By Katie Adams | Executive Director
This past summer and early fall has been extremely difficult for the rural poor in Nicaragua. Half of the country's entire population lives in rural areas and of those, two out of every three families - 68% of all families living in rural areas - live on less than $2/day. Since the rainy season began very late this year, subsistence farmers who rely on their crops (mostly corn) were left with no harvest.
We heard about the crop failures and called our friends in Albellanas to determine the extent of the need. We quickly learned that families were starving and that without corn for feed, their cattle were dying. We were grateful that we got the news while we were in Nicaragua and were able to respond in person.
We had two teams in country over the summer with whom we shared the news. They immediately asked how they could help. In talking with our partners we learned that there were 50 families who we could first reach with assistance. The first team from Crossroads Community Church (Maryland) provided 1,000 pounds of corn which Ana Julia and Domingo Orozco (sister and brother of Roger Orozco - the training center's founder) divided up and then brought to the families living 3 hours away (1.5 hour by car and 1.5 by foot after that).
Three weeks later the team from Cedar Run Community Church (Virginia), which spent nearly a full week in Sebaco working on the training center and serving nearby communities, further assessed the situation. Since the rains hadn't started in full the team immediately pooled their funds to buy another 1,000 pounds of corn and 1,000 pounds of beans. Their fearless team leader Iliana joined Domingo Orozco in deftly negotiating a good price for the best-quality items they could find in town. The team learned how to clean by the beans by using wind to separate the beans from dirt and then helped divide the staples into bags for individual families. Rising early one morning the team then drove with Ana Julia and Domingo to personally deliver the items to waiting families. They walked into Albellanas and saw first-hand the barren fields. No corn for cattle or humans. No food for families or children. The families and the team members were joyful to share what God had provided.
In the midst of the difficulty of facing famine first-hand the Cedar Run team experienced unexpected joy. Since the team had brought school supplies to store at the training center for nearby villages some of the children living near the training center heard fun could be had! Every day after school between 15-25 kids showed up like clockwork and had a blast using play-doh for the first time and using watercolors to paint. Even when we had to move out of the training center (because construction work was being done there), the kids just moved next door to the outdoor courtyard and we set up plastic tables to accomodate all of our budding artists. Not even a light rain drove them away! It was much-needed joy to watch the kids paint for the first time and then tape their masterpieces up on the concrete wall. Another important reminder that even in dark times joy and hope can always be found!
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