Last month I had the pleasure of co-leading a group of eight wonderful people to Nicaragua. Known as the land of lakes and volcanos, Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America, it is still recovering from the Revolution of the 60s and 70s, as well as from the devastating earthquake in 1972 that leveled 90% of it’s capital city, Managua. We brought filters to two elementary schools and six private homes.
Although each of the schools have wells, the water is not fully potable. We were able to provide enough filters so that all the children now have easy access to clean water. So often we hear that they just don’t drink enough water because it doesn’t taste good. What a joy to see them drink clean water and actually enjoy it.
Although each of the schools have wells, the water is not fully potable. We were able to provide enough filters so that all the children now have easy access to clean water. So often we hear that they just don’t drink enough water because it doesn’t taste good. What a joy to see them drink clean water and actually enjoy it.
Even though there is a well on the school property, the water is not fully potable.
Ah, good clean water on a hot day!
I love the how eager of the children are to drink clean water.
I drank the water first to let them know it was ok to drink, then I offered it to the children. Once they tasted it, they couldn't drink enough!
One of the schools was undergoing renovation so the classes are temporarily being held outside. Even on a hot day, it was pleasantly cool.
I’m often asked if I am fluent in Spanish. I can certainly make my way around a Spanish speaking country but I do not have all the vocabulary to explain how the filters work and how to assembly them so I work with interpreters. Ken G. and Michelle were great to work with and by listening to them, I was able to pick up some new words.
The private homes we visited are some of the parents of the children that attend the schools we called on in the morning. Each time we go to Nicaragua, we expand the number of private homes so that the children, who are already familiar with the filters from school, can help other family members learn how to use the filters. Over time, our intention is to equip the entire community with filters so everyone has easy access to clean water.
If you would like to travel and make a difference, contact me for more information. We have upcoming trips to the Galapagos, Peru, Thailand and Africa.
