Since the beginning, Comunidad Connect has traveled off the beaten path to connect with families living in vulnerable isolation. Aura Garcia Hernandez is no exception.
Doña Aura is an 88-year-old widow who worked her entire life to raise 10 children, 8 of whom are still living. Some of them remain close to her, in an area of Los Robles, Nicaragua that is difficult to access during the rainy season. Her family lives in an area of the community known colloquially as “Las Aurelias.”
When she speaks of her late husband, she remembers him as someone who was rough and tough, who raised his children to be independent. Together, they taught their children how to work the land, cut vegetables, carry firewood, take care of animals, and build their homes from local resources.
Aura and her husband did not have the opportunity to send their children to school, so the family dedicated themselves to working and surviving. Growing up, her kids worked hard and followed her wherever she went. Nowadays they are older with children of their own, but they continue working hard from dawn to dusk. Sometimes they walk for hours to find work and bring food back to their families.
Doña Aura has not had an easy life, but she always passed along good values to her children. She instilled the importance of using birth control for her daughters so that no one could manipulate them. Los Robles Nusre, Enma Gutierrez commented, “No matter the weather or distance, they always arrive at the health clinic to receive their method of birth control.
Doña Aura was one of the many volunteers who worked in the construction of the community health post more than 6 years ago. She, along with her daughters, are known throughout Los Robles as strong women who support every social project in the community. Projects like the construction of the health post, the improvement of the cemetery, the opening of the new community road, and the Comunidad Connect housing projects.
The dry season is the best time to visit their homes to meet and talk to them. They are indigenous women of Los Robles; strong, brave, hard-working women who have survived despite the difficult circumstances in which they grew up.
“I have never seen such tenacity in this community as I see it in this family. They are women of few words, but in their skin and in their character you can read a life story. They are “penconas” (brave, skilled, fighters and workers) who represent my country well”, says Director of Community Development, Yarisleidy Cortez.
Currently, Doña Aura lives with her son, her daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter, surrounded by her other daughters who live in nearby houses. Their home has dirt floor and is made of metal, plastic, and scrap timber. At 88 years and a lifetime of working, she was deserving of a dignifed home to rest and feel safe.
In the spring of 2024, generous donations from the Comundiad Connect community of support made this a reality. See below for a video of the home transformation.