El Rio

It's good to be home in Managua after a trek to Nicaragua's eastern coast. The trip consisted of two days of chicken busing to and from Rio San Juan and two more exploring in both San Carlos and San Juan del Norte – small, isolated towns at Rio San Juan's source and mouth – plus four days in canoe on the river itself. We surrounded ourselves with unexplored rain forest, rowing stroke after stroke, winding 120 kilometers towards the Caribbean. And there it was! Brown and stormy and not exactly what we expected but fulfilling nonetheless.

So what's this to do with Nica HOPE? As distant from society as I've been, far away from the Managua slums and the out-of-work youngsters, all I could think of was our budding organization. Reminders were everywhere.

We didn't know what to expect planning the trip. Everyone's been camping, but for who-knows-how-long on a mysterious waterway through Amazonian terrain? And that's once there. Twelve rocky hours one way from Managua fighting for dusty air in a recycled American school bus shakes patience bone-deep. Then the river, the river pushes forth and pulls back, pools deep and splashes over shallow rock beds, flows interminably straight before curving nearly back around on itself. Paddle after paddle we went, often struggling but enjoying our work in an environment like we'd never seen. Only few others have (relatively speaking), and many advised us along the way, but with mixed results. Ultimately, the river and our own determination determined our success.

Planning the trip reminded me of Nica HOPE from the beginning. We talked about it casually, passed beliefs, ideas, and hopes around, collected our thoughts, and began collecting resources. Everyone had volunteer experience, but an indefinite commitment to a from-scratch non-profit? And just getting there – and we're not even there yet – to a fully-operational, tax-exempt organization is a storm of forms and expenses, especially of time. Patience is key as progress rushes forward only to halt suddenly, changes direction only to return down a familiar track. Small accomplishments clear a path through a sometimes overwhelming but always interesting and enjoyable challenge to make a difference. And in the end, it's up to us – to everyone involved – to see this through. We may not know when or where we'll arrive, but we're moving in the right direction.

So get moving yourself. Accept a challenge. For more about ours, check back frequently.

Jordan Hooper
Managua, Nicaragua

Next up: Vocational School Los Brasiles