Since the first time I saw it- the sheets of metal won’t leave my head. Every once in a while you come across some that are shiny enough to hold a reflection. A few are lucky enough to have color. However, the majority are tinted with various shades of rust. As you walk down streets with drainage making small canals through the dirt, you just see rows of them, pieces that are tacked together or braced vertically with barbed wire, tree branches, string, and faded advertisement banners. Between these metal sheets are where children are raised, love is found, drugs are used, alcohol is abused, children chase ducks, and women cook arroz con pollo for their families. Between these metal sheets are where life take place. We see the same heartache and joy as the United States, the setting of their stories is just different.
While general prices in Nicaragua are significantly lower than the United States, building materials actually cost more. A bag of cement in the United States costs $4 when it costs $11 here. With a community that has an average income of $3 per day (those who are lucky made $5-7 per day and the marginal elite make no higher than $16 per day), one block of cement isn’t even a reality. Another factor to consider is the unemployment rate which falls steadily between 37-67%. Additionally, for many people, work is not consistent. If a project is going on, a skilled person might have work for a few weeks and then be off for a period of time. It is easy to see that Nicaragua is one of the poorest nations in the world.
It doesn’t help that because of the political climate, nearly all Americans and tourists have fled. Tourism is one of the largest industries in the country and the influx of demand helps maintain a steady income for many businesses. Restaurants and hotels are barren- creating holes in revenue. When we visited Ometepe, a common tourist destination, the town looked nearly abandoned. Real estate value has dropped 25% and the economy is currently classified as a recession. One of our ministry jobs is to help the locals on our farm clear weeds with machetes. I immediately was confused because the investment of some sort of lawnmower/weed hacker could do the job much more efficiently. Gas tends to be around $5 per gallon (more than a day’s wage for the majority of people here), and since labor costs are so low, EVERYTHING is done by hand. It does help that for many things- prices are lower than the United States- that is if they are made by hand here in Nicaragua. You can buy a bag of plantain chips for as low as 5 Cordoba or (15 cents), ice cream for 10 cordobas (30 cents), or a beautiful homemade meal at a mom and pop shop in the Cental Park for under 200 cordobas ($5). However, when I bought toothpaste (probably imported)- it cost 90 cordobas($3).
Everything I own seems to be constantly wet here in Central America- especially since its rainy season. I can’t imagine that sheets of metal do a fantastic job of keeping out rain. Most people have a cement foundation for their flooring, but some don’t. Some have just dirt flooring. The rain mixed with the tropical weather is ideal for a number of crops year-round. However, if an avocado tree takes 5 years to mature to produce fruit, the people here aren’t able to make that investment when they struggle to provide day to day. Plantains are probably the most common crop because of how quickly they produce, however, more money could be found in other exporting crops long term. Getting a business loan is nearly impossible. Exporting is an issue because national tariffs are incredibly high. Some numbers I have hears are as high as 100%. Trade is therefore de-incentivized which cuts Nicaragua off from greater economic potential.
10% of the country graduates from high school. The latest statistic I heard is that 50% drop out after only 4th grade. The “poor mans mentality” has became dominant- creating a self-suppressing mental construct. Generation after generation these communities are born into extreme poverty with many limitations on their opportunities to get out. Why would you think that you could bring any change in a situation such as this?
There is a vicious circle playing in my head. When I walk through these streets and get to know the families- I can’t ignore the economic deprivation. I can’t ignore to some extent our Western society and the goods that we buy are generally made with labor that pays little to nothing and creates demand for cycles of poverty. The structure of the economic sector of the government here also hurts the ability to gain any sort of trade. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to grow up with no opportunities for work to contribute to my community, have no plumbing, or live under the shelter of a rusty metal sheet held down with rocks.
The Lord calls us to love justice (Micah 6:8). It hurts to know that these children born into poverty will never have a chance to choose what they want to be when they grow up. That no matter what trade they choose, the chances of them having to rely on some sort of foreign “help” or nonprofit support is inevitable. I have a burning desire to allow these individuals to live dignified lives where they are able to support themselves, get compensated fairly for their incredibly hard work and long hours- where people are empowered to use their God-given gifts in the community through work.
As good of a thought as this sounds, what would happen if we were able to raise the country up economically. Would they really be better off? Or would they just face a different bundle of problems? The United States is one of the most wealthy nations in the world. Compared to the third world where we are living over the course of this year, even the poor in the United States are well off in material terms. But if you look at your American life, or your neighbors, you quickly see this world is far from perfect. Issues of extreme self-image along with Eating Disorders and mental health has incredibly high rates that sweep the country. AIDs, Cholera, or Malaria aren’t a concern, but every day people are diagnosed with cancer. Good things, like work, can rip families apart because of extreme competition and pressure. Statistics show people report feeling at an all-time high of “loneliness.” The list goes on and on. It’s interesting that people here in the slums outside of Grenada don’t even consider themselves poor. One man we talked to in the community was proud of his beautiful sheet-metal house, and when we asked what he needed prayer for, he said his family and health. The people here live simple and beautiful lives. He didn’t want to pray for a “better” house or really anything of materialistic value. You know what the two most common answers are in the United States as well as the third world when you ask someone how you can pray for them? Family and health.
As I travel across the world, I see that it’s all aching. Every person and every community has problems. In the first world- our problems tend to be just a little more shiny than others. I’m not qualified to compare those groups of problems to each other and to be honest, I don’t know if we really should. Yes, there is economic tragedy and there are various reasons as to why I think we as followers of Christ are called to fight for that justice. But at the same time, there is no amount of money that could fix the root of our deepest and truest problems in the World. We all need love. Only Jesus can fully fill that need. As I pray for this community and our world, I find that I am still learning. Every day God is teaching me about our human sin, tragedies, desires, and distractions. Sometimes all you can do is love and pray- and sometimes that is enough.
