friendsoflatinamerica

Women in Action- A Newsletter

Click on the link below to download complete flyer in pdf format:

Download NewsletterSpring09

 

Folklore Dance from Nicaragua

Hurricane Felix devastates Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast

"There are people in their homes, and we can't do anything now," said Rivera.

Only a few deaths have been reported so far,but communications with most of the affected area have been sparse. During the morning of Sept. 4 both the UN and the World Food Program made promises of aid to help sustain
the emergency effort and reconstruct the towns and communities destroyed by the hurricane.

The fear is that Felix might act similar to Hurricane Mitch which devastated Nicaragua in October 1998.  Wind damage on the Caribbean
Coast was the least of Mitch's effect as the slow moving storm, even after being downgraded to a tropical storm, dumped over 50 inches of rain in three days, causing extensive flooding, mud slides and loss of
life.

Nicaragua Network will continue to release bulletins as information becomes available. What is certain is that emergency money will
be needed immediately to allow people to survive the next week and to begin the rebuilding process.

If you are able to help you can make a tax-deductible donation through the Nicaragua Network.  One hundred percent of your contribution will be used to aid the hurricane victims.  You can make a secure on-line credit card donation by going
to: http://www.nicanet.org/donate_afgj.htm
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=mtejiecab.0.x5xeeybab.l5csqsbab.6026&ts=S0278&p=http%
3A%2F%2Fwww.nicanet.org%2Fdonate_afgj.htm).

Write "Hurricane" in the "Other" blank to insure your donation is directed to hurricane relief.  You can also call our office at  202-544-9355 with your credit card information or send a check to Nicaragua Network, 1247 E St., SE, Washington, DC 20003

Ecotourism allies with fair trade in Central America

Nicaragua
by Matthew Kadey

"Please tell me about your profession."
"How is the weather now?"
"Why do you not have any children?"

With light coming only from the gleam of a well-worn lantern and a sky set ablaze by a preternatural canopy of stars, I find myself answering questions about the particularities of my life in Canada and learning about the ins and outs of coffee farming with my host, Juan Acuña. As we talk into the wee hours in his modest adobe house while a hard rain turns its outer edges to mud, it's clear that the sweat and blood of this slight, congenial, 58-year-old man has been poured into a 17-acre farm nestled in Nicaragua's northern hills. With his red cap casting a half-moon shadow on his life-hardened face, he assures me that the only things keeping him busier than producing specialty coffee are his nine children and "lots of grandkids."

Seed of Learning

In July, Seeds of Learning (SOL) will bring volunteers of all ages to the small mountainous community of San Ramon, east of Matagalpa, in Nicaragua. Here the volunteers will work closely with coffee farmers,
youth, and rural families. For about five hours each day, the SOL work-group will unite with Nicaraguan youth and adults from a fair trade coffee cooperative.  Together, they will lay bricks and mix cement, as they build an ecological and cultural learning center.

This center will serve as a home for local youth as they continue their folkloric dances, songs, agro-ecological research, and learning about new computer technology.  The farm families that created this cooperative will also teach visiting participants about their environments and cultures. The expert local guides will show off the biodiversity on their farms, lead nature hikes and share their traditional food. They will also talk about the opportunities and challenges in their continued struggle for survival and sustainability.

Attached you will find more details. You can also go to the SOL website for more information: www.seedsoflearning.org   For a printable flyer in adobe acrobat format click here:
Download SOL_Open_San_Ramon_Work_group_flyer_april.pdf

Seeds of Learning (SOL) has been working in community development in Latin America for over 15 years. Together, volunteers and community members have worked with rural communities to build over 60 classrooms in 30 schools. SOL is pleased to now partner with the UCA San Ramon to make this special project possible.

I have worked with the folks associated with these coffee cooperatives on the issues of bidiversity, birds, and community development. I know they would be delighted to welcome any of you to San Ramon in July.

Please consider this opportunity, and please pass this information on to like-minded colleagues.