The Condega Homemakers Project: Sending Women's Building Brigades to Nicaragua

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to some questions that prosective brigadistas may have. If you have further questions, please contact us (phone, email, and web address below).

1. What are these brigades all about?

   The severe flooding caused by Hurricane Mitch last year destroyed 550 houses and affected 10,000 people in the poor rural town of Condega, Nicaragua. The Condega Homemakers Project a small, New York-based, grass-roots organization of women who want to travel to Nicaragua to help 31 women, overlooked by other relief efforts, rebuild their homes. We are organizing brigades of women to travel to Condega for six to eight week periods to help with the construction.

   We are working in partnership with the Women's Construction Workshop of Condega (La Asociación Colectivo de Mujeres Constructoras de Condega) who, together with the Network of Women (RED de Mujeres), have identified 31 women beneficiaries to be involved in a self-build project to rebuild their homes. The project has both short- and long-term effects: not only will we create housing for homeless women and their families, but Nicaraguan women will be trained in valuable job skills such as carpentry and construction, and women will be made the owners of their homes. For more information on the origin of the project, see also an email from Helen Shears at www.homemakers.org/questions.html.

2. How many brigades do you need/expect? How large can the brigades be?

   We would like to have brigade of around 10 women every two months or so, so as not to change too frequently:

   • February 1999
   • mid-May 1999 (on or about May 21)
   • early July 1999 (on or about July 2)
   • early October 1999 (on or about October 1)
   • March 2000
   • May 2000
3. What levels of skill are required? Will there be leadership?

   The work is hard manual labor of different skill levels. Hot, heavy, sweaty, dirty. Women with building experience are extremely preferable. Some brigades will be limited to skilled women only.

   If you do not have building experience, you may still be considered, but please realize that building is not a glamourous profession: there is a lot of grunt work! You must be willing and able to take direction, or you will have a miserable time.

   We need building trainers/forewomen, as in Condega there are hardly any skilled women in the trades. Amanda Centeno, the Director of the Collective, has wide experience and will be coordinating the work (e.g., logistics, between-site communication if separated, work teams, contracting, allocating, materials, etc). Also, we have Lilliam, the administrator who will take on what corresponds to her to take a load off Amanda too. But there's a need for women on-site teaching: marking out, taking levels, digging foundations, making form-work, building walls, pillars, etc. Helen Shears, a British development worker and carpentry trainer, will be based in the workshop with the carpenters, producing doors and windows for the houses. For the roofing and finishing stages, she will be on site.

4. What is the time commitment?

   Six weeks is a minimum. Two months or more is desirable. There are also logistics to consider (e.g., rides from/to the airport). Shorter stays put a strain on our hosts.

   We do understand that most people will not be able to give this much time -- see the end of this document for other ways to help.

   If someone has specialized skills we can make exceptions, but obviously this requires careful coordination. She would have to be able to adapt quickly to being there, know a sufficient amount of Spanish, etc.

5. Do I have to be able to speak Spanish?

   Yes. It will be extremely difficult technically, socially, and emotionally if you cannot speak Spanish, as there are very few English speakers in Condega. Learn as much Spanish as possible now!

6. Where will we stay? How will meals be arranged?

   There is an option of staying in the Collective's dormitory or in homestay situations (about US$50/week for room and board).

   The food is typically a lot of rice and beans, as well as eggs, cheese, tortillas, some meat & fish, and fresh fruits and vegtables.

   The dormitory building consists of a large room (combined meeting room, living room, dining room, and classroom), kitchen, laundry area (cement washing basin), with a bedroom with 8 bunk-beds (for 16 women) upstairs. The beds are small and close and there is not much personal space or privacy. The facility may be shared with a number of Nicaraguan women who are students in the workshop. There is a bathroom with two toilets, two sinks, and a shower. There are hammocks for relaxing and a stereo system and TV (you'll grow accustomed to those nightly telenovelas!). There may also be dogs and cats.

   In the dormitory and in homestay situations, there is electricity and running water. Note that there is no hot running water.

   If other conditions are needed, we will treat these cases individually.

7. What expenses should brigadistas expect?

   Your greatest expense by far will be getting there and vaccinating/insuring yourself. If this presents a problem, it is possible for you to raise money to help defray these costs. Write letters to friends and family telling them about your trip and ask them to send donations to support you. See Question 15 for information on how to donate. The Condega Homemakers Project is also prepared to offer travel assistance to skilled women in need.

   Sample Costs:

   • Plane fare: about US$500-800, with a US$5 tourist card charge and a US$25 departure tax in Managua.
   • Personal medications and necessary vaccinations.
     • Malaria pill (you need 5 more than the number of weeks you'll be in Nicaragua): $10 w/o insurance plan
     • Other vaccinations: $150-$250 from a travel clinic
   • Miscellaneous spending money (snacks, souvenirs, weekend meals). Sample Costs:
     • Dinner: US$2-$6
     • Soda: US$.35
     • Pastry: US$.10
     • Star fruit: 5 pieces for US$.40
     • Laundry: US$.05 per piece
     • Bus ride to Esteli: US$.60
8. What personal items should we bring?
   • Work clothes: two pairs of old jeans or work pants, a week's worth of short-sleeved shirts, a long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt and/or light jacket, rain gear, heavy work shoes or boots, shower shoes or sandals.
   • A hat, preferably one with protection for your ears and neck
   • Sun screen and aloe
   • Mosquito protection: Good repellent and a mosquito net. Most women on the first brigade preferred to sleep with nets, which can also be bought in Condega. Nets are also good for beach sleeping.
   • Swimsuit and leisure clothes - there is a local swimming pool, and there may be trips to the beach or lagoon.
   • Tents - good if we go away on the weekend e.g. the playa or to the farm -- OPTIONAL.

   We may think of some other personal things but generally it will be very hot working.

9. What will the weather be like?

   Warm to hot during the day and cool at night. From end of October until March it can get quite cold at night, but by April it was extremely hot during the day. May through October is rainy season, so bring some rain gear.

    

10. How will brigadistas get to Condega from Managua (and around in general)?

    We have a camioneta (light truck) and can pick up and take people to Managua if dates are reasonably coordinated to not do too frequent journeys. You will spend a lot of time riding/bouncing around in the back of this truck!

11. What is the health situation in Condega?

     

    It's a good idea to go by the recommendations for jabs/vaccination shots and preventative medicine. The U.S. Center for Disease Control recommends getting vaccinated for typhoid, tetanus/diptheria, and hepatitis A at a minimum, and they suggest taking pills for malaria prevention (Chloroquine, brand name Aralen). Please consult with your doctor for a complete list of medical precautions. Purified water is available and if you take care with the water, you should have no problem. There are chemists/pharmacies on every street corner for medicines.

    The health situation is under control. During the hurricane there were very few cases of cholera and leptospirosis, but a while ago now (just after the hurricane). There is a team of Cuban doctors in the local health centre (1/2km from the centre of Condega). We have 4 doctors in the family too who have access to antibiotics, etc -- all that you need to treat known illnesses. Urgent cases can be taken to Esteli (40 mins away) and more urgent still will have to go to Managua (3 hours away).

12. What is the political situation?

    It's all relatively calm in relation to personal safety. Stable, always scandalous, at national level, and here at local government level it is a FSLN council, for better or for worse, but our relationship is not too bad, typical boys club stuff. We are a few organisations with strong women leaders who have enough of power and influence so the negotiations are always dynamic! The liberals are trying to take a stronger hold here in Condega and as most political parties, in particular Aleman (the Nicaraguan President), are taking advantage of a post-disaster situation to campaign for election and win future votes. It's pretty outrageous as it is portrayed in the newspaper - land, food, drugs, all hot subjects. As for us it doesn't affect our day to day routines but we are always in discussion on how to change the world.

    There is an incredible amount of activity when you travel around: roads being mended, houses beginning to be built, investments left right and centre. The hurricane is being made into the grand opportunity to Modernise and Transform the country, but in the end the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer of course in true neo-liberal style. So hopefully that's where we fit in focussing on those who are getting pushed to one side during all this...

     

13. Is there any leisure time to do any travelling throughout the country?

    The workdays are very long and hard and will keep you very busy and tired. The group may take occasional weekend trips together. There may also be time for private travelling, but it will hard to tear yourself away as there is always something going on socially or work-wise. It's best to plan your private travel for before or after working on the brigade.

14. I don't think I'll be able to commit to going on a brigade. Is there some other way I can help?

    The best way you can help is to spread the word to potential brigadistas and supporters and to help us collect donations to support our work in Nicaragua. Tax-deductible contributions can be sent to the address above. Checks should be made out to MADRE with "for Condega Homemakers" in the memo.

     

Thank you very much for your interest!

Last updated: Thursday, 06-Jan-2000 20:05:26 EST