Nicaragua Outreach Project
By Carolyn Penta
Once again as each February approaches the plans are made for the annual trip to Nicaragua to visit our sister community of El Sabalo, a farming community near the southern town of Nueva Guinea. It has been many years and lots of projects that Pebble Hill has brought to that very far away community of 23 farming families.
This year, it looks as if Carolyn Penta, Mayra Gibson, a Nicaraguan family member who lives in Springfield Delaware County, Michael Sturgeon will be traveling there the first of March,
On February 21st during the Sunday Celebration, we will have you see through the photo collection the live and people of this very special place. It is our annual fund raising celebration to support, the community, the school, the chapel and the scholarship program for the teenagers going high school. There will also be pins for sale hand made by a Nicaraguan artist, some jewelry made by Mayra to support this enterprise as well as organic Nicaraguan coffee. Please plan to be there to participate in this remarkable adventure of Pebble Hill and El Sabalo.
The Trip
It is a bit of a trip to get all the way up to this beautiful productive land in southern Nicaragua. Nicaragua lies between Costa Rica and Honduras in Central America, and Nueva Guinea is a long 7 hour truck ride from the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. However, in the last several years we have enjoyed new roads almost the entire way, that provide a great improvement over the gravel, pothole infested roads of yesteryear.The faming community does not have roads, or electricity, or running water, just beautiful land and an amazing night sky. So, if it is dry the four wheel drive truck can make it up the horse trail, with a great deal of nerve and holding of breath. If it is wet, lovely friends care for it at the beginning of the trail, while all the provisions – all the gifts that Pebble people have so graciously provided are packed on the sides of the horses and taken up the trail to the community.The time on the farm is spent in the Garcia family home with lots of children and much to do. There is always the “great clothes give away” with all involved members selecting clothes that we have brought, setting aside the baby clothes for any babies born in the community in the following year. Since the Garcia family’s house is the distribution center, other clothes and provisions are stored there for other farm families that are in need.
The School
The one room school house is a bit of a distance away, for the last year several years I went on horse back, but last year it was so wet and muddy, the horse had a hard time navigating the low wet areas, in fact the horse carrying the supplies took a fall, but all the books and supplies did not get harmed. This year the trip will be about will be about 3 weeks later in the year that we are going, so hopefully a little drier. Walking through farm land, over streams, through wooded area it takes about 45 minutes to get to the school. And what a greeting we receive, Demitrio comes on the porch to greet us with a big hug – we are great friends- and then we go in to see the children. We are a strange sight – usually soaking wet – not looking like they do, me speaking a different language, however, it all comes together in one great understanding as we hand each one a bag of school supplies and give the requested books, purchased in Managua to the teacher. Last year it was the presentation of a world globe. This year Demetrio is asking for crafts. We experimented with some crafts. They were well received, this year Demetrio asked for construction paper, felt, clear contact paper, pop-cycle sticks and clay. Mayra has suggested that clay is quite heavy, we are always thinking of overweight on the airplane, and possibly we could supply Play-Do. In fact she is thinking of buying supplied there in Managua and she could teach them to make their own Play-Do for the times we are not there.
This year The United Friends School in Quakertown has taken an interest in this school in El Sabalo and will also be contributing gifts, plus writing notes to each child in Spanish guided by their (and my) Spanish teacher. We gave a photo presentation to the whole school, grades Pre-School to 8th grade, that was very well received with remarkable questions from the students as they tried to understand the life, school and customs there as different from their lives here. 
This trip I hope to take my laptop to the school in El Sabalo to show them pictures of China and give them some reproductions of old coins I bought for them in China. Mayra thinks this will be spectacular. I just don’t know if they will relate. We can at least point out the relationship of Nicaragua to China on the globe we gave them last year. There is no electricity, so I need to get my laptop fully charged, up hill and to the school. Well, we always have lots of help from them.
Several years ago we installed a solar panel system to supply electricity in the main house. So from that battery they get about one hour of light in the early morning for Dona Luisa to make the tortillas prior to sunrise and in the evening for one hour after dinner for them to study and read. Maybe I can charge the laptop from this system without using up there electricity for light. I know all the people will want to see their photos on my laptop as well as other things a laptop can do, there is no internet there, and I would be astounded to fine that.
The Chapel
Last year, the word comes to us that for a gift that year they would like to paint the chapel. It was now non-painted miss-matched wood boards. They of course realized how impermanent that was. So with bushes donated from Habitat for Humanity and an expedition of paint purchased in Managua, we traveled to El Sabalo to deliver the materials. They had organized themselves into a crew of 28 men and a team of women to prepare lunch. In spite of the rain, it was a glorious day for everyone. The paint worked perfectly and the chapel was painted along with the additional shelter that was the kitchen along with the picnic table – All blue!
The Farm
The farm for the Garcia Family has grown substantially since they arrived there when fleeing from the massacre their family sustained by a group of delinquent teenagers that had been affected by the war. Under the guidance of Jose Luis, Mayra’s brother, they have started since our last visit an “organic coffee cooperative” in addition to their other crops. I will be interested to see how the tomato crop has done; they introduced that crop last year. All this in addition to corn, beans, cattle and of course chickens.
The Education
We have had a scholarship program; this will be the 4th year, for high schoolers. They go down to the town for 3 to 4 days, staying at the house we rent for them there, and then return to the farm to work the farm and do the work assigned by the school. We have graduated 7 students and currently have 6 enrolled in the project. It takes about $100.00 per student for one year. In addition there is an Adult Education Program, last year during our stay, it was in hiatus. During the rainy season it is hard for these hard working farmers to get to the once a week class. We support this class by paying a teacher and providing supplies. It is a remarkable program of learning to read, Marlene Zerger, a language teacher herself, thought it was excellent when she previewed it last year. It is done by television and tapes. These were supplied by the Cuban government through the government of Nicaragua. It was been successful through out Latin America. Can you can believe a television can run on the small solar system in the Garcia house.
On February 21st, we will have a Nicaragua Celebration – so you can see with pictures some of your endeavors, and will be asking for donations of goods and money. In addition there will be hand crafter pins from Nicaragua, jewelry that Mayra has made and Nicaragua Organic Coffee to purchase.
The Scholarship Program will continue with 6 students, as well as the rent on the house in town for the kids to stay. Last year we purchased the paint and supplies to paint the chapel that serves the community. It is yet to be determined what they would like for us to do this year. There is always the basic subsidy of $1,000 that we provide the community for schooling, health related expenses and improvement of farming techniques. As in the past we are known to them as “Gary’s church” as they knew him when he was the pastor of Pebble
Hill
Church, and still relates that way. This is seen in their eyes as a church in the United States that directly relates and helps their community.
We are always looking for suggestions to improve our service to this very deserving community of 23 farm families, a small chapel and of course the school. Please contact Carolyn Penta 267-337-3344 or Carolyn.Penta@MAMC.com with your suggestions and help.
