The day started off with a later breakfast at 8 AM, followed by a Politics Seminar discussing the current presidency of Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega. We examined aspects of complacency in contribution to corruption as well as the purpose of government. After a quick walk, we arrived at a museum honoring the followers of Sandino during their fight against the dictatorship of Somoza.
Weapons and bomb parts from the revolution decorate a portion of the musuem.
There, we were given a speech by Guillermina Mesa, a strong woman, who we all came to respect. She talked about her painful experiences in the war: her son’s tragic death, the heinous crimes of Somoza’s soldiers, and her own courageous involvement in the bloody overthrow.
Her heartbreaking, yet empowering story filled the room.
The descriptive retelling brought tears to our eyes while the pictures of men who fought the war lined the walls of the museum. We were able to take a few pictures, and soon returned to the hostal for a couple minutes of rest and free time.
Pictures honored the Esteliano men who fought the battles as well the women involved.
After lunch, we went to the park across the street (Parque Infantil) to play bonding games. Everyone had fun playing “Red Fish, Blue Fish” and “Groundies”. Later on, another speaker arrived to our Hostal. His name was Filemon, and he worked in the government under the Sandinista (FSLN) party. He recounted Nicaragua’s political history and elaborated on his point of view on the current government.
Large paintings of iconic war figures hung from the ceiling.
The long session ended because we had to leave for English class at Casa de Cultura. Today’s class was uplifting as usual with an even amount of attendance. After dinner, we had a seminar explaining tomorrow’s topic of “Living a $1/day” to prep students for the upcoming experience. The events of today were then summarized in retrospect during the nightly meeting followed by the passing of the torch to a new leader of the day. Thus began the $1/day in which we played a couple games of Mafia in the dark. A lot was learned today and we are all excited for tomorrow and the days to come. 🙂
Group photo with Guillermina Mesa at the Museum.