Nicaragua and Cuba

My name is Ashley Rivera and I was lucky enough to partake in the program of arts and social change that took place in Nicaragua and Cuba. Over the course of roughly 4 weeks, I was given the opportunity to stay with an environmentally conscious rural community within the Nicaraguan mountains whose desire for change was evident in their day to day lives. Also throughout this program, I stayed in Cuba for a week and visited multiple art museums/installations and was given a chance to explore Cuban society within a safe and responsible context. I appreciate being able to experience the lives of those who are so different from a mine, because it gave me a new perspective or more so a changed perspective on the definition of happiness. In lagartillo (Nicaraguan community) there are latrines instead of bathrooms, and when I asked why this community did that, their response was that gallons of water are used when you flush the toilet, so if they could conserve that instead of what they thought was needlessly using it, then they are doing a little part of what needs to be a big change. Watching such a small community attempt to do their part in what needs to be a bigger concern for the world and being happy to do so made me appreciate and rethink my luxuries and gain a humbling perspective on the world today. My experiment leaders and in country mentors were very helpful and supportive as well.