Hello again Nicaragua.
I arrived Sunday evening for an overnight stay in Las Mercedes , Nicaragua. Travelling on to San Juan la Concepcion, it was difficult to imagine the enormous crisis that has occurred this year. The city looks much the same, with hotels, shopping malls and those dreaded flowers.
My couple of days at La Mariposa Spanish School, was partly to catch up with old friends Allison and Paulette and partly to learn more about their projects. Paulette s energy and commitment amaze me, with an ever increasing range of projects in a financially challenging situation which would keep me awake at night! But her ecohotel is a simple and ecologically inspirational concept, which sadly lacks clients in the current situation.
We visited El Panama, a project support children's education and English in a very rural community, in the hills close to the Massaya volcano. Here the buildings are damaged by the fumes, tiny splinters of glasslike minerals fall on all surfaces risking damage to skin, and water to drink is brought up in a tank on a lorry. Water for washing and household use is collected. None is piped. The children were working in their outdoor classroom with their teachers who were using donated materials and their mobile phones for visual aids. I added a few bits of stationery to their resources but it's a drop in the ocean.
We shared a pineapple with a local woman whilst we awaited the pickup. It arrived full of volcanic rock which we delivered to another community where they are building drainage snd filtration units. This is most necessary to avoid pollution, and because many families live close together; the space between the homes is used for socialising, washing, playing and cooking.
We then visited a community project Los Martinez where the children go for the half day they are not in school, to do music, art, reading and other activities. I gave the rest of my resources to them, then later wished I had had more. But if I'd brought 4 suitcases it would still have made little impact on what they need.
From here we visited Chispa de Vida, where there is a physiotherapy project both for adults in the community and, next to it, another out of school project. These are of such benefit to the children of poor families, where parents are unable to support them educationally, because the children go either to a four hour morning or afternoon session.
The hotel in Managua stands out in stark contrast to these facilities. And yet it isn't that far away. But I suppose that could be said of many parts of the world.
Today ( Tuesday) I visited another local school, where La Mariposa is constructing a stand for a water tank for the schools' water supply, as the previous one had collapsed. The Ministry of education it appears has no resources for these things. Schools in the Pacific strip appear to receive less support. The headteacher, Manuel described how, in these areas where the unifirm and stationery are a stretch for parents, other resources are just a dream. Like Ometepe, the buidings were very dilapidated. Yet another challenge for teachers, is the return of much older pupils to thrir primary classes, when funds and time permit. ,many discontinue through lack of uniform, or because they are needed for work and income generation. Free education for all can be a bit of a myth!
My couple of days at La Mariposa Spanish School, was partly to catch up with old friends Allison and Paulette and partly to learn more about their projects. Paulette s energy and commitment amaze me, with an ever increasing range of projects in a financially challenging situation which would keep me awake at night! But her ecohotel is a simple and ecologically inspirational concept, which sadly lacks clients in the current situation.
We visited El Panama, a project support children's education and English in a very rural community, in the hills close to the Massaya volcano. Here the buildings are damaged by the fumes, tiny splinters of glasslike minerals fall on all surfaces risking damage to skin, and water to drink is brought up in a tank on a lorry. Water for washing and household use is collected. None is piped. The children were working in their outdoor classroom with their teachers who were using donated materials and their mobile phones for visual aids. I added a few bits of stationery to their resources but it's a drop in the ocean.
We shared a pineapple with a local woman whilst we awaited the pickup. It arrived full of volcanic rock which we delivered to another community where they are building drainage snd filtration units. This is most necessary to avoid pollution, and because many families live close together; the space between the homes is used for socialising, washing, playing and cooking.
We then visited a community project Los Martinez where the children go for the half day they are not in school, to do music, art, reading and other activities. I gave the rest of my resources to them, then later wished I had had more. But if I'd brought 4 suitcases it would still have made little impact on what they need.
From here we visited Chispa de Vida, where there is a physiotherapy project both for adults in the community and, next to it, another out of school project. These are of such benefit to the children of poor families, where parents are unable to support them educationally, because the children go either to a four hour morning or afternoon session.
The hotel in Managua stands out in stark contrast to these facilities. And yet it isn't that far away. But I suppose that could be said of many parts of the world.
Today ( Tuesday) I visited another local school, where La Mariposa is constructing a stand for a water tank for the schools' water supply, as the previous one had collapsed. The Ministry of education it appears has no resources for these things. Schools in the Pacific strip appear to receive less support. The headteacher, Manuel described how, in these areas where the unifirm and stationery are a stretch for parents, other resources are just a dream. Like Ometepe, the buidings were very dilapidated. Yet another challenge for teachers, is the return of much older pupils to thrir primary classes, when funds and time permit. ,many discontinue through lack of uniform, or because they are needed for work and income generation. Free education for all can be a bit of a myth!
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