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Party time

Having a proper school for their children has been a dream for many years for the parents and teachers in the community of El Ojochal del Listón.  Since New Hope, Llantwit Major first agreed to finance the improvements to the old makeshift school building and add a new classroom, expectations have been high.  The plans were made, the design was ready but the work had to wait for the road to be finished so that materials could be transported up the steep hillside.  When construction began in January, led by three building supervisors under the watchful eye of Arturo Juárez, Nuevas Esperanzas’ civil engineer, community participation was great.  Men, women and children worked and watched with excitement as the concrete pillars were set, the block walls grew and the corrugated iron roof was put on.

At last the big day came, time for a celebration.  It was time to think back over all that has been achieved by the community over the last few years and celebrate the building of the road, the construction of 21 rainwater harvesting tanks and the completion of the new school building.  All these projects are part of the Mountain Rain programme, working to improve the livelihoods of communities like El Ojochal which are often forgotten because of their remoteness.

El Ojochal was not forgotten on the day of the celebration – far from it!  Lots of special guests joined together for the event including teachers past and present from the school in El Ojochal and the parent school in San Jacinto, representatives of the local Mayor’s office and the Department for the Environment, the whole of the Nuevas Esperanzas team and a visiting donor from the UK.  Songs were sung, words were spoken, and tears were shed!  It really was a dream come true for Yelsis, the teacher who has worked so hard in such poor conditions over the last few years to see a school worthy of her students.  The children themselves were very excited to cut the ribbon and officially open their new classroom enjoying the traditional Nicaraguan fun of a piñata as their first activity!

The work does not stop here.  The floor is to be tiled and the windows and doors will be secured with a lattice of metal rods.  The building is also going to be painted the traditional blue and white on the outside.  For the classroom walls inside a local artist is helping Yelsis and the children design a mural to show something of their surroundings and the things they enjoy.  It was not a day for work though – that had to wait.

After the opening ceremony everyone enjoyed a meal cooked by the women from the community and in the afternoon the Nuevas Esperanzas team challenged the community to a baseball match to christen the equipment the team presented to them in recognition of all their hard work on the projects over the last few years.  It was a close match; Nuevas Esperanzas led by captain Arturo Juárez and strengthened by two experienced players, our 60 year old building supervisor and the representative of the Department for the Environment, were leading for most of the game.  In the closing minutes El Ojochal snatched a victory, winning 3-2.  The date for the next match has not been set but Nuevas Esperanzas will be keen to try again!

04/03/10