Renaissance man Luís Lauruo
Today was an amazing day of historical and cultural learning. We began the day with a brief history of Nicaragua from the Spanish colonial days to the election of the first female president of Nicaragua and Latin America: Violeta Chamorro and the re-election of Daniel Ortega. We took a tour of our temporary home Jinotega and saw free hospitals and schools, as well as a legacy of international cooperation between the UN and Jinotega in youth development. We also sampled some tasty treats such as the local fruit known as Mamoncillo and the delicious Nicaraguan Pupusas made with corn flour and honey! Perhaps our greatest treat however, was the historical and cultural seminar led by Luís Lauruo who shared his perspectives on Nicaraguan history (especially from Jinotega) and various indigenous American cultures. His songs, stories, spiritual traditions, and love will forever remain with us as young folks seeking to better understand the past to forge the best future possible. As a leader, I must say that I have been very proud of the maturity, intelligence, openness, and empathy demonstrated by our students, despite the homesickness that we are working very hard as a collective to overcome. Tomorrow? Living the school-life of a Nicaraguan student!