Hola GG Parents, friends and community members!

We’re currently wrapping up an amazing day in beautiful Matagalpa with some card games, good conversations and music out on the patio of our hostel. And what a fantastic day it was.

We started out the day with a delicious Nicaraguan breakfast consisting of eggs, rice and beans and some fried plantains. Immediately after, we went back upstairs to our meeting area for a seminar on the theme of the day: Nicaraguan history and politics. Subha and I, as Global Glimpse Leaders, led the workshop where students learnt about the complex history of Nicaraguan independence, civil war, revolution, counter revolution, US intervention and even the current state of the modern political arena. The students worked in groups to put together timelines of the history of the country and had conversations about the possible implications this complex history could have on the present day.

We were able to put those thoughts to test immediately as our intrepid Global Glimpse on site staff – Janice and Denis – split the group in two and then brought us on a tour of Matagalpa. The intricate history of this place came to life in the streets, monuments and art of the city. Students discussed over some delicious ESKIMO ice cream the various sights of the day. As they discussed the murals of Fidel Castro, Carlos Fonseca or other Latin American revolutionaries, students learned how the spirit of those movements lives on the minds and hearts of Nicaraguans. In addition, the visit by the memorial to Heroes and Martyrs of the Revolution that stands in the place of the former command center of the National Guard brought to the forefront of our students’ minds the immense strife and bloodshed that took place in these very streets.

After we enjoyed yet another tasty almuerzo at our hostel, the students got a chance to delve deeper into the human costs of civil war and armed conflict. The students were joined by Donia Sonia who joined the Sandinista revolutionaries at the ripe age of 16. Glimpsers sat in awe as Donia recounted her brushes with death as she fought in the ultimately successful Sandinista overthrow of the Somoza dictatorship. Later, in our nightly meeting, students reflected on Donia’s young age when she put her life in peril to fight for the social change she so vehemently believed in (and still continues to believe in). They connected her involvement in the revolution at a young age to their own budding social activism and the change they too want to see in the world.

Following the insightful talk from Donia, we took a bus up to a viewpoint that overlooks the city (photos below). We took pictures and enjoyed the view as the sun began to set over Matagalpa. Back at the hotel, we ate dinner and then held our daily nightly meeting. This meeting serves as an opportunity to not only digest the day’s events but also to transition the position of the Leader of the Day (El Lider del Dia). After serving in this role for an exciting day full of knowledge building and camaraderie, I’m excited to pass on the mantle to our first student Leader of the Day – Antoinne.

Antoinne will be managing his fellow students for the next 24 hours. He will be in charge of waking us up, keeping us on track, doing roll calls, navigating his fellow students’ dietary restrictions with our chefs and much, much more. Here at Global Glimpse, we love our Leaders of the Day. Not only do we believe it to be an important way of having the students own their experience, but it also allows students to build their capacities as leaders in their own right. Good luck Antoinne! We have 100% confidence in you and will be there to support you along the way. And GG community members – stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog post as Antoinne will be writing it!