Nicaragua

See also Women Producing For Life, Nicaragua

With financial contributions collected by Plenty affiliates throughout the U.S., representatives from Austin will continue assisting families in the community of San Juan de Limay Nicaragua rebuild homes that were destroyed by hurricane Mitch two years ago. Thousands of families in Nicaragua continue to live in huts made of plastic and scrap wood erected immediately after the hurricane. San Juan de Limay was devastated by the catastrophe, having hundreds of homes destroyed and lives lost. Many of their clean water wells were ruined, and 90% of the arable land was lost, having been buried under 3 to 6 feet of huge rocks and sand.

Limay is located in a mountain valley about 30 miles northwest of the city of Esteli, near the Honduran border. Small homes, about 14'x 22', will be built for single mothers and their children at a cost of $750US each for materials and transportation. Local volunteers will construct the homes with bricks, cement and wood. The bricks are made by craftsman who live near San Juan de Limay. Arline Calderon, an educator and community organizer who was born in Limay, will be responsible for coordinating implementation of the project, to be carried out between February and June of 2001.

If you or a group of friends would like to contribute to the construction of one or more houses for families in Nicaragua, please contact Casta Calderon or Karen Heikkala.