Summer Archives

Faith Noah Chinandega, Nicaragua - Amigos for Christ

Come Alive & Stay Alive

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” This quote, by Howard Thurman, is plastered across the back of all Amigos for Christ shirts. Coming alive is a noble idea, something that has attracted me to Amigos since my first trip there in 2015; however, this summer I realized that coming alive is only half the battle. Sometimes, it’s staying alive that gives us trouble.

I spent my summer with Amigos for Christ, a nonprofit that targets rural poverty in Nicaragua, working with nearly 20 communities. For these 9 weeks, you could find me in one of two places: in a ditch, or in a conversation. In this picture, you can see the former (my cleanliness standards have taken a dive bomb into oblivion). But it was in the conversation part that I launched headfirst into my project: assessing the daily stressors and mental health needs of American and Nicaraguan Amigos employees.

Mental health is a universal struggle, but for Amigos employees, in particular, the stakes are even higher; for these individuals, there are few resources available that provide effective psychological support. Through interviews with staff members, I investigated common stressors and support structures, learning about the “mental health desert” that is Nicaragua, and proposing courses of action to address these needs. As I worked alongside this community, hearing about the struggles of their lives and experiencing some of my own, I came to understand both the universality and the individuality that is mental health.

Stress, depression, anxiety, trauma…none of these things discriminate. Mental health issues are just as prominent in rural Nicaragua as they are on my own college campus. I can’t change this fact with one summer project—or many summer projects. What I can help change, however, is how organizations like Amigos respond to mental health needs through providing appropriate supports within their community. These supports, though, are not one-size-fits-all. There’s a remarkable individuality within mental health, despite its global presence. Each individual experiences its effects uniquely. From a cross-cultural standpoint, I saw this in the variety of answers I got when asking Nicaraguans about stress as opposed to Americans. Our worldviews profoundly influence our struggles and the ways in which we cope with these struggles.

It was a humbling experience to have such in-depth conversations about stress and the culture of mental health. I felt like I was getting a more complete picture of life in Nicaragua through having these conversations; I could see past the glamorized ideals of international service and get a more authentic view of the reality of struggle among this community.

With each conversation, yes, I was gathering data for a report…but I was also encountering an individual and their struggles. Thanks to this vulnerability, I connected with my cause on a deeper level. I wasn’t just checking boxes. Rather, I was accompanying friends on a journey to “stay alive” together.

For more, please visit Amigos for Christ.