Nicaragua Alternative Spring Break March 7-14 2009

Gesundheit! brought 15 volunteer clowns from the United States, Peru, and Canada to Nicaragua on our fourth annual Alternative Spring Break. We were hosted by ProNica, a Quaker organization promoting grassroots human services projects in this, the western hemisphere's poorest country (80% of people live on less than $2.00 a day). We were housed at Quaker House, a hostel in Managua, which created a wonderful opportunity for community living.

Nicaragua has suffered wars, earthquakes, hurricanes, economic blockades, all of which have severely damaged the infrastructure and economy of what was once the breadbasket of Central America. The entire nation is said to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. What was once a peaceful and outgoing culture is now rife with crime, prostitution, homelessness, malnutrition, domestic abuse, and alcoholism on an unprecedented scale. We met many wonderful social activists who are doing great work in a variety of different projects. We met thousands of Nicaraguan men, women, and children who reached out to us in joy, kindness, and friendliness. We were moved by their spirit of courage and resilience.

Our first visit was to La Esperanza ("The Hope") Prison for Women on International Women's Day. We visited Acahualinca preschools for children of workers in the La Chureca dump, where we created a spontaneous clown variety show. We ventured over a nearby bridge guarded by street toughs, into the La Chureca community itself, a potentially tense situation diffused by laughter, play, and music. A local trio of street performers, with drums and a life size puppet joined us. We clowned in a facility for abandoned special needs children and a school for abandoned and abused children at Jinotepe. We clowned in hospitals for women with cancer, for children with burns and orthopedic injuries. One hospital in Corinto had very little equipment and resources. First on their needs list- a pediatric blood pressure cuff. Their dentist had no tools, no chair.

We clowned in the field in front of the national capital building, now a squatters' camp of 700 banana pickers and their families. For three years they have camped here seeking assistance for treating illnesses due to Nemagon exposure. United States' based multi-nationals sold this pesticide, banned in the U.S., to Nicaragua farmers resulting in serious neurologic and immune system problems including, kidney failure, birth defects, cancers, and death. Legal judgments against these multi-nationals are tied up in appeal and the Nicaraguan government has not responded to the concerns of these people with whom we danced and hugged and played and even formed a small parade.

Every place we clowned we were met with open hearts and open arms. We were astonished by the kindness and warmth of these people despite their history of suffering and oppression. People approached us and hugged us and prayed for us. It was a profound experience of the power of love in the midst of desperate circumstances. No doubt this was in part due to the great regard given to service clowns, by the Nicaraguan people. Ben Linder, a US volunteer engineer and service clown, was building a hydroelectric plant in rural Nicaragua, when he was murdered in 1987 by US backed contras in a war against the Sandinista government. His murder stirred big controversies in the world press, and resulted in Congressional hearings questioning the morality of the contra war. His martyrdom was a significant event here in Nicaragua, and his funeral procession stretched for 7 blocks. The Ben Linder House in Managua, serves as a meeting place for Nicaraguan and international activists to meet and develop policies and programs for positive social change. We were honored by being invited to speak at a meeting in the Ben Linder House, where we shared Gesundheit! Institute's story and dream for world peace and justice through health care and loving service.

The most desperate circumstance we witnessed was at the Oriental Market, a large outdoor labyrinth of houses, booths, kiosks, streets, footpaths, and open sewers. This is a place frequented by thieves, prostitutes, and street children, many of them glue sniffers and themselves thieves and prostitutes. We were accompanied and well protected by young men from the organization Los Quinchos. This organization reaches out to glue addicted boys and girls, providing shelter, food, showers, safety, warmth, and care and a path towards a bright future (we visited one of their group homes in the countryside providing education, recreation and a violence-free community til the children are old enough to attend trade school or college).

At the Oriental Market the clowns and the Los Quinchos people and our ProNica hosts were joined by ten or more street children 'huffing' glue from baby food jars or coke bottles. Disheveled, dirty, dazed, they led us into their world. As we played music and danced, blew bubbles, tossed balloons, our little parade threaded its way through the narrow streets and paths. The children inhaled the toxic glue fumes constantly and though dazed and high, were delighted by our parade of color and music. We kept very close together and at one point formed a circle in a little clearing on the Callejon de la Muerte ("Alley of Death"). There we danced, taking turns in the center of the circle. We danced in an ecstatic transcendence of the despair, so heavy in this place of pain and exploitation. It is no wonder these lonely children need glue to float over such a painful life in the street. Soon we emerged from the labyrinth and with music pulsing the entire way, we re-emerged onto the Managua city street.

We got in our cars and returned to the Quaker House. The children returned to the market, to the streets, to the glue. We felt overwhelmed, heartbroken, and moved. We talked at great length about our experience here. We had more questions than answers. What is our responsibility to these children? What is our responsibility to this country, who suffered so much from the proxy war inflicted by the United States in the 1980's? What about those children in our own country who suffer from depression, despair, suicide, domestic abuse, community violence? How do we respond, what is the right action?

We know that we must begin in the context of our own lives to show loving kindness at every opportunity. We must become more knowledgeable and responsible citizens and insist that our nation, our corporations, our communities act responsibly and mindfully of the health and economic consequences of any public or private action.

Nicaragua gave us a great gift. Our eyes are opened to human suffering. When the banana we eat is linked with the birth deformity of a child we held in our arms we must assume some responsibility. When someone suffers from my unconsciousness, I must assume some responsibility. This is a difficult gift, but a necessary one if we are to co-create a desirable world. We all want to return to Nicaragua. We want to be more involved in the solution.

Gesundheit! is forever grateful for the good people of ProNica (see pronica.org) and especially Lillian Hall for her leadership, her passion, her knowledge. Thank you also to Paul, Lil, Carmen, Marie Elena, and all of our new Nicaraguan friends. This was a life-changing experience. Thank you