My name is Lucy Grinnell and I am a student and a Massachusetts/Rhode Island resident. I recently did volunteer work in Nicaragua and witnessed the damage caused by Hurricane Mitch last November in the town of Condega. In late February, I will be part of a brigade of volunteers going to Condega to rebuild houses. Much support is needed in order to see this project completed. Please read the following information, and if you can, give generously. Your donation will be greatly appreciated by many Nicaraguans who have lost their homes and livelihoods.
Last October, Hurricane Mitch swept through Central America causing severe damage to the countries of Nicaragua and Honduras. Although the international response to the crisis was timely and substantial, this disaster, which has been called the worst natural disaster in the Western Hemisphere in the past two centuries, will affect the region for years to come.
Condega is a small town in the poorest region in Northern Nicaragua. Its population is approximately 29,000 (10,000 urban, 19,000 rural). The town lies on the Pan-American highway in a valley where the Rivers Pire and Esteli meet, and it is a crossroads for many peasant farmers and for national and international traffic.
Condega was affected by extreme flooding caused by constant rain. The incessant pounding rains of the hurricane lasted for 5 full days, destroying 541 houses in the urban area of Condega alone. The first figures were, in urban Condega; 4,215 people directly affected by the hurricane. As of December fourteenth there were still five shelters housing three hundred people. The rest of the homeless have piled into their friends and families allready crowded, small houses.
The livestock in Condega has virtually vanished, leaving no milk, eggs, or meat. Fruits and vegetables are scarce, as all crops have been washed away. The supply of rice, beans, and corn (their daily sustenance) is rapidly running out and the soil will not be fertile again for replanting crops until July. Consequently, there will be no food this spring.
Before Hurricane Mitch, unemployment was allready at seventy percent in Condega, owing to the lack of employment opportunites in the town. With the destruction of almost all of the local factories, the employment situation has taken an even more serious turn. Poverty will increase and large amounts of the population will look for work elsewhere.
People are dying of hunger, malnutrition, and epidemics are on the rise due to a lack of medical care and supplies, food, and drinkable water. Also, cases of domestic violence reported have dramatically increased as a result of the stress and hardship brought by the hurricane. The situation is desperate.
In response to this crisis, a brigade of women from the United States (including myself) will be going down to the area between February and August. The brigade will be working with the two grassroots organizations that I worked with this past fall, the Asociacion Colectivo de Mujeres Constructuras (Association of Women Construction Workers) in conjunction with La Red de Mujeres Condega (The Network of Women). The Association of Women Construction Workers is a trades training workshop for women. The Network of Women is an advice center which legally and psychologically counsels women fleeing violence and also trains women from the local communities.
The dual purpose of the project initiated by the Association of Women Construction Workers is to build houses for single women and their families affected by the disaster and involve women in the whole process of rebuilding their community. The new owners of these houses will be women, many of them single mothers, who will also be involved in the rebuilding of their homes. The Association will also be offering training classes for local women in basic and more advanced construction techniques.
Funding is needed for the construction of 30 houses (US $4,200 per unit) for single women and their families and for reforestation. Your money will be used for building materials and for travel expenses for those Brigadistas in need of assistance.
Humanitarian aid is urgently needed. Please be generous.
MADRE, and international women's human rights organization who has historically played a predominant role in improving the conditions for Nicaraguan women, has generously offered to be our fiscal sponsor. Here's how to donate.
"In the midst of these tragedies, I saw people trying to salvage what remained, shoveling five foot deep mud out of their humble houses, that were missing walls and roofs. While leaving Condega, I passed by the women of the emergency committee hard at work. Some were busy compiling information about hurricane damages while others counseled families and provisioned the little food that remained. As I walked past them and watched them work, I was overwhelmed by their spirit and strength. Their relentless dedication to one another has inspired me to use all my capabilities to support their efforts." (journal entry, November 6th)
Last updated: Wednesday, 12-Jan-2000 21:28:02 EST
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