My name is Junieth del Carmen Mendoza Canales. I am 30 years old, a single mother of a boy 14 and a girl 7. My son is in his first year of high school and my daughter in second grade. I will apply for an Asla scholarship for my son next year. I live with my aunt in a neighborhood called Solidaridad, a 15-20 walk from downtown Condega.
I started receiving an Asla scholarship in 2015 when I began university to study to be a nurse; I recently graduated in 2021. I studied on Saturdays in Ocotal which is about an hour bus ride north of Condega. As a single mom it was a challenge to have two children and also study. I needed to be there to help my children with their homework while also doing mine.
It is very hard right now to find a job because of the political situation. Available positions go to family members who are involved in the government or a certain political party. Right now I help neighbors in my area if they need injections or another medical procedure which I can do. It is very common here for people to take injections instead of pills for vitamins, diabetes, or other illnesses. The pay is very low, and some people cannot pay, but I am glad to be helping them.
I am so happy that I have finished my nursing degree and am continuing to search for a job. Thank you so much to the Asla Foundation for the support all these years to better my life and the lives of my children.
NOTE: For more information about the political situation in Nicaragua, see these links below:
From NPR, June 2021 -- https://www.npr.org/2021/06/12/1005833559/nicaragua-sees-democracy-crisis-as-president-ortega-jails-potential-election-riv
From the Congressional Research Service, July 2021 -- https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2021-07-30_R46860_de1a50d4839003f17107af244b993ec56fc06053.pdf