One doesn't have to look far to see the many volunteer opportunities Boston College offers its students. Pedro Arrupe trips, Appalachia, and 4Boston are all service programs that give undergraduates the chance to reach out to the community. Laura Hopps, A&S '07; Allison Ramirez, A&S '07; and Christine Ruppert, LSOE '07; participants in Pedro Arrupe trips to destinations such as Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador, intend to take their altruism to the next level this spring upon their graduation. Though the girls are now finalizing plans and gathering the funds necessary to spend the next two years of their lives working at a community center in Nicaragua, things weren't always so concrete.
In fact, the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself to Hopps in the form of a coincidence. This coincidence revolves around the kindness of one self-sacrificing nun. Sister Helen Prejean, acclaimed author of the Pulitzer Prize nominated book Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States, by some twist of fate, found herself in a car with Hopps' mother.
After a brief discussion, it was revealed that Hopps had recently spent time in El Salvador working for a non-profit organization. Prejean asked to speak with Hopps, and moments later the two were on the phone.
"Things happened very quickly," said Hopps.
Only weeks later, Hopps found herself traveling to the Batahola Norte Cultural Center in Managua, Nicaragua to translate for Prejean, who is currently writing a book on the center's founder, Sister Margie Navarro. Navarro, along with her experiences at the center, helped awaken Prejean to social justice. That first encounter made a lasting impact on Hopps.
"It's really incredible what they do at the center. People's lives are transformed there. Women have told me, 'I didn't know I had rights before I came here,' and you'd never know from meeting them now. They're new people. I just fell in love" said Hopps. The Batahola Cultural Center, which is not religiously affiliated, offers services ranging from adult literacy programs to education in the arts to mass and bible study groups.
The center is a bright spot in the lives of many citizens of Managua, capital of Nicaragua, the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Nicaragua, though not known to be a violent country, has long suffered from poverty and delinquency. The Central American country, whose history is intertwined with U.S. foreign policy, now faces a pivotal moment in politics upon the election of Daniel Ortega as president, who has previously led the country with policies too leftist for U.S. tastes.
It was her first experience at the center that prompted Hopps' new initiative. She plans, along with Ramirez and Ruppert, to begin work with what is being called The Young Friends of Batahola, a group that was recruited to start a new generation of volunteers, in response to the growing ages of members that sit on the board of directors of the Friends of Batahola.
Hopps, Ramirez, and Ruppert, coordinators of the Batahola Volunteers, have committed to serve for two years as volunteers in Nicaragua, working with the center's current staff to develop a concrete partnership between the center and their new organization.
Though the Batahola Volunteers have a particular interest in working with the community's youth; Hopps' other goals include teaching English as a second language, and establishing a daycare center to care for the children of the mothers who come to the center with hopes of furthering their educations.
In addition to their work with the community, the volunteers also hope to collaborate with those already working at the center. Hopps plans to put her skills in micro-financing to use by helping small businesses started by community members to reach their goals and work more effectively.
Though many have expressed interest in the program, Hopps, Ramirez, and Ruppert want to start small. As of now, only the three soon-to-be alums will make the trek down to Nicaragua, though they hoped to be joined by fellow Boston College graduates in the second year of the program.
As one would expect, the costs of such an initiative are steep. The budget for the two year program rings in at a whopping $56,000.
"We are sending a proposal to everyone we know, and we'll be applying for as many grants as we can. We also have alumni resources available to us," said Hopps on how she intends to fund the trip. If all goes well, they hope to leave for Mexico this summer to begin a training program in English as a second language so they can teach more thorough and advanced courses when they reach Nicaragua in September.
The volunteers, now used to the conditions of Central American countries, will live a simple life, integrated in the poor but loving Managua community. People often ask why one would willingly submit to live in conditions that are seemingly sub par to the ones they enjoy now. Ruppert explained her motivation to do just that.
"At Boston college, you take classes and write theses on issues in Latin America, but you never really learn about the reality of it all until you go down there. It's a further educational opportunity, to find my place in all of it. The first time I went was an eye opening experience. There's a shock value to it all. When you do Pedro Arrupe, you only get a snippet of that reality. I want to see the seasons change, and get a good idea of the dynamics, the people," said Ruppert.
Anyone wishing to donate to the Batahola volunteers should e-mail Laura Hopps at bataholavolunteers@gmail.com for more information. The Batahola volunteers will be keeping benefactors informed of their progress by updating online blogs and newsletters.
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