WHO WE ARE
Hi, this is Marjut. I have a desire to make a difference. I am still a bit of pioneer here in Nicaragua, but I have a team of good friends abroad who help and support my work.
I am writing to you from Nicaragua, a small country in Central America that has become my home. I am here with Alejandro, my most amazing and positive workman. I met him high up in the mountain where he was cultivating beans and peppers. When he found out that I had bought land near him he told me not to forget him when I start building and I didn't. I was worried about his age but I was told that Alejandro can do more than young men, and he can! Alejandro's wife is ill and Alejandro wants to support her needs. I am happy to be part of their lives.
Our land has magnificent views to both volcanos on the island. This one is Volcan Concepcion.
WHY WE ARE CREATING HOUSE OF HEALING ARTS
We, our world and our planet need healing. It is important to take a look at how we are living, what we are eating and how to survive as a human race. We need urgently to make changes on an individual and communal level. We want to create a safe place for people to come and heal, connect, transform and learn.
I arrived to Nicaragua by chance and felt a calling to build a healing centre, a House of Healing Arts on the island of Ometepe. Having no idea what the future was holding for Nicaragua, I bought land and started constructing a road, planting fruit trees and gardens, buying building materials and took a course in natural building methods.
Starting to build a road. No machinery involved!
Learning how to make reinforced adobe walls with Women Constructors in Condega, Nicaragua
Then things changed.
Over six months ago the people of Nicaragua rouse against their dictator, President Daniel Ortega
and his wife Vice-president Rosario Murillo. People lost their fear and started big peaceful
manifestations for democracy in their country. These manifestations were brutally repressed by the
government. This brutal repression caused an upheaval and more and more people started to join
the movement for democracy, demanding Ortega and Murillo to step down and new democratic
elections to be held.
Now for nearly seven months Nicaraguans have suffered one of the biggest socio-political crisis in the history of the country. Thousands of people have witnessed violence and atrocious crimes. According to the Nicaraguan Association of Human Rights (ANPDH) there has been 512 deaths, more than 4000 injured and at least 1482 arrested or missing.
In the report of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, IACHR, it was specified that, “the
mental health and emotional well-being of the population is being severely affected by the current
context of violence, harassment, threats and repression in Nicaragua.” According to testimonies
these traumatic events have manifested as an intense stress, extreme suffering, anxiety,
humiliation and a radical change in the lives of the surviving victims and their families.
Fear, stress and apathy are the common symptoms of the mental health crisis caused by the
repression and violence in Nicaragua.
I feel that my calling to build a healing centre has a true meaning now. I am not planning to run
away nor abandon my plans.
Our rancho is getting it's roof thatched. It will be ready by mid November.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO CREATE HOUSE OF HEALING ARTS NOW
This crisis has also caused a huge unemployment for the tourist industry as there is next to no
tourists visiting Nicaragua. On the island of Ometepe we were all living on tourism.
The local people live from hand to mouth, there is no culture of saving for a rainy day. This is an
ideal time to offer work for local people, and continue building the centre in earnest.
To achieve this I have decided to raise funds with a crowdfunding platform. Crowdfunding is a
method of raising funds from many small or big donations. Anyone who feels a calling to donate
can give a sum that is appropriate for them. Anybody can become a part of the change and healing
we want to create.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
With the help of your donations we can:
- Continue building House of Healing Arts centre and offer work for the local people
- We wish to increase the amount of workers that are currently working
for us.Without any sociopolitical crisis every July and August are a tough month here with little money and little food (crops that have been planted will take 2-3 months to ripen). This year's rain fall was small and many farmers achieved only 30% of their expected rice harvest. Some farmers lost all their rice. Now coming to the beginning of November there are families on the island who are short of food and suffer from hunger. People are starting to say that we are living desperate times. We wish to do all we can to keep our workmen working to support their large families. Providing work is now our utmost priority for helping the local community. - We have horses that are suitable for use in therapy. With financial support we can continue offering riding therapy opportunities for local children and expand it to victims of violence.
- Kundalini Yoga, SoulCollage® art therapy, and Reiki healing. I am a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor, SoulCollage® facilitator and Reiki healer. As soon as we have premises we can start offering yoga, meditation and healing workshops and retreats.
These are the three more immediate things we can do. We have more plans for the future like
reforesting an area near us, helping our local community with sanitation and holding a free natural
building course for our workers and interested locals.
I can assure you that where I live is peaceful and I am not putting my life into danger. The Island of
Ometepe is set apart from most of mainland troubles and therefore an ideal place for constructing a
healing centre.
HOW MUCH DO WE NEED
We need £45 000 to get House of Healing Arts operating on a basic level.
More information about our project can be found at www.houseofhealingarts.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houseofhealingarts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/house_of_healing_arts/
Thank you for you help and co-operation.
