FUNDRAISING EVENT...THANK YOU!

Thank you volunteers for giving your time, talent and love to adult literacy....GRACIAS!

KUMBIA's Enrique plays Venezuelan music

Tipitapa, Nicaragua Literacy Project – Handmade Christmas Cards

The Central America Support Committee (CASC) is an international solidarity organization comprised of unpaid volunteers that work in solidarity with Latin Americans in their struggle for social justice, human security and environmental sustainability. The committee is spearheading the Tipitapa, Nicaragua Literacy Project, to improve the literacy of adults in Tipitapa, a sprawling community with a population of over 140,000 that suffers from high illiteracy and unemployment, a lack of free education, and poor sanitation. 

The City of Victoria is supporting this initiative by providing funds in the form of a grant, as well as offering its services to receive donations and issue tax receipts on the project’s behalf; CUPE Local 50 is also supporting this project.

Literacy instruction will be provided by volunteers in Tipitapa, but they require funds to purchase teaching supplies and audio visual equipment, as well as cover the cost of equipment repairs and rural travel..

 You can help by giving the gift of literacy. The Project is offering a handmade Christmas card for every $15 donated.  One hundred per cent of your donation will go towards the Tipitapa, Nicaragua Literacy Project.  A donation of $15 will cover the cost of teaching one adult to read and write.

 For more information, contact:  Jan Firstbrook at (250) 595-5125  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 Tipitapa Delegation in Victoria, October 2007

Although the Sandinista mayor, Norman Cordoba, tries to improve the lives of the poor, the municipality is saddled with huge debts and few resources for social programs.            

Victoria is supporting 2 initiatives to create a better future for the residents. The City of Victoria has a formal partnership with the city of Tipitapa through a Municipal Partnership Program. Victoria is providing advice and expertise to develop a solid waste management system and will assist with funding applications to obtain financial backing for this project to eliminate the environmental and health threats that are associated with open air burning and toxic waste dumping.                                                                     

The growing rate of illiteracy as a result of cuts in the last decade concerns Cordoba: many children did not attend primary school. The new Sandinista government will start to fund public schools as financial constraints allow, the focus is on family members and wage earners who are illiterate. Cordoba believes that literacy is essential to increase the participation of the poor and marginalized and to create an equal and just society.

The municipality has implemented a successful literacy program using local volunteers and the Cuban program, Yo, Si Puedo. Using these teaching materials and audiovisual equipment, adults are taught to read and write in just 5 hours a week over a 3 month period.

Local volunteers are ready to go out in the barrios and rural areas but they need our financial support to fund supplies, audiovisual equipment and repairs, and travel expenses. If you are interested in assisting with fundraising for the literacy campaign: please contact Jan at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Miraflor Nature Reserve, Nicaragua                           

 Imagine a cloud forest high in the hills of northern Nicaragua where people still live a traditional, hard working existence with the spirit of co-operation and Sandinista ideals. The farmers are trying to preserve their pristine environment which provides food for their families and organic products to sell, within a protected nature reserve surrounded by orchids, exotic birds, and oak forests covered in Spanish moss. Miraflor is a protected landscape of communities without any phone or cell phone connections, no electricity except from solar power and very few vehicles. Only rough paths & a boulder strewn road to Esteli, the nearest town are used for transportation.    

Agricultural co-ops formed in this region after the Sandinista revolution in 1979. Fighting between American backed Contras and the Sandinistas in the hills of Miraflor continued on for years in the 80‘s , creating havoc as co-op members were targeted and killed by the Contras, houses and seed storage warehouses were destroyed and farms neglected while men fought. The history of the struggle is still present in the memories of the people and in their determination to earn a living while protecting the land. 

To provide some extra income the union of agricultural co-operatives has developed an eco-tourism project that provides the opportunity for visitors to share in the rural lifestyle , living in the same type of housing, - basic cement block homes, with a latrine, cold water showers, and if available, a few hours of light from solar panels. Youth are trained as eco-guides to take visitors to the orchid nursery, organic farms, the lookout, waterfalls, and forests with butterflies and rare birds. To communicate about ecology, bird identification, etc. and for customer service, English is important for guides.                                              

The Nest Trust promotes sustainable tourism in Miraflor and helps volunteer English teachers. Practical teaching materials have been developed to meet community needs. Miraflor is preserving  land, livelihood and co-operative traditions while developing eco-tourism opportunities for youth and additional income for farmers. More information about the eco-tourism program is found at www.miraflor-uca.com. Volunteer opportunities and English curriculum information is outlined at www.nesttrust.org          Jan Firstbrook, a member of Victoria CASC, visited Nicaragua in 2007