OJOCHAL
SCHOOL IN 2002
Rodney and Betsy Barker have just returned from San Juan with an appeal from the rural community of Ojochal to build a new primary school. The existing one-room building dates back to the Somoza era in the 1950s and is literally falling apart, partly because sea sand, which contains salt, was used in the cement, corroding the iron reinforcing bars and causing huge cracks in the walls and foundation. The roof beams are being eaten by tiny carpenter ants. Community members meeting with the Barkers were enthusiastic about getting a new school and promised to pitch in and help in the construction.
Betsy says that students who complete 6th
grade in Ojochal and want more education must make their way into San Juan.
“Some live with relatives during the week, but others must leave by 5:30
on foot or horseback to arrive by 8 a.m. It is a great tribute to their desire
for education that they are willing to make such a journey, and this increased our
desire to build Ojochal a new school.”
Rodney and Betsy also received an estimate for repairs on the four-room primary school in Barrio Auxiliadora which has a weakened back wall and crumbling interior wall. Recent heavy rains have also damaged one of the latrines and this will need repair or replacement.
The Barkers also met with Mayor Abelardo Nuñez to talk about future joint projects in which we would build a rural school while the Mayor’s Office would repair the roads, simultaneously benefitting truck farmers and students in the area.
JUNE SHIPMENT DEDICATED TO STEVE GLIDDEN
Our spectacular June shipment
of shoes, clothes, books, eyeglasses (8,000 pairs!), school supplies and toys
was dedicated to the memory of Steve Glidden, one of the Oak Hill students who died in the bus accident in Canada.
Steve was an enthusiastic SCP supporter, and part of the shipment included
clothes and shoes he and and his mother, Elaine Alpert had collected together. Steve said that one day
he’d like to visit San Juan del Sur
WOMEN’S
LITERACY PROGRAM GRADUATES 246
|
YOU CAN SEE
DAVID’S NEW VIDEO ABOUT THE AUGUST WOMEN’S LITERACY GRADUATION
FIESTA: AT THE SISTER
CITY PROJECT MEETING SUNDAY 9
DECEMBER NEWTON
HIGHLANDS CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
7:30 pm BRING YOUR
FAMILY AND FRIENDS Coffee and dessert served |
A major milestone in San Juan del Sur’s history was reached last August 21 when 246 formerly illiterate women from the barrios and rural communities celebrated the completion of three years of participation in “Empowering Women Through Literacy,” the innovative feminist program run by Rosa Elena Bello and three teacher-trainers. A remarkable 82% of the women finished the program, and most of them completed six years of primary education in that time. They received diplomas in a gala public ceremony at the culmination of a day of events that included a play and talks. Margaret Gullette, the chief fund-raiser, gave the keynote address. Andrea Schuman, of our Steering Committee, also helped raise funding.
After the ceremony, a group of graduates from Monte Cristo (where the Sister City built a school) with their teacher, Maria del Carmen Gaitán. One holds the books she received from Newton; every graduate got two, a math book and a picture book.
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On the afternoon of September 11 we received the following message from our friend and co-worker in San Juan del Sur, Rosa Elena Bello, Director of Community Medical Services and Coordinator of the Women’s Literacy Project:
“Dear Friends: We have seen and heard about the enormous tragedy that has struck the North American people. Community Medical Services repudiates these acts that threaten world peace and the stability of those communities where those most directly affected are ordinary people. We also express our solidarity with your people, and pray God that you yourselves are not directly affected, and that these heinous acts are not repeated elsewhere in the world.”
One lesson we have learned since September is that the best antidote against xenophobic nationalist rage is a tolerant and loving internationalism. And if poverty, ignorance and neglect are fertile breeding grounds for organized anger, then we all need to redouble our efforts to reach out to our brothers and sisters around the world who have less than we have. Your Sister City Project intends to stay the course and continue our work with the 20,000 citizens of San Juan del Sur to improve daily life in that beleaguered corner of the world. --ed.
A BOOKMOBILE FOR SAN JUAN
An American living in San Juan, Jane Mirandette, has organized the region’s first “Biblioteca Movil” or Bookmobile, a lending library on wheels. Staring this November, the aim will be to visit five schools in the SJ district each week, lending books to students and teachers alike. Jane is looking for books in Spanish, from children’s books to dictionaries; she’d also like a used copy machine. Donations can go in our April shipment or to an address in Colorado. Jane can be reached at janem101@aol.com. Her hotel, Villa Isabella, is among the nicest in town.
SERVICE-LEARNING
COMES TO SAN JUAN DEL SUR
Starting in 2002, Simmons College/Boston will be offering college credit for “Service-Learning” courses in San Juan del Sur, to be taught by SCP Vice President David Gullette. These courses feature a combination of reading/writing/theory with hands-on community service. Students will stay with local families; conversational Spanish is a prerequisite. A 2-week January course will focus on Public Health, including working alongside the optometrists of VOSH. A 4-week May/June course will offer opportunities in Economic Development, Ecology, Art, Education and Public Health. For more information write to david.gullette@simmons.edu or call 617-521-2215.
“SISTER CLASSROOMS”
Brown Middle School Spanish teacher Louisa Aronow has received a Community Service-Learning Mini-Grant to establish a “Sister Classroom” relationship with Yadira Ponce’s class at the Instituto Emanuel Mongalo in San Juan del Sur. The idea is that students will e-mail each other, in Spanish, exchanging news, ideas, recipes and perhaps even digital photos. The San Juan students will be able to use the computers at Eric Blackburn’s Internet Cafe on the waterfront.
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VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
Your Sister City Project needs volunteers in a variety of areas: membership development, publicity, seasonal mailings, seeking children’s books in Spanish. We can use folks who’d like to help occasionally throughout the year, or who can work for a week or two or on packing day. If you’d like to help out, call Rodney Barker at 617-244-6949.
Time
to praise three of our long-term volunteers: Fran Seasholes, indefatigable Secretary to the Steering
Committee; Betsy Barker,
who is still organizing our enormous mailings; and our expert Treasurer, Fiora
Houghteling.
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2002 SHIPMENT SET FOR APRIL We’re going to make our shipment to San Juan del Sur in April rather than June of 2002. The container will be loaded in New Haven on April 7. This means all donations must be delivered to the Gullettes at 68 Pembroke St. Newton Corner only between March 15 and April 1. We want SENSIBLE
SHOES, SUMMER CLOTHING, DOLLS, SMALL TOYS, & SHEETS. PLEASE PACK ALL DONATIONS TIGHTLY IN
SMALL/MEDIUM BOXES. PAIRS OF SHOES SHOULD BE TIED TOGETHER BY THEIR LACES. We still want to send SEWING MACHINES, electric or pedal, in working condition. For detailed information, or to volunteer to help with the packing, call Margaret or David at 617-965-2164. |
The procession through San Juan of
the
newly-literate women
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COME TO THE OPEN
MEETING ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9 FEATURING A VIDEO
ABOUT THE LITERACY GRADUATION AND NEWS ABOUT THE
OJOCHAL SCHOOL PROJECT 7:30PM NEWTON HIGHLANDS CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH DESSERT AND COFFEE WILL BE SERVED |
NEWSLETTER edited by David Gullette (617) 965-2164. david.gullette@simmons.edu