Purses in Portland

Ladies from Portland purchase purses from Nicaragua

A team from Portland (and Wisconsin!) watched the ladies of Las Chacaras sew a variety of purses while the team taught health (CHE) half days and helped build a pig pen the other half. The gals then brought the purses to their church in Portland and showed the work to the ladies there. And sold them all. Now the purses are more than 3,000 miles from their humble beginnings.

Soon the ladies in Las Chacaras will learn to make a different kind of bag ... one more "sustainable" and "eco-friendly" (from used plastic shopping bags). Stand by for this one. The idea was originally brought to us by a team from Clackamas County in Oregon. Crochet lessons begin soon.

Our first team teaches health (CHE) ...

Jann and Sheryl teach basic health care

Sheryl plays games with the kids
Adine helps with cement work for the pig pen
James documents the time ... a video is coming soon!
Jann and Sheryl also help with the pig pen (background)

Seth shared his birthday with a pinata for all the kids
His first toothbrush ever
Learning about (and coloring) germs
Washing hands and then seeing leftover germs still on your hands with the help of a black light

Clean water and basic health is a concern in third world countries. A team who believes clean water is a "right" of people everywhere taught five days in Las Chacaras. They addressed the children while their parents listened:). The children had fun while they learned about "germs," and then saw them under black light, reinforcing the need to wash hands and brush teeth more carefully. The team taught other basic health issues too - and took part of their day to help the locals build a pig pen for a future micro-loan.

On the top of the list was clean water. They gathered samples, tested water, and showed everyone worms and critters that live in unpurified water. They brought a microscope and hooked it to a computer so the lesson would be a good visual. It IS hard to believe something you cannot see (gee, that goes without saying in many things in life). And so the microscope was their portal to "belief."

Though we believe in sustainability through business and community micro-loans, we believe clean water is a RIGHT and will not charge the people for the solution they make to purify water (with the help of a purification unit). We will find the right person to use the unit ... who will then dispense the "brine" to the folks in Las Chacaras. Though we will test every well in the community, we will begin with a standard amount of 3mL per gallon - which will be adjusted per well if there proves to be a difference. Because the brine is used to purify drinking water only, and takes such a small amount to purify a gallon - it can be carried home in a small bottle. People won't need to cart large buckets of heavy water ... which task would get old quickly and might also be a deterrent.

It is so encouraging to watch people enthusiastically help other people ... especially to impart health and concern, and promote relationship with those who othewise might feel sidelined.

Thank you team. You're awesome!

Hens are laying eggs!

We check out the chickens ...
The chickens check us out too

In La Ceiba, the small community of El Convento gathers up to 91 eggs per day ... and sells them to neighbors and small stores in the area. Egg production is so good that sales are a worry (nice problem, actually). They feel pressure to sell them fast enough! To help, the director at an orphanage in Vera Cruz has committed to buy 8 "flats" (of 30 eggs each) per week, which has given the beneficiaries of the chicken project some immediate relief while they build their customer base more locally. There have been a few "bumps" - but the chickens are happy, the coop is clean ... and though it's hot still (100F) the chickens lay their eggs every day.

The loan repayment is on schedule ... and the people are beginning to think of what else they may want to accomplish that will also derive income. They have hope and look to the future.

We look forward to the rains which come in late May or early June - and hopefully so will the chickens!