Greetings to all of you from Nicaragua and thank you so much for your support for the youth here! It seems like we are living in a whole different world with this pandemic. So many loved ones have been lost and my heart goes out to all of the families. Condega is by no means any different. We now have a surge of cases of Covid. Many people that I know here have died from this sickness. The scary and strange part is while people in the United States are choosing not to be vaccinated, we would gladly take those vaccines which are not wanted or used. Spain, Russia, Norway, and several organizations have sent some vaccines, but they are not enough. Approximately 10% of Condegans are vaccinated, and probably not even that. (Online data show figures of 4%-11% in Nicaragua.) Finally some people here are wearing masks, using alcohol, and realizing the seriousness of this. But others do not and say that God will protect them. Many universities and some high schools are going back to online studies. Many parents are not sending their elementary age children to school because so many teachers and students are sick. As in the States, several pregnant women have given birth and then have died, leaving their day-old babies.
You have, I am sure, heard all of this before, but in a third world country the hope to survive is less and the struggle seems endless. Oxygen tanks are very expensive. Many people need oxygen to breathe in their homes because there are not enough beds in the local hospitals, but are unable to afford them. Right now in Condega and the neighboring communities nurses are going door to door to see how you feel and also are giving out ivermectin pills. The economy is tough and many young people are leaving to go to the States and/or Spain.
Another very difficult thing is that officials are taking people right from hospitals to the cemeteries, with no wakes and no 9 days of prayers which families often do. That is such an important part of the healing process of losing a loved one, and now families are not able to do that.
I am sorry that this is a bit of a sad article but it is the reality right now here. The scholarship students are taking precautions and doing the best that they can. One thing that is helpful is that many of them study only Saturdays or Sundays. We are already getting requests from students who want a scholarship for next year. We will be handing out applications to those students the beginning of October for the 2022 school year. With time we all hope and pray that this pandemic will be controlled and we can hug again. That is the hardest part because here in Nicaragua we greet people with a hug or kiss on the cheek or shaking hands. Now we can only air hug.
Much love and blessings to all of you and thank you for helping!
Nola Nackerud
Condega, Nicaragua
Nola with kids from a community outside of Condega