In class we have been learning about fair trade vs. free trade zone. Today we visited a free trade zone and visited one of the factories. The factory that we went to was a very large, hot and humid, and air tight. The product they were making were north face jakets! They also made columbia and eddie bauer. I had no idea that north face's were hand made so that took me back a little bit. What really bothered me was the conditions that these people worked in and the salary they made. One north face jacket is easily $100 or more. The factory workers make $150 a month! They work 8 hour days, 48 hour weeks and receive very few benefits. Unemployment is 60% in Nicaragua so the factories provide jobs for the people, but they do not pay enough money for the Nicaraguans to live and support their families. I looked at myself and what I was wearing and I figured out how much my outfit cost. Everything that was on me, including my bag and everything in it was easily an entire year's pay for a factory worker in Nicaragua. Something about that isn't right. I am seeing poverty first hand here like I have never experienced before. It's not like as American's we should just stop consuming but I am definitely going to stop and think before I buy things once I get home.
I could talk much more about this but that is the short version. Tomorrow we are waking up at 4 am....ew, to catch a plane to Corn Island!! We will spend 3 days there and then head to Bluefields to start our internships. I will be teaching english to children at a primary school there and I am so excited to be with kids again, I've missed them!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Love, Shelby
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