goodbye felt awful, because I am not sure when I will see those people again, and when I do I know it will be a totally different situation.

My strongest feeling having completed Peace Corps is gratefulness. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to live with so many great people for two years. It might be a cliché, but its true that the people of El Charcón gave me more than I could ever have given them. All of the community, but especially my host family and Doña Marcos, opened their hearts and homes to me and shared their families with me. That level of hospitality is something that doesn’t exist here in the states where we have so much, but seem to be so afraid to share.

I am sure I have lots of adjusting to do here in the states, mostly to the cold, but I do also want to express my gratitude to the people who supported me through Peace Corps. I received tremendous support from my family, through letters, packages, and phone calls. My friends were amazing and I look forward to reconnecting. Concetta stuck with me through an incredible experience and I am truly thankful for her being so understanding while I followed my passion. I was so lucky to have so many people visit me: Mom & Wayne (twice), Dad, Blair, Concetta, Bert, Aaron, Sean (twice), and Eli. It meant so much to be able to share my experience with you all. Also, the St. Lukes community: which has always been supportive of my family, and me, I thank you all.

I don’t have a cell phone yet, but you can reach me at my email: austinfturner@gmail.com. I will be in North Carolina until at least the middle of January, after which time I will be looking for jobs in the New York area.

Again, Thank you all and take care.

Austin

PS: There are a lot of photos so you might have to change pages.

Tatiana and Marlivia Wearing My Clothes