
Trek for Knowledge

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Chicago & Philadelphia Trek, Summer 2008
Nuevo Amanecer, Nicaragua

Trek Leaders: Joanna Lautenberger and Brian Socall
Trek Dates: June 22 – July 7, 2008
Ground Breaking: June 25, 2008
School Completed: September 5, 2008
Student Attendance: 17 boys, 14 girls

Update from the Village

The new BwB school in Nuevo Amanecer was built is about 60 days. It is important to mention that this project was so successful because of the involvement of a dedicated BwB trek team, high volunteer turnout from the community, motivated BwB Nicaragua staff and skilled laborers, and a successful partnership with the mayor’s.

This project was avery challenging one. During the first two weeks of the project there was constant rain during the day time. The rocky soil made it difficult to move faster at the foundation level, but with the dedicated team effort from the Student Trek and the Villager of Nuevo Amanecer this project started to show progress up at the end of the two week Trek. However, when the BwB Trek team left Nuevo Amanecer, the community rallied and continued to show up in large numbers every day of the project. Through the hard work and dedication of the community volunteers and BwB’s skilled labor staff, the project continued at the same pace as when the students were in the community.

In total, the school was finished almost 4 weeks ahead of schedule and the community contributed 600 volunteer workdays on the site. This high level of community empowerment can be coupled with the fact that the children of Nuevo Amanecer now have a new two-classroom school to replace the one mud house structure where they were previously attending classes.

Overall, this project was not only successful in empowering the community of Nuevo Amanecer to meet their own development needs, but it also made significant difference in improving the quality of education by reducing the number of students per classroom at this school. Next year, this new school house will add an extra grade. Currently the student are going to the nearest school to attend their 5th grade.There will also be a new teacher there next year!

Quotes from Community Members

"Finally, this project a reality for us! Let me tell you that it took us 3 years to make this dream come true. That is why I want to thank anyone behind this new school house here at Nuevo Amanecer. It truly means a lot to us. Thank you so much you guys in the U.S.A. I am pretty sure that this community has learned a lot in a possitive way by working several days on the same work site. This has made the relationship of the community members to grow stronger. Just by getting together every week at this very work site all the volunteers start talking more and more about their commitment to BwB."

Carlos Omar Gonzalez, Project Committee President and Community Leader

"This school is very nice and it means a great effort from the community, our parents, and the people from the U.S.A, who supported this project. Here we are going to lean in a wonderful environment and every day we will enjoy been here as students. Thank you to all students from the U.S."

Maylon Duarte, Student from Nuevo Amanecer

"What a wonderful gift we have now that this new school has been completed. All parents are very happy with it. The future of our children looks very promising. They only have to attend school and learn more and more just until one day they can become well educated people. Thank you so much friends from the USA and thanks BwB."