Our latest volunteer interview!

Name: Nick Bayly-Jones

Nationality: Australian

Age: 25 

                                                                  

- How did you find out about La Esperanza?

Internet research                             

- How long are you volunteering with La Esperanza? 

2 months

- What is your current volunteer role with La Esperanza? 

I am an English teacher.

- What has been your best experience working as a volunteer at La Esperanza so far?

 My best experience with La Esperanza has been seeing my students have the biggest smile and see their confidence grow after learning something, like forming a sentence. When this happens, the students are so proud and go around too all their friends, and other volunteer teachers. This is also a very proud moment for me and the team I work with as it means all the hard work is worth it.

- What has been your worst experience working as a volunteer at La Esperanza so far?

 My worst experience has been the lack of structure between what past volunteers have taught and thus what students have already learned, and what new volunteers are to pick up on and continue. Although there is a meeting every Friday to plan class with a an established program, there is a need for a smoother transition for new volunteers and less disruption for students.

 - What do you like most about Nicaragua?

 I like how friendly the people of Nicaragua are, they will help you however they can. Furthermore I enjoy how cheap and easy it is to see different amazing parts of Nicaragua on the weekends.

- What do you like least about Nicaragua?

I dislike how dysfunctional the government and particularly the education system is, often with how often classes are cancelled and a lack of funding in schools for new supplies etc. However I understand this a problem that is being addressed and over time will hopefully improve. 

Our latest volunteer interview!

Name: Lea Jung

Nationality: German

Age: 25

- How did you find out about La Esperanza? 

I was searching for volunteer organizations online and came across La Esperanza on volunteersouthamerica.net. After doing some research I found only positive recommendations so I decided to apply.

- How long are you staying here?

I am staying for 2 months in total.

- What is your current volunteer role with La Esperanza?

Most of the time, I am tutoring first grade students of the school “Nueva Esperanza”, one of the poorest schools in this area.

- What has been your best experience working as a volunteer at La Esperanza so far?

One day I was tutoring a boy who had a very hard time calculating math problems. He could hardly concentrate and did not appear very motivated to me. However, when he saw me the next day he immediately ran to me and hugged me and asked if I can tutor him again this day. After working with children in Europe I was really surprised how thankful children are here for your help and how excited they can be about learning new things. They do not take anything for granted.

- What has been your worst experience working as a volunteer at La Esperanza so far?

One of the worst experiences I had occurred while the teacher distributed food to the class. One boy did not stand in line with the other children so I asked him if he was hungry. He told me that he is but that he does not have a plate. I told him that I am sure this is not a problem so I brought him to the teacher who then said you cannot eat if you don’t have a plate. There was no consideration that two children could share one plate or that he could eat when another child is finished.

- What do you like most about Nicaragua?

It is a great place to travel. There are many beautiful islands and nature reserves that you can visit on the weekends and even inside of Granada there are always a lot of things to do and see.  

- What do you like less about Nicaragua ?

In comparison to other Latin American countries like Chile I have the impression that white people are often treated very differently here. We have some kind of special status which can be either positive or negative and which makes it harder for us to integrate. However, it is always up to you to what you make of your time here in order to learn the language and get to know the Nicaraguan culture. 

An interesting blog from one of our volunteers. She talks about her first week volunteering with La Esperanza Granada and the beautiful Laguna de Apoyo!

Floating in a Volcanic Crater: Laguna de Apoyo

POSTED ON OCTOBER 5, 2014 BY MARIANA

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It was difficult, as I lay floating in the crystal blue water, to imagine such a violent event had created such a peaceful place. I came to Laguna de Apoyo after my first week of work with La Esperanza Granada, and I was exhausted. But I learned long ago that the best remedy to my fatigue is a dip in a clean body of water. And so here I was.

Twenty three thousand years ago a volcanic eruption here left a crater six kilometers across. Over time the crater filled with water from rain and natural subterranean aqueducts. Today the walls of the crater are covered in dense greenery, and the water is astonishingly clear and thermally vented. At two hundred meters deep, the bottom of the lagoon is the lowest point in Central America.

We took a taxi from the center of Granada straight to our hostel at Laguna de Apoyo for less than US$3 per person. Hostel Paradiso lives up to its name, with a beachfront bar, two lovely eating areas, cozy private rooms, and a clean, airy dorm with crisp white sheets and a view of the lagoon. Paradise indeed.

While that first swim was the most necessary, the wind had kicked up some impressive waves on the water, and I retreated to a comfortable chair on the beach to enjoy a beer in the sun. Around eleven at night four of us decided to swim out to a floating dock anchored by our hostel in the lagoon. The night was so quiet and the water so calm that I nearly fell asleep as I laid my head back into the warm water. I collapsed on my bed with damp hair and a silly smile, only to wake up in the morning to a lagoon so still its surface seemed to be made of glass. What else could I do but swim back out to the dock? There I sat facing away from the beach pretending that the entire blue crater was all mine.

The day went by lazily as I moved from floating to swimming to lying on the dock to floating again. Then it was time to squeeze our large group into a small van and head back to Granada.

The best part? The entire excursion – including accommodation, 2 days worth of food, drink, and transportion – cost less than US$25 – an expensive weekend by Nica standards.

Oh, I could get used to this.