Donation Opportunities

The first time I landed in Nicaragua I felt like I was coming home from a very long time away. It was tough leaving the culture, the vibrant colors, the sound of the ocean and the people that I met. I felt alive. I felt grounded and whole. I felt that there was more for me to explore and connect into. The second time I traveled there was not too far off from the first. My first travel was incomplete. This time I was traveling with a nonprofit organization, FNE International - that partners with communities in developing nations to improve health, education and the environment. I was serving as a nurse, alongside other healthcare professionals in different health clinics, health posts and home visits, in and around the capital of León. Being apart of something bigger than yourself is a feeling that can only be understood when you’re holding a baby in your arms, answering questions a family has waited a year to hear from “an angel sent from god”, and seeing tears in the eyes of children and mothers who have traveled hours to be taken care of. There isn’t much we can do for those who do not live like us. We can not take pity on the poor or try and fix living conditions or situations because this is the way of life as they have always known. As Americans - especially those who are healers, care givers, medicine people - our nature is to create a different route, fix the “problem”. What we need to practice is leading with a human heart and a humble foot forward. To learn their ways of life, their culture - tune into working and weaving rather than fixing and changing. We are not heaven sent, and we are not there to take pain away or change the ways of someone’s life. We are space holders, educationalist, mothers, human beings that can provide time, conscious listening, physical labor with our hands, embrace another, hold a conversation, the honor of culture, and traditions. We can sit in ceremony, in community. Learn as we teach. We as as small portion of the birthing community, as women, as birth keepers and holders - are never going to change the world of birth, but as a collective of humans that love the greater good, wanting to share our offerings, our spirit for maternal care, can spend time educating, holding and doing what we can with our resources to then change a woman’s care. We can mother the mother. I once learned that because someone is not rich in the ways we are used to seeing, doesn’t mean that they are not. “Rich” is a subjective term- rich is a humbling term that represents someone’s internal environment. Although not rich in one way- rich in community, purpose, breathe and spirit.. is the very thought of abundance. The turning point for me was when I walked into a rural health post 3 hours outside of the city. This was a structure- walls with maybe a desk and a couple chairs. I had my stethoscope and a pen and paper. We set up little areas where we could triage the patients upon what they needed and could really only provide, loving touch and reassurance and some suggestions based off of what that village had for resourcing to “heal” a problem. I was the first off the bus. I lead the brigade through the structures doors out into the waiting area which was a courtyard with random chairs lining the boarder, that all the children and their families were sitting and waiting for hours- for us. As I walked through those doors, a young man, maybe 11- reached out and grabbed my hand. I looked up, met his eyes and his big grin. He greeted me in Spanish and wouldn’t let go, he was beaming to see us.