It’s been just over two years since I travelled to Nicaragua. That’s nice and scary. It’s weird to think about all of the different things that have changed since then and the decisions I’ve made.
But, what I’ve been giving a lot of thought to lately is, the Blue Bird House in Nicaragua. I haven’t really shared to much about it as it was quite an overwhelming experience. Since it’s been just over two years, I’ve decided to share some more about it.
The Blue Bird House is a group home of sorts. It’s more of an institution. Visiting the Blue Bird House while I was in Nicaragua was something that was very important to me. Obviously, I’m very connected to the Special Needs community and I really wanted to see what it’s like in a less fortunate country.
Honestly, I was worried.
I really didn’t know what to expect. I’ve read so much about orphanages and institutions that I was really worried about what I was going to see. I was (pleasantly) surprised. Now, the conditions of the Blue Bird House were nothing compared to something you’d see in Canada, but they also were much better than the conditions I was expecting. They were extremely understaffed and their ratios were nothing like something you’d see here, we’re talking a good 1:14 ratio including some individuals who were very high needs. These ratios can make it extremely difficult to adapt programming and attention.
I just love this guy.
The Blue Bird house supports individuals of all ages, starting as children all the way through to adulthood. The Blue Bird house supports people of all abilities. When I visited, most of the younger children were in school which is very uplifting. That’s not often something you see.
The individuals with Higher Needs had an area catered to their specific needs
The staff who worked at the Blue Bird house really seemed to have a passion for what they were doing which is absolutely amazing. They really seemed to care about the people they were supporting.
The Blue Bird was very interesting. They had daily programming as well as an ARC Industries type area where they would make different items to sell in art shows or at markets. They also had a kitchen where they would bake and sell goods. The inclusion that we saw was so cool!
“ARC” like area
There were different sections to the property. A main area, including a dining area, a gym type centre for PT and a section for the individuals they support who require a high level of care. There was then a female building that had multiple beds in one section and then a large area with tables for meals and daily activities. Across the grounds there was another similar building but for males. Between these buildings there was an outside area that had playground equipment and benches. The design of the place was very forward and open which was so nice to see. There were some parts of the Blue Bird house that were really hard to see, as much as the conditions were much better than I expected, they were still rough. I strive to provide the best that I can for the people I support and I found it very difficult to be in an area were there was just so much that I wanted to do, but couldn’t.
PT area
A wheelchair in Nicaragua..
A kind young man having some swing time on the grounds
I had the chance to interact with many of the individuals who lived at the Blue Bird house and man, they rocked!
This guy was hilarious.
Visiting the Blue Bird house was a major highlight for me and I’m so glad I got that experience.
I was also blessed with the opportunity to give the Blue Bird house a collection of new clothing protectors and provide a large amount of the people they support with Camp shirts. The group that I went with, Kn.e.c.t, also gave the Blue Bird house a monetary gift. What an awesome experience. This is a place I really want to go back and visit.
Donations
I will be posting more pictures of the Blue Bird house over on the Stories from the Sandbox Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stories-from-the-Sandbox/252057948257316
Tagged: blessed, group homes, institutions, learning, Nicaragua
Stories from the Sand Box... 
That was very inspiring to read. I am very lucky to have a humanitarian granddaughter! You Rock!
Dear Alix, Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I know some if not all we see while in Nicaragua is very hard to put into words. I am so thankful for you and what you do for so many. Thank you for putting so many others ahead of yourself. I know it can be hard to go through but the personal rewards are amazing. Keep up the good work. About four years ago, my then 52 year old brother, sold all that he had in Canada and went to Lesotho, Africa and is doing tremendous work with double aids orphans. There are so many opportunities that we can all help in, in very different ways and the personal rewards are out of sight. We don’t do things for a reward but we are so much more enriched because of the experiences. I thank God for you. Much Love and as your Grammy has said “You Rock”