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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1988)
Just news PEOPLE'S mm food store xiimninm Inside Nicaragua Ben Linder Brigader Susan Leo talks about life and death in a nation torn by civil war BY KAMILA AL-NAJJAR magine it’s 1977 and you are a 17-year- old Nicaraguan. Last year you watched helplessly as your little sister became repeatedly ill with diarrhea. Your parents saw her losing strength but there was no one to help. In all of rural Nicaragua there were only five clinics with beds. The first few times, your sister pulled through. But by then she was so weak that when measles hit, you watched her die after four painful days. The year before, your brother died right after birth; your mother and father have lost five of their children. ‘ ‘The seven people in your family share a single-room shack, divided by a thin partition. The floor is dirt, there is no electric light, no toilet, no clean drinking water. You are out raged when you hear Somoza boast to some American reporters that ‘Nicaragua has no some neighborhoods never had water and others housing problem because of its wonderful did. After the revolution everyone got water,” climate.’ she says. “You hardly know anyone who can read or Looking on the brighter side of the situation write, except the priest, but he's from Spain. in Nicaragua, the illiteracy rate has decreased You would like to learn but there is no school.’ ’ considerably since the 1979 removal of the — What Difference Could a Revolution Somoza dictatorship. Make: Food andfarming in the new Nicaragua , "People want to go to school to learn how to by Joseph Collins, Frances Moore Lapp£ and read and write,” says Leo. “ In Corinto they Nick Allen have three sessions of school, morning, noon and night, in order to accommodate all of the leven years later, nine years after the over people who want to attend. throw of Somoza, some of the conditions “ The other big improvement is in health have improved greatly, but now your country is care. In the year and a half after the revolution, fighting another battle against the United States- the Sandinistas obliterated polio and backed Contras. malaria and made great strides in all areas of Some of the poor conditions still exist, health care. But there is still concern that if the according to Susan Leo, who returned from war is not over soon polio is going to make a Corinto, Nicaragua, with the Ben Linder Con comeback,” says Leo. struction Brigade on February 9. Leo also found that Nicaragua lacked one “ The number-one killer in Nicaragua is conflict that the United States has an abundance diarrhea. Kids die from diahrrea dehydration. of: racism. The standards of hygiene are really low. Some “ One of the most exciting things about one defecates in the field, and the flies hit it and Nicaragua is that there is virtually no racism in then come over and sit on the tortillas, which that country. I asked Nicaraguans, and they you eat and that’s it,” explains Leo. said, “ No, you Americans have racism and “ The number-two killer is malnutrition, problems with racists, that’s all crazy.” number three is tuberculosis, but the most direct Another important problem that Nicaragua cause of death is the war,” says Leo. does not have to contend with yet is AIDS. Making living conditions worse are elec ‘ ‘There are 21 known cases of people who are tricity and water shortages due to the war with HIV positive in Nicaragua, but none are Nicara the Contras. guan. The Sandinista government is very in “Along with the fact that the electricity goes terested in working with a gay organization to educate people,” says Leo. off on a regular basis at night to conserve energy, the power plants are falling apart. If it’s Leo said the construction brigade was a suc not Contra activity blowing up a tower, it’s cess. After nine full days of hard work, the probably mechanical failures. The problem 15-person crew was able to re-wire, re-screen, with many other industries in Nicaragua is that re-paint, re-roof, and add new windows and everything is made with U.S. parts. When fans to a 100-foot-long, 40-foot-wide hospital Somoza built these things, in order to keep a that was built in 1940 by the U.S Navy. good face with the world, he built them as Applications are being taken for the second cheaply as possible, to keep as much money as Ben Linder Construction Brigade expedition. possible. So things are always falling apart, and Approximately 10 people will go in June to it is very difficult to get replacement parts,” work on painting, electrical and plumbing pro jects. People of color, women, lesbians and explains Leo. “ Sometimes there is no water. In Managua gays are encouraged to apply. For more infor mation, contact the Portland-Corinto Sister the fresh water is not enough to meet the City Project at 233-5181. • demand. 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