While travelling to Nicaragua with my global education class at West Van Secondary, I learned and studied many things. One of our main experiences was seeing the lifestyles of many families living in Balgue, Nicaragua on Ometepe Island. Not only did we see them, we lived with them for nine days.
Living in the home stays was the highlight of my trip. The families welcomed us as if we had known them our entire lives. The rustic lifestyle is their way of life but it was certainly a big change from what we are used to. Showering with a bucket and stumbling to the "bathroom" in the middle of the night, soon became part of our daily life.
When I came back and walked through the door to my house, it was almost like paradise or heaven. First of all there was a door with a lock, bonus! Not a stick and a brick. Also, hardwood floors and carpet too. What really hit me hard was the amount of food we have, and even though we have lots stored in our cupboards and fridges, we keep buying more everyday or week. In Nicaragua the entire family had 40 Cordobas ($2) to spend on all the daily necessities of their families.
My favourite part of my house is not the computer or gadgets, but my toilet and my shower. A toilet that flushes it's just amazing! I love it! Also a shower with a showerhead and warm water. It feels like a dream stepping out of the shower and by the time you're changed, you are still clean. It wasn't like that in Nicaragua, walking back to our house from the shower; your feet would be instantly filthy again.
Overall, as many of us know, we are extremely fortunate for everything we have, and even though many of us know it, we still don't do anything to help. I am so grateful that I had this amazing opportunity to be able to travel to a third world country and see the poverty first hand.
We are not trying to change their lives, but we can help improve them by donating little things that we have and don't necessarily need. The smallest thing to us could be life-changing thing to them.
BAILEY JONES
