Chontales Midway Update

July 9, 2008

After spending three weeks living in their host communities, Chontales Volunteers are settling into the family routine and integrating into the local Nicaraguan culture. Strong relationships have already been developed between Volunteers, host families, and other community members, and project activities are in full swing.

Volunteers are keeping busy by planning and presenting lessons in local schools and are working hard on their community-based projects. Projects include soccer fields, libraries, community centers, community gardens, as well as a variety of other projects. While taking their siestas during the heat of the day the Volunteers are developing a taste for the Nicaraguan cuisine and learning how to make tortillas!
   
The Chontales project is excited to have just found out that they received a Guy Bevil Leadership Grant from the Foundation for Amigos de las Americas in one of the communities to build a cancha, a nice soccer field, for a community that suffered significant damage from a tornado before the arrival of the Volunteers.

The project has been running very smoothly and collaboration between the AMIGOS program and PLAN International has been great! Due to their hard work and dedication, Volunteers are well on their way to a successful summer!
   
Volunteers and their youth counterparts are looking forward to attending regional youth encuentros this coming weekend in either Chontales or Boaco. At this event, Volunteers and youth counterparts will participate in teambuilding activities and will share successes from their educational classes and community-based projects with each other.