San Antonio Arriba, Nicaragua
Report 3: September 8, 2008
by Aníbal Rodriguez Cruz, Country Director, Building with Books, Nicaragua
Great news! Thanks to the dedication of the community members in San Antonio, the new BwB school is almost finished. Currently, we are putting the finishing touches on the school — the roof, plastering, and painting are the final tasks.
When the roof and plastering are completed, volunteers from the village will be painting our school white and blue to symbolize the national colors of the Nicaraguan flag.
"No more long walks to the old school house," said Myriam Talavera, a student from San Antonio when asked what she will like most about the new school. "We are so happy with this new project in our village. Besides the beautiful view of the mountains below from the school veranda, my classmates and I will have a better chance to learn under a nice roof and inside walls made of concrete blocks. I want to say thanks to all our friends from the USA, because without their help, the chance to build this school would not have been possible."
According to José Luis Izquierdo, BwB Construction Supervisor, "The volunteers from the village have contributed 534 work days. All these people from San Antonio have worked very hard to accomplish their objective."
The new school project will be a significant relief to all students and teachers from San Antonio. With an estimated increase in enrollment this year, the new school comes just in time to help ease overcrowding in the classrooms.
Until next time, thank you for you taking the time to read the school updates from Nicaragua.