Upon returning to Nicaragua from a brief respite in my hometown, I felt both a sense of longing to return to the comforts of my life in Texas while at the same time a welcoming optimism upon coming back to a country in which the pace and everyday concerns of life are far more simple. My first morning back, I returned with the group to La Chureca for this month’s second milk day. I was immediately pleasantly surprised to find many of the mothers with their children waiting on the front porch of the Funjofudess clinic. However, when I heard that neither Esmo nor the doctor were there with the key, I knew I was back in Nicaragua.
Due to the absence of our team member Dane, who accidentally ingested copious amounts of Nyquil which he believed to be Dayquil, I took the responsibility of leading mothers and their children from the height and weight station to consults and then to get their milk, oatmeal, and vitamins. Upon doing so, I realized how inspired I am by their unwavering optimism in the face of a daily poverty, the likes of which I had never previously experienced. Though I cannot help but be saddened to think of what the future holds for these playfully innocent children in such an impoverished setting, I know what we do gives them hope for a better tomorrow.
As I escorted family after family, I learned that the new vitamin had effectively increased the children’s appetites and as a result, many gained weight. Witnessing the children come closer and closer to a healthy weight during my time here has enabled me to see firsthand the difference we make. To see the priceless look on the faces of the children and mothers alike as they left the clinic made me take pride in yet another successful month for MPI-Nicaragua’s child sponsorship program.
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