 “THE VILLAGE THAT COULD”:
SANTA ROSA, NICARAGUA One week before Christmas, six Operation USA staff, board members and volunteers traveled to Santa Rosa, Nicaragua for our annual holiday party.... a tradition over the years since Operation USA first came to Santa Rosa in 1999 following Hurricane Mitch, which devastated a community already suffering from the ravages of guerrilla warfare, landmines, drought and disease.
Santa Rosa was originally established in 1983 with 30 families who came from the Honduras/Nicaragua frontier, having been displaced by war. It wasn’t a village but a barren land area, more like an encampment. Subsistence shelter, a poor diet, no available health care, no schools in the village, and no jobs outside of tilling its barren fields contributed to a life of struggle. Much has changed over the years since Operation USA’s initial involvement with the people of Santa Rosa. Today, there are 75 families who have solid permanent houses, communal buildings, clean water and water for agriculture, electricity, arts programs, 2 schools, a library and a health clinic. A substantial community has evolved and continues to evolve and flourish, a model to many other villages around the world.
It is often difficult to explain to others how their donations can make a difference but, when you step into the village of Santa Rosa, it becomes self-evident.
Upon our arrival, children and adults came from all corners of the village to greet us. Their enthusiasm for visitors is the kind you feel from a good friend you haven’t seen in a while yet never forget and are always so happy to see again.
When we arrived, the playground was full of children laughing and challenging one another in play, as all kids do. The village women were hard at work preparing the large feast that will be shared by 550 men, women and children of the village at the holiday party. The men were finishing their work in the fields or were gathering for a late afternoon game of baseball.
Life has changed here. We observed that not one child had a runny nose in the bunch! That is amazing, when you think about it. Poor diet and lack of health care are no longer serious problems in Santa Rosa. The OpUSA-funded communal kitchen, which is responsible for lunch programs for the youngest children, and the health clinic and visiting health care workers have done much to improve the lives of children in the village.
In previous years, the villagers existed on mainly rice and beans. With Operation USA’s encouragement and resources, a village genius emerged, Don Magdeleno, who taught his fellow villagers about crop diversification using high yield farming techniques. The village diet now includes aubergene, yucca, papaya, banana, mango, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, oranges, lemons, coconut and more. Add to that a successful animal husbandry program that includes raising pigs, rabbits, cows, chickens and sheep, some of which are used for a child nutrition program. Don Magdeleno also introduced bio-gas production to the community which has provided fuel for the communal kitchen and several homes.
The children proudly show off their schoolrooms, the library and its new computers. Education is a joy to them.
The village now has electricity in every building. Forty families now own televisions. Many are enjoying their first Christmas trees with beautiful Christmas lights. Electricity, the recently equipped baseball teams and “Movie Night” in the schoolhouse have all led to a decrease in domestic violence and alcohol abuse.
Village leadership is apparent and an incredible woman, Petrona Perez Basilio, is the head of the village NGO, Santa Rosa Unida. Her strength in leading this community is immediately obvious and her inspiration to other young women shows when we meet young girls who are now in college and returning to the village to assist in important community matters. Petrona is constantly followed wherever she goes by a coterie of young girls of 7 or 8 years of age. You just know Petrona will have great influence over their character and purpose in life.
Lives have been changed. Jobs have been created. Children are receiving formal education. Healthier lives are being lived. Happiness is no longer in short supply.
All of this has been made possible through the generosity of Operation USA donors in supporting the inherently talented, passionate residents of Santa Rosa. Your support has made a huge impact on the lives of every person in Santa Rosa. Thank you!
Operation USA prides itself on responding to a disaster and, after everyone else has left, you will find that our work goes on. We are planning on 10 years of partnership in Santa Rosa and we would like to think that, even though the village is nearly self-sustaining, we will continue to be there for them in the future.
Your donations have contributed much to this small village but there is still more to do. Seeing their smiles and witnessing their hard work and persistence, makes it worthwhile to continue our involvement. We hope you will remain committed to this work, as we plan to be.
When we left to return home, we left behind many good friends.
Judith Ann Warren
Communications and Media
Operation USA
Please note: If you are interested in how you can visit Operation USA programs, such as the village of Santa Rosa, Nicaragua, please contact Sharon Feder at sfeder@opusa.org.
To read further details about our work in Santa Rosa, Nicaragua, please click here.
For a slideshow of Santa Rosa, please click here.
12/2006 |
