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The Invictus Initiative

The Invictus Initiative, arguably the best international humanitarian organization out there right now for its 'relationships first' approach and varied team composition. Having the privilege of traveling with this organization gave me the inside look as to what makes their model far more effective when compared to much larger operations. What I immediately noticed was the more controlled atmosphere Invictus seemed to impart wherever we went. Where most humanitarian organizations prefer to rush in, knock out whatever plans they created before hand and leave, Invictus takes the longer approach. Our first goal was always to sit down and talk with the group of people we had identified as needing our assistance and see if that really was the case. More often than not the information we had going into a location needed to be updated and what we thought was best at the time no longer happened to be true. By far the most difficult aspect to this approach was how it forced you to stop exclusively thinking about crafting a solution. For most when presented with a problem, we immediately try to jump to a solution of our own design. Here, jumping to solutions frequently gets in the way of learning more about their needs, and just because an idea is a solution in our eyes does not make it so for them. However, after spending the length of our trip observing the effectiveness of getting to know those who you are trying to help first, it became apparent that there is no other way to go about it.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua, a country no larger than the western half of Colorado, yet somehow far bigger on the inside. From the tiny villages to the big hearts that occupied them, Nicaragua was and always will be more than the sum of its parts. While it was no secret that the country had its fair share of problems, the work Invictus did was to help strengthen what was already there, not start from scratch. It is through this model that we firmly believe the people of Nicaragua can work together to overcome their problems and prosper within their culture - not ours. In hindsight, to say I am a changed person as a result of this trip would be a lie. I firmly believe that if it takes a volunteer trip abroad to change who you are as a person, than you are really doing something wrong. To me, humanity is something you take with you everywhere you go, not just to the places that need it most.

La Cal Pt. II

La Cal, now the host of a huge BBQ party thrown by Invictus to celebrate the two communities and countries coming together. After all, we had much to celebrate with the immense progress made throughout the course of our trip. In the cumulation of efforts put forth by the different Invictus teams, each group was tasked with either leading a 'day camp' for the kids or teaching a health workshop with the adults. The first activity we embarked on with the kids was breaking into two teams and collecting as much trash as possible. After the time was up, the team with the largest pile won. From this, we reinforced the importance of working together to accomplish a common goal, in this case keeping their village free of litter. Meanwhile, the health team focused on presenting the posters they created to illustrate the process of an at home birth, a need brought forward to us by the community during a previous visit. The night came to an end with an invitation to join them for mass and live music before our final goodbye. Gratitude hardly begins to describe their parting message to us, and after all of our hard work it was a relief to know we were appreciated.

Technology

Technology, against all odds its ever increasing reach could be seen in even the most remote of villages. Somehow, in an almost poetic sense, the desire to own a cellphone has drowned out the need for some of the most basic amenities. Many of the locals I met would gladly give up a comfortable bed or a deposit on a well so they can instead purchase a mobile phone. In no way am I saying the individuals I met should 'know better' or that they are making a poor decision, rather my perspective on the matter is that of curiosity. Somehow, despite having a very limited view on the westernized world, the importance of owning a cell phone has become so apparent it is now viewed as a necessity. With my background in IT, I have always looked for ways in which technology can bring people together instead of push them apart, and here in the remote hills of Nicaragua that became a reality.  Children and adults alike laughed themselves to tears over snapchat filters, our volunteers spoke a language they weren't fluent in and we learned more about the depth of their daily lives, all through the powerful combination of technology and humanity.

The Municipal Dump Pt. II

The Jinotega Municipal Dump, despite only spending two days here, the implications of what we saw and did will last far beyond such a small time frame. While it is easy to just caste the label of 'sad' on this place, one has to remember that these people's lives are full of dignity and joy. Just because the context we were raised in stating anyone with less than we have is 'sad' or 'depressed' doesn't make it so. Here people live their lives just as we do, working hard to achieve what it is they want most, whether that be a better home or clean water. So long as the world continues to operate on the predisposition that anyone worse off than you is below you, communities like this will continue to grow. As Audre Lorde has said, "It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."

Childhood

Childhood, for most this time in your life is filled with happy giggles as you toddle around the house playing with all your toys. For the children growing up in the Municipal dump of Jinotega, childhood is a very different period of time. Here even the cleanest of spring water still has high levels of naturally occurring arsenic, let alone the contaminated water available to those living in the trash community. Obvious lesions on the skin along with bloating the of intestines meant the children here were fighting both arsenic poisoning and malnutrition. Fortunately the water filters being deployed were capable of filtering all bacteria, contagions and arsenic from the water, but the damage had already been done. In an almost eerie fashion, none of the children we met laughed or smiled despite all of our best efforts, it wasn't until we were about ready to leave that finally one of our volunteers was finally able to tease a smile out of a little girl. It was as the little girl was smiling that the parents faces lit up and they thanked us profusely for the simple act of getting their daughter to smile.

Lazarus

Lazarus, named after the biblical character who was raised from the dead, no more fitting title could be placed upon the leader of the trash community. Before he became the leader of the trash community though, Lazarus was once a successful roofing tile merchant. After moving to Jinotega to be closer to his family his shop was raided by government workers in need of his materials, with nothing left he had no choice but to move his family and what little they had to the site of the municipal dump. Our return to his community was to demonstrate how to correctly maintain the water filters that were being deployed there. It was during this time he introduced us to his family and wife of almost 20 years. To him, he explained, us merely taking time out of our trip to visit his community was a blessing as they are frequently overlooked by their government.

Yagualica

Yagualica, home to another rural village in the mountains of Nicaragua, this town is the future site of a well that would bring fresh water to the few hundred inhabitants and their livestock. During Invictus' previous trip, the community had formed a water committee to raise the funds necessary to pay for their half of the well's expenses. The purpose for our return was to see how much had been raised and make any changes if necessary. As always the kids were beyond excited to have someone new to play with, and while many were shy at first, they eventually opened up and played soccer with us. Finally it was time to start the meeting and as we began they regrettably informed us the bad crop harvest meant no money had been put in the account. As you can imagine this was difficult for them to explain and for us to take, but putting the bad crop behind us we drafted a new water committee and helped them create a new business plan to raise money via other channels. On the surface volunteer work abroad may look all peaches and cream, but there is often far more friction coming from those you are trying to help than anybody wants to admit. Either way Yagualica is poised to raise their share of the funds by the time we return.

The Municipal Dump

The Jinotega Municipal Dump, home to all trash collected from the valley and to some of the most resilient individuals I have ever met. Living in quite literally a dump, their stories are heartbreaking and their living conditions even more so. Pictured above, this 80 year old woman used to work at a cafe before getting laid off over 20 years ago. When we met her she was picking through the garbage with her granddaughter looking for anything useful. Here they scavenge through the mountains of garbage looking for food, clothing or any recyclables that can be sold for pennies on the dollar in town. Yet, despite their desperate living situation, there was still happiness in the air, everyone waved and all were kind enough to answer our questions about what their lives were like. Living above the clouds, these people have completely adapted to a new lifestyle, and while it may be difficult, they have flourished into a tightly knit community all the same.

La Criba

La Criba, home of another small rural village, is rooted deep in the forests skirting Matagalpa. In this village our goal was to gather as many community members as possible in the local school and discuss the alarming issue of contaminated water. What began as a relatively calm conversation with the different locals slowly began to work its way up to a very passionate response from the entire village. Invictus' position always has been and always will be, to create a self sufficient population that does not have to rely on western help for any problem they may encounter. However, due to the work done by previous NGO's (Non-Government Organizations), the locals had become accustomed to being given what they asked for and not having to work for it. This resulted in a bit of an impasse as Invictus refuses to participate in the 'handout' culture, yet despite this initial friction the community leaders came to an agreement where the entire village would have a buy in and help raise money. Relived at their cooperation, we departed knowing they were taking ownership over their problems and reducing the need for outside help.

Villa Mercedes

Villa Mercedes, tucked into the side of the mountains looking down into Santa Emilia, is home to both local champion and dear friend Ronaldo. In the gorgeous countryside Ronaldo cares for his coffee plantation and the small impoverished town below. Having worked as an Air Force pilot his fiery attitude frequently comes in handy when dealing with often stubborn local government officials. Yet this hard shell melted away when our group of 16 was invited for an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner at his home. As the house was filled with laughter and wonderful smells, we even began to forget about the looming hurricane on the horizon.

Matagalpa

Matagalpa, by far one of the largest cities in Nicaragua we visited, has a population of over 512,000 and is home to a fascinating diversity of people. While Invictus did not directly work with any of the city residents, my interactions with them were nonetheless humbling and allowed me the opportunity to practice my rusty Spanish. Here in Nicaragua the primary religion by an overwhelming majority is Catholicism, and no matter how poor a village was, some place of worship was always setup inside the home along with related decorations. As shown above, religious pictures intermingle with clearly western inspired plush dolls showing an interesting juxtaposition in daily life.

La Cal

La Caul, by far the most remote village we visited, is carefully nested on the reverse side of the mountain range surrounding Jinotega. Here we meet with the community leaders to see what all had changed since the previous engineering group had deployed their water filter system. As they described the numerous individuals who were no longer sick, we were relieved to hear of its success.  The sun began to set so we made plans to return to La Caul and host a huge BBQ where we could teach the kids the importance of community and the adults how to administer at home births.

Santa Emilia

Santa Emilia, resting on the outskirts of Matagalpa this tiny village currently suffers from water shortages as a result of a neighboring coffee plantation owner redirecting water to his property. While the water laws of Nicaragua state that no one person owns a water source, frequently individuals driven by greed will redirect water sources on their property for their own uses. To fight this, Invictus works closely with local community leaders in order to use the governmental systems in place to enact solutions instead of circumventing them. This approach creates accountability and drives the communities to seek each other for help instead of always looking to outsiders to solve their problems.

Jinotega

Jinotega, nestled in one of the many valleys of Nicaragua this tiny city of 51,000 is responsible for roughly 80% of the coffee the country produces. It was here that we made our new home in the Hotel Herzeas, a fantastic family owned and operated bed and breakfast near the center of town. As a member of the engineering team, it was our goal throughout the course of the trip to design, build and implement a water filtration system using local materials. As a result, our first day was spent investigating where we could acquire parts and getting a lay of the land.
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