Thursday, January 17, 2008

Updates - Sorry No Pics

Greetings to all just! I’ve finally been able to make some headway and get this blog written after sitting in this slow internet cafĂ© for several hours. However, the bad news is that I forgot the cable to the camera again. Wow this is really bad sorry! I’m tired and am now looking forward to my 2 hours bus ride so that I can get out of the city and get back to Jiquilillo.

As for projects thus far I’ve been able to celebrate Christmas with the children. Through personal funds and the assistance of Nathan Yue, we were able to purchase Christmas presents for approximately 140 children in the village aged 10 years old and younger. Everything went off relatively smoothly. The list used to purchase the presents was slightly incomplete however only by several children. Therefore there are no complaints on my end and all the children seemed to be relatively understanding about the situation. An announcement was made at both the beginning and end of the event that a new list will be created for next year. In February I will be walking through the village talking with all families creating a list of names birthdays and some information about each family.

As I’m still getting back into the swing of things in the village no new projects have begun. I’m taking it slow and reuniting with my friends throughout the village. The children have been coming to Kids club so it’s really nice to see everyone again!

As for the village things are changing drastically. We have a man who has been working in the village buying and selling property and making tons of money off the locals. He purchases the villagers land lease very cheaply from them and then ups the price by a lot and has been selling the property to foreigners’. I met him for the first time Wednesday night and he complained about how ignorant and uneducated the villagers are. In my mind this man is here for personal gain only, according to him, he does not want to help the people he only wants to develop the area. I can’t believe how badly he is exploiting my friends and families. Nate and I are currently devising a new plan to educate the villagers about what is transpiring in the village and how they can protect themselves and their livelihoods.

As for all the other projects…

School begins in February therefore I am not begin the sponsorships until school has opened and I have met with the teachers. I am hoping that the teachers and I can move quickly and have the 14 children chosen and fully sponsored by the middle to the end of the month!

The vehicle to be used as an ambulance is still hard to find, Nathan and I have been searching high and low in the newspapers and we have all of our friends who live in the cities out looking for us as well. It is a slow process but please keep your fingers crossed.

Toothbrushes will be distributed at the school I was able in the end to collect enough toothbrushes for every child to have one! Not only will I be handing out the toothbrushes but I will be doing a demonstration on the proper way to crush your teeth. My mother has also been able to the find a recipe for homemade tooth paste which I will write in Spanish.

Supplies for the entire school are to be purchased before the start of school and I will be gifting everything within the first week of school. This will be an exciting step but also very challenging. Supplies are to include maps, textbooks and dictionaries which I must first find. This will honestly be the most challenging part of the process. After living in Jiquilillo for approximately and year and making weekly trips to the City of Chinandega I am still unaware of a bookstore in the city, therefore I may have to travel a bit further. I can honestly say I think this will be an exciting adventure.

Nathan Yue has begun construction on a new building on his property known as Rancho Esperanza. This building is to be used as the community center. He is hoping to have everything completed by February 29, his birthday! This building is for the kids club, community meetings, movie nights for the village, and adult education classes! Everyone in the village whom I have spoken with is extremely excited about the opportunities which will soon be available to them. I am hoping for a large turnout for the dedication of the building so that I may begin to discuss with the residents what they would find most beneficial for classes!

I think this covers all bases. Please call me with any questions or if you just want to chat [011] (505) 879-1795. Also I am planning on using Wednesday’s as my town days so I will have access to the internet every Wednesday. This is if things go to plan, which they seem to rarely do here!