YMCA director changed by trip to Nicaragua

The trip also changed his perspective of life.

In February, White and Brigitte Crevier, program director of the Hochelaga Montreal YMCA and Sheila Laursen, director of international development for the YMCA of Greater Montreal, made the trip to Nicaragua where they had an opportunity to not only meet the directors and leaders of the programs at their partner Y, the Nicaragua ACJ (YMCA in Spanish), but also participate hands on in some of the life changing projects the ACJ has established.

“I arrived in Nicaragua wanting to learn more about the work the Y does, but soon realized I had so much to learn from our partners,” said White. “Everything they do is so connected to their mission. There is no room for waste of finances, people, materials or time. And I came home wondering if I could see the way we run the Westmount Y through the same filter.”

The Nicaraguan projects are literally life changing. Abject poverty created over three decades of adversity including an earthquake followed by a revolution and then a devastating hurricane has left the country shell shocked and poor. Eighty per cent live in poverty, 50 per cent in extreme poverty.

Through the Land Bank Program however, 17 farming families so far have the opportunity to earn the title to a piece of farming property by working the land for two to five years and participating in YMCA workshops that focus on family life and health issues.

A heifer program in which a rural community residents breed heifers and pass on the calves to other families has provided access to dairy products to 72 families and will work into a dairy business.

At the Y’s two teen centres over 500 youth have the opportunities to participate in dance and art programs, English classes, leadership training, computer and cooking classes and health workshops. Those centres are led by volunteer leaders mostly youth whose lives themselves have been changed by the programs.

White has produced a 24-minute video of the trip that he viewed at a recent lunch presentation at the Westmount Y. White is available to organizations and senior residences to view the video and discuss the work of the YMCA in Nicaragua..

Ten per cent of the funds raised by the Westmount YMCA in its fundraising projects go to fund the work at their partner Y in Nicaragua. That money is matched two to one by CIDA, the Canadian International Development Agency.

“As I was entering the home of one particularly impoverished family, a part of me was hesitant to enter,” said White. “Not because I was afraid of what I would see, but because I knew that I would have to take some responsibility for what I saw. We all have a role in creating this world we live in and we all have the capacity to make things better.”

Last summer three youths from the Westmount Y joined youths from the Hochelaga Montreal Y and the Cobourg, Ontario Y for a two week trip to the Nicaragua Y where they worked hands on in the projects. This July eight youths from the Nicaragua Y will spend a week with youth for the Westmount and Hochelaga Montreal Y’s where they will have the opportunity to exchange ideas about leadership and creativity and practical solutions for pressing needs in their respective communities.

To learn more or to arrange a viewing of the video, phone White at 514-931-6770 ext. 226 or email gary.white@ymcamontreal.qc.ca.