The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Sorry I've been MIA for the past week and a half. I'll explain why shortly, but first I'll say the positive things.

The Good:

Everyone is healthy and safe.

The volunteers made it out to communities on Wednesday - we got them all successfully dropped off.

The volunteers in one of my communities, who I visited today, are doing great - they're happy and got started on their projects right away.

The Bad:

One of the volunteers got sick on the plane coming in last Wednesday (9 days ago). He turned out to have swine flu. It wasn't a big deal at all, but the whole project (volunteers and staff) was quarantined at our briefing site for a whole week under orders from the Nicaraguan ministry of health. Briefing was only scheduled to be for two and a half days. So staff scrambled to fill the huge amounts of time with activities and such, and it went quite well. However, it cost AMIGOS a huge amount of money and Jacy (the project director) a huge amount of time and effort changing plans, transportation, arrangements etc. So volunteers did not go out until two days ago.

More Bad:

During Briefing, which was in a town about 20 minutes from Granada, where staff house is located, staff house was broken into. My laptop and valuables were locked in the back room, so nothing of mine was stolen. However, three staff members had their laptops stolen, as well as several other things (cash, ipods etc.) We discovered this when we got back from our week-long quarantine.

The Ugly:

Jacy and Clara (the senior project supervisor) got flash kidnapped on Wednesday, at around the same time Jillian (the assistant project director) found out the house was robbed. Jillian was just about to tell Jacy on the phone about staff house getting broken into, when the phone was taken out of his hand in the cab he and Clara were in. A very large woman sat on him and pinned him down, and a man restrained Clara's hands. Pistols were pulled on them, and they were forced to close their eyes, and were driven around for 3 hours, from ATM to ATM. Jacy was forced to make withdrawal after withdrawal from his (personal) bank account. The crooks also took all their cash and valuables, of course. They were molested some (hit/slapped, pinned down, threatened). But they are okay now, and of all the people that this could have happened to, I feel like they are some of the most equipped to handle such a situation. All of staff (except two supervisors who were out spending the night with volunteers in community) spent Wednesday night in a nice hotel, just to relax a bit. Jacy and Clara are doing well, but of course, the events shook us all up a little bit. Everyone will just be a little more careful from here on out.

On a more positive/optimistic note, I am happier here than I have ever been before. There is nowhere I would rather be and noone I would rather be with. My fellow staff members are the most amazing people I have ever met. I really hope that I will feel this happy again someday after my summer is over.

Love,

Maya