I would like to let you all know that the school season is starting on February 3rd, 2009. Thank you for your kind donations, they are greatly needed this year for 2 big reasons.
1) The situation in EL PANTANAL is worse this year. The cost of plastic has split in half (50% reduction.) Since the major source of income for the people of El PANTANAL has been recycling, it has left many without jobs & even worse off economically. This information comes from the local paper.
My friend Andres´s stepfather has changed his career this year and is now selling instant coffee and white bread to people in Granada. He makes about 50 cordobas per day and has to feed a family of 8 people. (50 cordobas is about 2.50 american dollars.)I should also mention that it takes him about 8 hours of work to make this money.
2)The cost of everything has gone up in Nicaragua. For instance rice has gone up from last year: 9 cordobas for one pound and now it has gone up to (at the minimum) 13 cordobas for one pound. This sounds minimal to us, but to the Nicaraguan people, this is a huge increase. All of their staple foods: rice, beans, plantain, sugar, & oil, have gone up dramatically.
If a family in El Pantanal has a hard time buying it´s family food, then you can imagine the burden of buying their children school supplies.
Today in the paper LA PRENSA had an article called, IR A LA ESCUELA ES MAS CARO (going to school is more expensive.) For example: for 12 notebooks it can cost between 140 and 240 cordobas (ball park between 6 and 13 dollars.)This cost can be devasting for many children, who will end up without any writing materials. That is where we come in! Our main goal is to take the financial burden off the parents by supplying all 500 children in Jose De La Cruz Mena in El Pantanal with school supplies.
Education should be a right all over the world (and not a privelege), we hope to make that easier for this one community suffering greatly.
So thank you and thank you some more!
Kathryn.
Monday, January 19, 2009
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4 comments:
My name is Mitch Marsh and my wife, Judy, & I have been going to Nicaragua for about 3 years (7 times). We launched our own ministry (Mitch Marsh Ministries) here in the US to raise funds for us to travel to Nicaragua approx. 6 times each year to carry supplies, food, and water to those who need it, along with sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We have a rented apartment near Granada and have been given the El Pantanal barrio as a suggested place to minister.
Please forward any info you would like about this place to me @ mitch@mitchmarshministries.com
We will be returning April 20 - May 24 and would love to hear from you.
Blessings!
Mitch Marsh
Sorry I missed your note until now. That is great that you and your wife have been doing such great things for the people of Nicaragua.
The people of El Pantanal are always in need of food, as it is a very impoverished barrio. The people in El Pantanal (for the most part) have strong religious convictions of their own, so I am unsure what to tell you about "ministering" their barrio. Our project is non-religious and is based upon friendship & love. Therefore, I can only suggest that the offering of food and supplies would be fabulous for the people of El Pantanal.
Thanks for yuor reply!
How many people live in Pantanal?
Do they have water available?
Any other pertinent info would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Mitch Marsh
They do have a water source. I believe the rotary club put in a water tank for the local people. The local school however, is without water most of the time. This is the school that my project helps. I am unsure of the exact population but many say that it is about the same as the population of Granada (within the city limits). this population also continues to grow because of the cheaper land & houses in the area. They are in need of medical care (they are at the moment, building a health clinic.)
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