Our experience in March 2008

Spring 2008, 8 students, one doctor, one nurse and three middle school students went to Nicaragua for 15 days.  We started the trip in Managua visiting the barrio La Chureca. This is the community of 1700 people currently living on the largest landfill in Nicaragua.

We also worked at Al Centro de Ayuda Esperanza with Rev. Matthew Jun providing meals to 200 homeless men, women and children.  We also bring educational supplies such as books, puppets, and paper and pencils to the preschool which has been set up for the young street children in the area of the Oriental Market. In Managua we also listened to several guest speakers about current politics and programs that have been initiated by the new government. Our visit in Managua ended with a visit605989 to the Potters for Peace coop, which makes the filtrons to purify water. Each home in Jalapa that the delegates stay with receives a filtron for their family.

The group from Boulder along with 7 children from La Chureca then went to Jalapa and provided 5 full days of health clinic in the surrounding pueblos. We saw over 400 people. In addition, a local dentist assisted the clinics with us and served over 100 people, most who have never seen a dentist prior to this clinic.

Prior to traveling to Nicaragua, the Naropa students held an auction and raised money to start the construction of an orphanage and a school for the street children in Jalapa. PIEAT, a local NGO who works as site coordinators in the JalapaValley serving families in health, education, and community development has begun the process of opening the only orphanage in the northern part of the country.