Local Students Build Rooms and “Bridges” in Nicaragua

by Jill Martin

Sanna Martin, Annie Malcolm, Andy Kort and Nick Shearer work on the scaffold.	Andy Kort and Katie Flynn with the scaffolding crew for the new school building.

(March 3, 2005) While some of their classmates were skiing or lounging in the sun, eight high school students from Larchmont and New Rochelle chose a more adventurous venue for their February break: an isolated rural community in Nicaragua where they spent the week helping to build an addition to a tiny, overcrowded elementary school.

They were led by Andy Kort, Associate Pastor and Youth Minister at the Larchmont Avenue Church, along with seven other adults. They went to Nicaragua under the auspices of Bridges to Community, a non-profit organization that has been sending volunteers to Nicaragua since 1992. This is the fourth time that LAC has taken a group to Nicaragua.

The group lived in the community of El Eden, in the middle of the vast pineapple fields surrounding the Masaya and Mombacho volcanoes. Smoke and steam from the volcanoes could be seen in the distance.

Despite the natural beauty of their surroundings, the students had to deal with some very basic living conditions. They slept on cots, amid the constant nighttime cacophony of crowing roosters and barking dogs. Since there was no plumbing, the group used an outdoor latrine and took “bucket showers.”

Because of lack of space, the children have classes outside.

Andy Kort, Dick Martin and Debbie Romano mix.	Mixing cement by hand.

The work was hard, sweaty and dusty. The volunteers mixed cement by hand, hoisted heavy concrete blocks to build the walls, and bent iron to form the structural supports in order to make the school earthquake proof. By the end of the week, the school, which had only two rooms for its enrollment of 222 students, was doubled in size.

It was not all work and no play. Adding greatly to everyone’s fun, dozens of Nicaraguan children swarmed around the Americans at every opportunity. There was lots of hugging, hair braiding, ball playing, and hand games. Annie Malcolm, a senior at Mamaroneck High School, said, “I really had an incredible experience. Playing with the Nicaraguan children was my favorite part. I loved communicating despite the language barrier. ‘Miss Mary Mack’ was a big hit.”

Emily Piccone, Lexi Leone & Nicaraguans.	The Larchmont group & house being built.

A highlight of the week was the showing of “Finding Nemo” in Spanish. Jed Koball, the Bridges Program Director in Nicaragua and former Associate Pastor at Larchmont Avenue Church, rigged up his laptop to project the movie onto a sheet hung against the wall of El Eden’s small cooperative building. Dozens of Nicaraguan children sat on the ground, mouths agape. Most of them had never seen a movie before.

Another evening the American students grabbed their tiny partners and danced joyously to the raucous sounds of a local brass band, as others prepared s’mores around a campfire with ingredients that they had brought from home. Another first for the Nicaraguan children.

The old school building and the new.

Once the building was completed (except for the roof and tile floor which will be installed by local contractors), the whole community celebrated with a piñata party.

Then it was time for the Americans to bid an emotional goodbye to their new friends they had made. The last few days were spent touring the area, with a trip to a nature preserve, a volcano, and a boat ride on Lake Nicaragua. Not deterred by the fact that the lake is home to the world’s only fresh water sharks, a number of the students soaked off a week’s worth of dust with a swim in the lake’s warm waters.

Andy Kort summed up the experience, saying "The concept of building bridges is a deep and fascinating one. Not only did we have the opportunity to build a bridge of hope, love and service to the good people of Nicaragua, but they built a bridge of joy, happiness, graciousness and love to us as well. I was truly blessed by this experience."

Typical Nicaraguan house.	A house that Bridges built.

Bridges to Community is a non-profit community development organization based in Ossining, NY that takes groups of volunteers to developing countries to work, learn and reflect. Through the process of living and working with local communities on construction, health and environmental projects, Bridges promotes cross-cultural learning, a deepening awareness of our global interdependence, and a commitment to the common good. For more information about Bridges programs, visit the website at www.bridgestocommunity.org, or call (914) 923-2200.

Jill Martin is a board member with the Bridges program. This was her fifth trip to Nicaragua. Other attendees include local students: Bryan Brandom, Molly Calkins, Katie Flynn, Lexi Leone, Annie Malcolm, Sanna Martin, Emily Piccone and Nick Shearer; and adults: Barbara Johnson, Pat Loubeau, and Dick Martin, all of Larchmont, Debbie and Julia Romano of Brooklyn, and Elizabeth Pou of Asheville, North Carolina.

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