The break between university and summer jobs is upon us, and two young women from British Colombia are making good use of it!

Jill Maisonneuve and Elizabeth Bennett are visiting Nicaragua for just over two weeks and are spending  the  time teaching youth sports and nutrition skills. The Nicaraguan young people come from the community of Acahualinca, one of the poorest in Managua, the capital.

Accompanied by Jill’s grandparents,  Joan and Fred Speckeen of Kelowna, the two spend their days offering workshops in a local school as well as in the youth centre. This is the hottest time of the year, and the two are often tired, but always enthusiastic.

Look for  their stories (and photographs) in this space upon their return to  Canada.

Another BC volunteer, a BC teacher, will be leaving within the next  few months to work with infants. A retired school teacher, Myna McGrath brings a world of experience! She is at the moment at  work in Africa on a similar project.

Monday, 25 April, dawned bright and hot in Rivas, Nicaragua. 16 families there received pregnant cows as part of Sheaf/Espiga’s agricultural programme there. Funding is in hand for cows for four more families and the animals will be delivered within the next  month  or so.

The project will increase the level of childhood nutrition and excess milk will be sold at market  or converted to cheese. As cows give birth, the off spring will  be given to other families (each  recipient family gets to keep one additional cow.) One male calf will be kept in the community for insemination.

The project will thus become self-sustaining, but since many families still await their animals, we hope to find additional donors to expedite the process.

Animals themselves cost about $500. That said, we hope to raise about $1000 each since veterinary support is required. In addition, Rodolfo Gutierrez, a promoter from the Nicaraguan YMCA, visits the families regularly and provides on-going support. He was also instrumental in helping the communities select  participants based not only on need but also on their ability to tend the cows and their track record in  open communication.

You might like to visit a link to see photos of the big day. You will see, among others, Carlos Amador, the director of the  YMCA in Nicaragua.

https://picasaweb.google.com/100576141420771066220/ShareVeracruz?authkey=Gv1sRgCIaq5vr5_vWP_gE&feat=directlink

Hi,

We are three french Canadian girls from Montreal who decided to travel to Nicaragua with a specific purpose. Two of us are students in nursing and one in paramedic, but all interested by the world and its different cultures. This project was possible with the precious help of the Sheafespiga.

We have now been here for a week, more precisely in San Carlos. Our goal in going to Nicaragua was first to observe the differences between the Canadian medical technics and the ones used in Nicaragua. Furthermore, this experience allows us to acquire more knowledge and to have the opportunity to practice our studies in a foreign country.

Therefore, we are in a great village called San Carlos, located in the region of Rio San Juan, in the Southern part of the country. However, we definitely had a cultural shock at first following the life style differences that turned out in being a great experience of adaptation. Above all, we have been well welcomed by the hospital’s director, Maykel Sandovan, his family and the hospital’s staff.
We are currently working in the hospital Luis Felipe Moncada, learning constantly and helping as much as our knowledge allows us. However, we are still in adaptation. We practice our spanish every day and learn the medical terms.

We are sure that this experience will be unforgettable and helpful for our future career.
We will keep you posted.
Amélie Vidal,
Manila Mounivong,
Anne-Christelle Vidal