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by Derrick Gee

This was our first-ever ride by oxcart.

In addition to regular email contact, at least one or two visits a year are made to Santa Teresa by SCP Board members to support our facilitators. Janet and I generally visit in January. Not only does that permit us to chicken out of the Wisconsin winter but, as it’s the dry season in Santa Teresa, travel is at its easiest. However, it was felt that a visit last November would enable us to work in a more timely manner with the communities and our facilitators to produce a plan for the new calendar year.

The following information is taken from our Santa Teresa facilitators’ monthly reports since Fall 2007.
• Number of families being helped by SCP in the Chacocente Refuge communities of Escalante, El Papalon, La Poma, and the Buffer Zone communities of La Chota and El Terrero: 150
• Total number of people helped: 750
• Number of pupils supported in 5 schools: 178
• Number of teachers supported: 6
• Number of health promoters being trained: 19
• Producers now in the Agriculture program: 20
• People in the Beekeeping program: 20

This year Alma Susana Chávez will be our full-time facilitator responsible for all SCP programs in Nicaragua. We did not renew Marlon Palacio’s contract with us in 2008.

Alma has experience as a teacher and in sea turtle conservation. She is a hard worker and very committed to her job, which she describes as difficult, but rewarding. Alma lives in the city of Santa Teresa with her daughter, Dania, and her two aunts, who run a “pulperia”, or little grocery store, out of the front of their home.

by Jennie Marroquin

While volunteering on a regular basis at Jefferson School in Richland Center, I spoke with Jim Korb, the fifth grade teacher there. We talked about different fund-raising projects in Central America for his class. Thinking of something achievable, I mentioned that community wells are needed in the Santa Teresa, Nicaragua area. The students then listened to a pep talk about helping people in Nicaragua who don’t have running water and must walk long distances to get to a well.

In our newsletter, we try to give you some idea of the ongoing SCP projects and the realities of life in rural Nicaragua. To get a closer view, perhaps you would like to travel there yourself. As this newsletter goes to press, SCP board member Linda Stadler is returning home from Santa Teresa, but other board members will be going to Nicaragua later this year. We have been considering the possibility of a few of our supporters traveling with us to Santa Teresa. If you are interested, call Janet and Derrick Gee at (608) 588-3942.

by Jane Furchgott

Beginning with our next issue (Fall 2008), you will have the option of getting the Sister City Update by email. The full newsletter would be sent as an attachment in PDF format to your email address as soon as the issue is published – you’d have your issue before the paper copies are even mailed out, not to mention waiting for delivery by the postal service. Plus, the SCP will save money on printing and postage which means more funds available for our work in Nicaragua.

Location(s)

A nice crowd joined us at Jack and Maggie Lee’s farm on SATURDAY MAY 10 for a day of fun, friendship, and learning. The meal featured hamburgers and brats from the Lee’s grassfed Texas Longhorn cattle, homemade desserts, Nicaraguan gallo pinto, and the “brew canoe”

The grill was lit at 2 PM. Other interesting afternoon activities:

3pm WATER MONITORING DEMONSTRATION at two sites this year, the Kickapoo River and a feeder stream. Gary Thompson and Terry Beck of Valley Stewardship discussed the process and its benefits to the community.