At 38 years old, Róger Reyes, a former political prisoner and exile now living in the United States, continues to reinvent himself. He is currently working with children and young people in a U.S. municipality, where he has found the opportunity to share one of his greatest talents: writing and telling stories.
In an interview with La Prensa, Reyes, who is leading a campaign to collect books for refugee children in Central America, revealed that he has already written four stories.
“It’s a campaign inviting involvement from all sectors and any individual willing to join in helping children who are in transit through some Central American countries,” Reyes explained.
The former political prisoner explained that the initiative arose from observing the lack of campaigns aimed at supporting the most vulnerable population: children. “I have seen many important campaigns for political prisoners, victims, exiles, and young people, but none directly benefiting or supporting children, who are the most vulnerable in the face of Nicaragua’s current situation,” he shared.
Reyes, a lawyer by profession, is one of the 222 political prisoners stripped of their citizenship and sent to the United States on February 9, 2023. He was imprisoned in August 2021 while representing fellow opposition leader Félix Maradiaga. During more than a year of incarceration, Reyes began experiencing mental health issues, including memory loss of life events and difficulty recalling everyday actions.
Books for refugee children in Central America
“Children are the ones being most affected because many have endured traumas from leaving through dangerous routes, others had negative experiences fleeing their country, and some were separated from their fathers, mothers, or grandparents,” Reyes stated. “There are children who left school and are no longer studying due to economic hardships or because they’re simply passing through these countries, likely with the goal of reaching the United States.”
Reyes highlighted that the general public can support the initiative in several ways: by donating books directly to 808 Houston Ave Apt 1, Takoma Park, MD, 20912; purchasing books online through platforms like Ebook.com, Ecampus.com, Librosdetexto.com, Alibris.com, or Amazon.com; or by making a financial contribution. For more information, interested individuals can contact +1 240-355-6137 or email [email protected].
“People can contribute by purchasing books online—storybooks or educational books in Spanish—or by making cash donations, which we’ll use to buy books,” Reyes explained. “A list of books purchased with their contribution will be sent to the donors to ensure transparency.”
The campaign is structured in three main phases: the first involves collecting books, the second focuses on identifying the destinations for the books, and the final phase is the shipment of the materials. Reyes mentioned that Costa Rica and Mexico are currently being considered as target locations for distribution.
“If by the time of shipment I’ve published one of my four stories, I also plan to bring copies of those books to these locations and present them, as my intention is to visit these places,” Reyes stated.
His work did not begin in exile
Reyes emphasized that his humanitarian work did not begin in exile in the United States but originated in Nicaragua, long before his imprisonment by the dictatorship. He recalled traveling to the Caribbean Coast to assist the most vulnerable in the aftermath of hurricanes Eta and Iota. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he established a food bank in Carazo to support those in need.
“This desire to help is something I practiced even while in Nicaragua because there will always be a need, and I believe that we always have something to offer, something we can do to help others,” Reyes noted. “Being here in the United States doesn’t exempt me or take away that desire, that spirit to help others.”
By LA PRENSA
By LA PRENSA
He also emphasized the importance of the campaign in fostering and instilling the habit of reading at an early age. “The habit of reading is a path, a guide to enrich knowledge and education, and to sow in children at a young age the habit of reading. A society with education is a society that develops, a society that strives for the good, but a society without education is one that remains stagnant and never progresses,” he stressed.
The former political prisoner currently lives and works in the state of Maryland, the second U.S. state with the highest quality of education and among the top 10 states with the best school systems, according to government studies and financial organizations in the country.
What are the stories about?
In this demanding system, Reyes was hired in April 2023 as a youth coordinator for the community service department of the city of Hyattsville. He currently coordinates a new program called “Creative Minds,” where he works with children aged 1 to 3, helping them grow through creativity.
In this role, he was able to develop his talent for writing and telling stories to children. “I already have four stories written by me, which have not yet been released to the public, where I tell stories in a language that children can understand. These stories are related to family, principles, values, and perseverance. The four stories I’ve created are always focused on delivering a positive message in the language of children,” he explained.
The stories are in Spanish, but Reyes stated that his goal is to publish them in English. The former political prisoner shared that the reception has been positive from both the children and their parents. “Despite the cultural and linguistic diversity, it has been very well accepted because it teaches through art, stories, and dance,” he affirmed.
Reyes has no doubt that his life has been reinvented, particularly with this talent that he had not had the opportunity to explore in Nicaragua. “It’s been a change because I didn’t do this in Nicaragua—being able to sit down, imagine, create, and write for children. I never did that in Nicaragua; I started doing it here in the United States. It’s a change. In the end, we have to persevere, adapt to the system, and understand that this is temporary because I believe that the situation in Nicaragua will eventually end, and we will have to bring all the experience we’ve gained and put it into practice in our country,” he said.
In fact, Reyes confessed that one of his stories, although he kept the title to himself, was conceived while he was in prison. He shared it with his daughters during one of the few visits he received at the Dirección de Auxilio Judicial, better known as the new Chipote, where he was imprisoned for 537 days.
“Since we didn’t have access to pencil and paper, I created it in my mind. It’s about family reunification, a family that is separated but is reunited by dawn. It was a story filled with emotions, hope, and pain, and during one of the few visits I had with my daughters, I told it to them. Now, I have it written down and ready to publish,” he concluded.
The other stories address the importance of family unity, cultural diversity, and equality. Reyes achieved family reunification five months and two days after being released from prison and exiled to the United States.