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The sister city has weathered a number of storms, both physical and metaphorical over the last ten years. Through it all, there remains a village of people in Nicaragua who care about us, and in some ways depend on us. We like to think that we have improved their lives a little, and we know that the relationship has improved ours. We now have a common history of over ten years to share. In a sense, we are old friends with valuable memories to keep for one another. It is not something that we could give up lightly.
Putting on the sister city dance and organizing the clothing drives that make money for the various projects are a small price to pay for our mutual friendship and solidarity.
Bicycle Project: In March the committee handed out 5 more bikes to the teachers, a big increase from the one that we started with 3 years ago! The bike project is still going strong and there is still a waiting list. Currently we have 100% completion of the loans, meaning everyone has paid for his or her bike.
The Mini-book Store: This project for students and teachers, which was started two years ago, is still going strong without any additional funding.
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The Health Center: FISE is finally constructing the new health center and it is huge. They started construction about three weeks ago and it should be finished by October!! Also there is a new doctor working at the health center.
Church of Messiah Scholarship Fund: Selection of children will be made in the first week of January and school starts on the 20th of February. At the end of the first semester, of the forty children selected, thirty six are still in class. Four left for various reasons, but not due to poor grades. Two weeks ago, we held a meeting with all the parents and the teachers and tried to find out how every child was doing, and it seems of the thirty six, there are only three that might have failed one class. Many or most of these students would not even be in school had it not been for the scholarship program.
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Stove Project for the Mothers: A project will be presented to the committee to help mothers of the scholarship students in making their own stoves. The stoves, called estufas lorenas would greatly decrease wood consumption in Larreynaga. The stoves can be made of bricks and cement, or a mixture of manure and dirt. The better ones are made out of cement and clay bricks, and have an upper base reinforced with steel. Each mother would work on her own stove and there is even interest from other women in the community who want to learn how to make them.