Uniforms and Backpacks Purchased

Quick note regarding last weeks post. I had mentioned that the government was supplying textbooks for grades 1 through 6. Please note that this is a typo and it should have read, the government is supplying textbooks for 1st grade through 3rd grade. I have been able to supply the textbooks for 4th, 5th and 6th grade. Sorry for this misunderstanding. The above picture shows Johana using one of these textbooks to work on her homework!

As for projects going this week it has been a very exciting week packed with great news. Monday I was able to get into Chinandega for several hours to begin the purchased for the students which are being sponsored this year. As I got late start due to an unexpected school meeting I was only able to purchase the uniforms, backpacks and a small start to the necessary school supplies. I am hoping to make it back into town Monday or Tuesday of next week to look for shoes, and the remaining necessary school supplies.

Other exciting news about the school includes a roof raising party. We are still working out the logistics of this party, but the community is totally behind it and I think it will work out well. The main objective is for community members to raise enough money to change the entire roof of the school. Currently we are using asbestos roofing panels held on the roof with large screws. The original idea for roof repairs was to only change the roofing screws, as the majority are rusted through. However, the more we looked at the roof we realized that to change any of the screws we would have to remove the entire roofing panel put in a new screw and then put the roof panel back on and tighten it down. Upon this discovery we, as a community, decided it would not only be damaging to the roofing panels by weakening them, but it would also create asbestos dust in all classrooms. This was unacceptable not only to me but to the community members, as it puts them and their children in danger. Therefore, we have decided to flip flop our yearly budget a bit, and have re-worked things so that we are only slightly short for the roofing materials. The community has decided to take part in raising the additional money by throwing a party and collecting money for a 50/50 raffle. All in all it seems like a great idea, but only time will tell.

For questions and comments please e-mail me at helpinginnicaragua.gmail.com

So a quick update we are now in our second week of school and attendance has increased from just a few students on the first day to around 115 students! The government has been working hard this year and has been able to provide textbooks for all students, grades 1 through 6, who were enrolled before the 1^st day of school. I have also been able to make my first trip into the city to start buying supplies for the school. Tomorrow I will be heading into the school to distribute notebooks, pencils, erasers, and pencil sharpeners for each student. The other day I purchased enough supplies for 200 students even though there are less students in the school, I figure better safe than sorry.

For the school itself I purchased 36 textbooks for 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grade, 20 packs of modeling clay, clear tape, boxes of chalk, poster paper, markers, and plastic food storage bins for the food coming from the world food program. For the property maintenance I have purchased the first batch of fencing to keep out the animals, and did some double checking on prices for several expenses including a new aluminum roof for both the bathroom and the school which will get rid of the asbestos roof the school is currently using. The problem however is that is will cost a total of $3,535 just for the main school building. This cost includes 216 aluminum roofing panels and all necessary screws. As for the bathroom it seems that the original expenses were priced too high meaning the budget can be cut by almost half, which is exciting as it provides more money for the potential main roof project, or for the potential solar water purification project!

All in all the projects appear to have full community backing. The fencing for the school property will be put up by Maciel, her husband, and her children living directly across the street from the school. As for the roof project a committee of three have been formed to collect money from the community members in order to help pay for manual labor. Community members feel that it is very important that the lead carpenter of this roofing project feel compensated for their time and efforts. Therefore Nelson, Geronimo, and Alin will be working together on this collection, we will see if we are able to raise sufficient funds.

Next week we have another parents meeting, on the 16^th, to discuss more options and make sure we are all in agreement as to what the best plan for the school repairs are. On the 16^th we will also find out how much money the committee has been able to raise. Next week the teachers and I are hoping to have a chance to sit down and choose all the students which will be sponsored this year at the primary school. We have put if off this long so that we are able to see which students are actually interested in attending school and we have been double checking the necessity of all students. I am hoping for the best and will keep you all posted as to the progress.

School Starts Tuesday February 2!

So just a quick update about life here in Jiquilillo, Nicaragua. As some may know I now have access to internet right here in my home, where I am sitting by the beach soaking up the shade on this 90 degree day! Sorry for those still in the snow, vacation anyone?!

So good news first school starts this coming Tuesday February 2nd, and I have been able to raise what appears to be enough money to fulfill all projects goals for the year of 2010 with the exception of sponsoring 9 secondary school students ( this is the high school level). Projects scheduled for this year of 2010 include sponsoring 24 primary school students or four students in grades 1 though 6. All students will be chosen within the first week of school. with appropriate materials purchased shortly thereafter. Other plans include completely restoring the current bathroom facility; securing the main school structure with new locks on the doors, window panes, and new screws to hold the roof on; a small amount of grounds maintenance for the school yard potentially including a new entrance gate, and pulley system for the current well; a multitude of supplies for the teachers and students to help bring learning to a higher level; and the constant expansion of the library. Originally I had budgeted in money to pay for the city water which the school uses for the students to drink and brush their teeth, however, this year I have been given a wonderful water purification/desalinization design which is quite within my budgeted goals. Therefore we may be able to get drinkable water out of this well yet!! A special donation of $200 was given by the Rotary Daybreak of Cape Elizabeth and South Portland, so I think I will be using half to start the school on city water and the other half to get this project lifted off the ground!

To back up a bit since my arrival on December 4th. Nate and I have recently moved into our new home so honestly that move occupied most of the month of December. X-mas with the little guys in the community went well. We had approximately 150 children signed up for gifts and a few extras who showed up a bit unannounced. Everything worked out fine though, Nate and I always buy in bulk as a just in case process. After Christmas New Years was celebrated with a s

mall bonfire on the beach with our guests and friends from the community.

Sadly, however, shortly after New Years another fishing boat was lost to sea. The boat was on a two night trip with three men on board. The second night into the voyage gale force winds came up out of nowhere and capsized the boat about four days later two of three men were found floating between 30 and 40 miles from where the boat capsized. One man was floating on the top of a cooler bin while the other man had tied himself and the third man together to a small buoy for the fishing nets. According to the men the third man cut himself free in a delirious state and they were unable to get him back. This is sad new

s, but the beauty is two were found alive and are now well and leading their lives as normal!

On a different note, the school sign up for classes is complete and we have just under 150 students enrolled in 1st grade through 6th grade. The teachers and I spent Monday of last week cleaning out the library in the school and beginning the reorganization process. Tuesday we met over a lovely grilled fish lunch to discuss my goals and other ideas for the school year. The teachers are excited to get things underway and see where this year takes us.

For those who are still interested, my paperwork process is underway for my 501(c)(3) non-profit status. I will continue to keep you all abreast regarding this process as well as the school projects. For those who have made donations towards specific projects I will also be keeping you updated via e-mail. This year as I have internet at home, I am hoping to keep in touch a bit more frequently than I have been able to over the past several years. If I am slow to respond please know I am doing my best!

The well at the Camilo Zapata Primary School in Jiquilillo

As I mentioned in my last blog post, we had some difficulties in starting the well. These difficulties were all frustrating but most were comical to be a part of. First, the well was started once by another organization and then two times by me before it was completed. As you may know the teachers and community members and I have been talking about the construction of a well for over two years now; so it was amazing to see if finally taken from start to eventually finish this year! So sit back, and enjoy the journey as the quasi comedy unfolds.

For starters, this year, the well was started by a newer hotel in the area of Jiquilillo. They came in full force with lots of man power and started digging, in what the teachers later told me was not an ideal area for a well. So, they broke cement and dug and dug, then purchased supplies and left. They actually left before the well was completely dug, and just left the supplies at the school. The sad part is, this was a group of volunteers from this other hotel in the area who really thought they were doing something good for the community. The problem: the volunteers didn't have enough time, the project was not headed by someone capable to actually complete it, and for the material to build the well they were using metal barrels which say "dangerous chemicals," and previously contained both paint and glue. The teachers and I were devastated, this well project by this other hotel in the area was unexpected, unplanned, and in the end almost unwanted. It was a cheap cry to pretend to help. The following is a picture of the barrels showing they are dangerous and say chemicals these were two of three barrels they were using to complete the well. So after scratching our heads, lots of meetings, a quick change in my plans, and a couple hundred dollars later the teachers, community, students, and the Assist Jiquilillo, Inc, and the owner of Rancho Esperanza, came up with a solution. We had no choice but to fix the situation. So we made some calls and rounded up some appropriate building materials and had a delivery made to the school!

With both deliveries complete we were able to get the help of all students, several parents, and the crew from Rancho Esperanza to help unload:

These are photo's of the two deliveries we received which included: 400+ cement blocks, construction sand, zinc, wood, nails, and a few other supplies. Also the pictures on the right are of the school children, teachers, fathers, and staff and friends of Rancho Esperanza lending a hand!

All materials were unloaded and put into an unused classroom in the Primary School. This room is the old Director's office, as the director of the school now has an office at the secondary school about forty-five minutes outside of Jiquilillo. The teachers and I decided this was the best place to store the building supplies until the time was right to start construction.

So now the real fun begins. After several more community meetings and little push from me with Assist Jiquilillo, Inc. we were able to start construction. This means first you have to dig a really big square hole. Let me tell this is not the best part, at all. So, we dig, and we dig, and we dig some more; the going is real slow as we are trying to dig through clay. Thankfully we had the help from Marcel a father of several students at the primary school, Roberto (not pictured here) also a father of several students, Aldrin a community member and son to the pre-school teacher, management from Rancho Esperanza and several friends who were staying at a nearby hotel as guests. With all this said and done, we worked for about two weeks, and, only managed to dig about 5 measly feet out of the 12 to 15 that we would need. It was a sad and frustrating time, but we needed a break, so we took a few days off and then started work again, only to find that the rains were about to begin and collapse our beautiful yet small hole for the well. This lead us to more community meetings, a well needed rest from the back breaking work, and finally plan number 2.

Plan number 2 seemed easy, fill in hole, find new location, and well start all over again. Finally we begin. Our work force consists of: Pedro, the president of the school committee at the time, Amanda and Roberto parents of several children who attend school, Jackson a 13 year old student at the primary school (not pictured here), Carlos another 13 year old student, several other students, Juan a prior student of this primary school, several other parents of students, me with Assist Jiquilillo, Inc., and guests and management at Rancho Esperanza. So we dig, and we dig, and we dig some more; the going however is super easy; it's all sand (which is a plus as it's said to be a better filtration system) and complete the digging of the well in only 4 hours. It was miraculous! The next day construction begins. We lay cement blocks and cement them in place, until the structure is approximately 5 feet high! Next we wait, and we wait, and we wait some more. The rains began to fall again and we all get a little nervous that the hole and the structure will collapse. A couple days later, once everything was dry again Robert, our lead mason and father of several students, with his assistant Jackson, a student, finished the well! The major problem, which we thought we may face, was the water was brackish. However, the teachers and students are excited at the idea of having access to water for washing their hands, and cleaning the school and latrines. Therefore, even though the water is brackish the well was very necessary. Plus Assist Jiquilillo, Inc. currently has drinking water bused in from the city of Chinandega on a weekly basis.

Several days later, with the remaining blocks, Don Roberto and Jackson built a hand washing and cleaning station. Their dedication and persistence has led to amazing changes for the Camilo Zapata Primary School of Jiquilillo. Next year we are hoping to install a pulley system for hauling water from the well, and in the future a hang pump system to make hauling water a much easier experience. The teachers and I have spoken and would like to make sure that only a little bit is done each year on each project. This is so the students can be a part of the process and see how much work and persistence is needed to make a change and keep the change working for the best! Through the construction of this well I've learned cutting corners isn't worth it, the students and the school are too important to suffer. I've also learned that although things may seem easy at first, there are hidden complications which need perseverance and a lot of community involvement to overcome. If Assist Jiquilillo, Inc. hadn't been able to supply the materials and community had not been willing to work to better their own lives and the lives of their children, this project never would have come together the way it had. I am very proud and very happy especially in thinking of all the people who have lent a hand, this makes me smile yet also makes me shed a tear for joy, because I have never felt a part of a community like I do now. Even though the well took longer than anticipated, the community participation was not as much as I had hoped for; it was completed, and completed by several very dedicated men and women. It feels empowering, knowing that you not only have the support from your friends and family but also from an entire community!

Great Projects Complete! More Ideas Brewing!

So I’ve finally found more than 10 minutes to sit down and write about my adventures in Jiquilillo since February. As usual, I wish I had kept better notes on everything that happened. During my stay in the community from January 28 until September 17th I saw a family of five fishermen lost at sea and never heard from again, two homes burn down, one woman leave her abusive husband, at least five new healthy babies born, several trips to the hospital, children break bones and heal quite nicely, properties transferred, and major renovations at the school including a well (started three separate times and finally completed), two new latrines, a food storage area, and a small new Spanish library.

As you all know my main focus in the community of Jiquilillo is the children, with a current focus on the local public primary school. Last year, thanks to many people caring about this community and making donations, I was able to sponsor children to attend school, purchase a vehicle to be used as a community ambulance, bring in well needed simple supplies to the local public primary school including pens, paper, calculators, maps, dictionaries, and much more.

This year I was also able to complete some exciting new projects. After many meetings with the head teacher of the school, the community leaders, the school committee, the parents, and even the children, I was able to pick and choose a few projects which were considered the most important for this year. We were also able to compile a list of projects to be completed within the next two to five years. This year’s projects were more about maintenance and the functionality of the school rather than specifically focusing on the education. This doesn’t mean programs to improve the educational needs weren’t also addressed.

Starting with the fun stuff, the educational improvements include new textbooks for the teachers so the students can work in small groups using 2009 textbooks as opposed to the old outdated textbooks they were previously using. Basic supplies including notebooks, paper, markers, pencils, erasers, and pencil sharpeners. This year the teachers decided sponsorships were not as important as last year as almost all the students had a one uniform. The teachers and school committee thought it may be more beneficial to provide sufficient supplies to the school including notebooks and pencils which could be distributed by the teachers accordingly. This honestly seems to be working quite well this year. Perhaps we will go back to the normal sponsorships as in 2008 for next year or keep it the same; however, this all depends on the teachers and the community members.

As for larger functional projects, well this was actually fun too, and includes some pretty major work in my mind. First, a well was started by another hotel in the area; however their volunteers working on this project returned to their homes before finishing the project leaving a gaping hole and toxic metal barrels in the school yard. The teachers and I decided this was not appropriate or acceptable. A bit of brainstorming, a change of my original plans to build a food storage facility for the school, a couple days, and a couple hundred dollars later, a huge truck filled with all necessary building supplies arrived (bags of cement, several hundred cement blocks, construction sand, nails, lumber, zinc, and cement pillars).

The community all joined forces, and after only a little difficulty in organizing many people began to dig and construct a well, two latrines, and a sink/washing station. (Refer to the pictures). During all this exciting construction not only was I able to lend a hand but I also managed to round up an excited owner and some motivated guests and volunteers from Rancho Esperanza to assist with a school property clean up including trash removal and tree and shrub trimming. After the completion of all construction projects and cleaning, I was able to start what I had really been excited about, a food storage unit for the school lunch program associated with the World Food Program, and a mini community Library. Just take a peek!

I’ll post more information soon; I’ve got tons of photos and would really like to get into more detail on the projects. The school and I are excited about several projects for the upcoming year including the expansion of the library, (a generous supporter has just donated 160+ children’s Spanish books), reparations of the school structure including an entire new roof, reparations of the old latrine systems, and a mangrove reforestation project on the school property. These were just a few ideas the teachers, community leaders, school committee, and I were mulling over. However, we’ve got plenty of time to think some more. Enjoy and please drop me a line, I’m in the United States only until December 3, 2009.

Stephany (Estefani) Guyot

Craziness in Jiquilillo and not the good kind

Right now, I don't even know where to begin. Things have been soooo insane this week I don't even know how Nate and I are still standing and moving. To start things off Wednesday, February 4th our friend Oscar lost his small store known as Tina Mata in Los Zorros. Although this store was small it was one store which was growing within the communities. They were expanding with Nate's help to include a small menu in both spanish and english. Nate and I, along with his guests played firefighters for approximately 3 hours before the actual firefighters showed up. The entire building was lost in a matter of minutes, but we were at least able to control the fire enough to keep it from spreading.

Most recently, Nate and I have been exhausting our energy attempting to find resources to help a group of five fishermen who have now been lost at sea for 6 days. We are at our wits end. Due to high winds here in Nicaragua the Guardia will not release any boats nor helicopters to help. We've even tried Costa Rica and the US both to no avail. Together we've spent a total of $500 on gasoline for several boats to go out and search however, the guardia has asked that no more boats go out as the seas are too bad. This makes sense, but is very very frustrating. We need the US Coast Guard here, with their big machines. However, according to Lieutenant Martin in Alemeda, California there is no US help within 500 miles and they therefore are unable to help. I know this is protocol but it is soooo hard to deal with.

Nate and I are soooo exhausted, yet we don't know when these ordeals will ever stop. Everyone keep us in mind and if you have any connections please let us know! My cell is 011 505 473 9011 and the number to the hostel is 011 505 879 1795.

I'm HERE!!!

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve written. I’ve been crazy busy and was hoping to get an e-mail out to you all before I headed back down to Nicaragua. That however, did not happen, and well I’m here! As you know it’s always hard for me to adjust but it’s been a few days now and I think I’ve got the hang of it again. Classes are to start this week so I will be walking the kids to school every day! I’m hoping this will increase the motivation in the community which appears relatively low this year. It’s sad but as always the issue is well mom and dad just can’t afford the supplies. I’ve been on the lookout for materials and need to speak with all teachers about the sponsorships. So if you sponsored a child last year and would like to continue the cost is still a mear $60 for the primary school attendance. Nate, the owner of Rancho Esperanza, and I have been playing with the idea of sponsoring secondary school children however costs would be $175 per year and bus fare is required by each student. The secondary school is still only a thought, but we really like the idea of giving more opportunities to the students. The main reason for not attending secondary school is the cost of the bus.

The ambulance has only been used once this year, which is a good thing as it is in major need of repairs. Current problems include new rear brakes and a new clutch. Nate and I just repaired the supports and had the car re-aligned. The road really seems to be taking it’s toll on this vehicle. This years ambulance run was for an elder gentleman who had broken his arm and dislocated his shoulder in a fishing accident. Nate transported him to a local healer, who set his arm and spent an hour massaging his shoulder back into place. Therefore, a successful trip!

Kids club has been going strong and Nate has informed me that a new generation of children are now joining the ranks. Therefore we need to find something to do with our older kids who feel silly still coming. I’m hoping to help support a Saturday baseball league which has begun to pop up! However, club attendance has been averaging at 20 kids per day. A far cry from the 40 to 60 which we had earlier, but I figure with school starting up again, word will spread fast and the kids will return in full force.

Donations are still being excepted so if you’re interested we could always use a hand. Please make checks payable to the Assist Jiquilillo Fun and send to:
Assist Jiquilillo Fund
284 Range Road
Cumberland, Maine 04021