Sharing is Caring

“ If you don’t know how to share with others, you’re not truly a human being.”

Of course, I’m quoting the wise words of Gerardo from dinner on Friday night. We had been talking about a woman in my conversation class who said that one of her favorite activities is to share things with others. (In particular, as a teacher, sharing knowledge with children.) Before I came to Nicaragua the concept of sharing was not something foreign to me, but I don’t believe I had ever thought about the act of sharing as something essential to my life. However, it has become quite clear to me that sharing plays a major role in my life every day. Whether it comes down to the sharing of skills, food, clothing, houses, stories – here in Nicaragua most everyone seems to understand and embrace the concept of sharing with gusto. Even the children here enjoy sharing much more than I ever did as a kid- I’m constantly receiving pieces of cookies and candies, drawings, and hugs. I’ve come to realize that in most circumstances sharing is much more than just giving physical objects. Sharing is a way to express to others what you care about and what you love. When you share a piece of a cookie (granted in some circumstances you might be full and not want food but that’s not the point here) you are showing a person you care for them. Similarly, when you share a personal story with someone it is a means to show someone what you care about.

That sharing of personal stories, ladies and gentlemen, is what has been my focus for the past week and a half. A project thats initial goal was to be a documentary about the CCBN has turned into a Personal Narrative and Public Speaking workshop because of needs that were presented to me by different faculty in the Center. The workshops are built upon what I learned in my 202: Community Organizing class. (Chiefly, the teachings of Marshall Ganz). Here is a portion of the executive summary that I turned in for the project proposal so you can have a better idea of what the workshops are about:

Objective

To utilize the power of personal narratives of youth who participate in programs at the CCBN as a means of fundraising and personally empowering individuals through a strengthening in self-knowledge and identity. Storytelling is an incredibly powerful tool for connecting human beings and inspiring them to action. Whether that action be communicating the purpose and activities of the center to the rest of the world or building community in an expression of shared identity and values.

“We have the opportunity to share our personal narrative: This is what I’m doing. This is who I am. This is why I’m important. This is what I care about.” - Edward Norton

Goals
• To empower youth of the community and strengthen their sense of identity.
• To have youth of the community realize the role of the CCBN in their lives and value its importance.
• To strengthen the storytelling abilities of the youth and teach them how to properly articulate their story as a means of motivating and inspiring others.
• To make the reality of the center tangible to donors and other involved outside of the physical presence of the community.

Solution
• To hold weekly 2 hour training sessions with members of the mural tour team and scholarship students for the next 4 weeks to strengthen their public speaking and self presentation abilities

Necessary Resources
• Time, energy, and commitment of scholarship students and mural tour guides.

Last Sunday was the first session, and to my knowledge it ran very well. At first, the scholarship students were a little frustrated with the idea of 2 hour training sessions every Sunday, but once we started doing dinamicas (icebreakers) and I gave my presentation about personal narratives they seemed to be more open to the ideas of the project. Honestly, the session was a little nerve wracking for me because of my Spanish ability, but I made it through all right with the help of Amanda and Rigo. I am also still utilizing PC’s flipcam and taking videos of the scholarship students during different activities so they can see their progression from the first session to the last session. I’m really excited!
My days in the Center now basically consist of making lesson plans for my conversation classes, the sessions, working on a Google Earth mapping project for the Center, and meeting with 4 different students for one-on-one conversation classes. On Wednesdays I get to go with Gerardo to work on the mural on the Clinic in Nueva Vida- it’s almost finished! Also, this Friday I’m holding another Knots for Nicaragua class in the library with kids. Yes, I’ve been quite busy but I’ve loved every minute of it! I just continue to thank God for this opportunity all the blessings that He’s given me (shared with me haha). I can’t believe I only have a little over 2 weeks left here!
Lots of Love,
Hollis

¡ "Ríos de Vida" !

Sharon and Ariel Working Hard