The Nicaragua-Verein Oldenburg is a NGO twinned with the county of San Francisco Libre in Nicaragua. Our group has the following objectives:

To increase and improve the knowledge of the people who live in the city and the county of Oldenburg about Nicaragua as an example of a developing country in Latin-America: its culture, history, economical, political and social situation. This is to be achieved through lectures, exhibitions, publications and cultural events. We have also produced 3 films about San Francisco Libre. In the film "The Children of Momotombo" adolescents from San Francisco Libre talk about their everyday lives. The film "Otro gallo nos canta" shows the activities of two women of the county and the projects of our society with collectives run by women. The third film “Heysel can read” introduces a girl who can attend school due to receiving a grant. In 2007 the documentary film maker Ali Zahedi produced a film called “San Francisco Libre” in which he shows the everyday life of people in the county of San Francisco Libre and tells about the projects of our organization.

To initiate small projects for sustainable development in our partner-town San Francisco Libre regarding fields such as agricultural production, reforestation, co-operative work amongst women, education as well as projects especially for children and young people. Graciela Scheller supervises these projects as our permanent representative in the county and is, furthermore, supported by at least two volunteers annually.

To strengthen the position of women and improve the economical situation of their families with projects involving chicken-farming, gardening, reforestation of backyards, diversification and commercialization of agricultural products. The projects are based on the principles and techniques of the "Educación Popular" which enables the women to participate and helps them to get organized in groups or collectives. The projects are financed by credits from rotating funds and are, furthermore, part of the struggle against ecological problems in the county which is suffering from enormous deforestation.

To improve the situation of children and young people in San Francisco Libre; specifically, to develop education in schools, to search for possibilities of promoting vocational training and to offer various courses so as to provide for a change in their daily routine as well as to encourage creativity and learning. Projects range from a library, theatre, dancing, painting and doing handicrafts to English courses both at school and in the evenings (for older adolescents and adults), working with computers and sports such as in-line skating and soccer. A further important initiative concerning education is the giving of grants so as to help the families send their children to school. We also try to get young people involved in reforestation projects to increase their awareness of and responsibility for the environment and diminish the ecological damage in the county caused by the arbitrary cutting of firewood, which is the only source of income for the majority of the inhabitants.

To protect and conserve the environment, flora and fauna. Project areas include reforestation, breeding of iguanas, water and energy. Reforestation: The trees from the nursery, among them fruit trees and neem trees (e.g. to produce a biopesticide), are planted in private gardens and along rivers in order to limit the increasing ecological damage. Breeding of iguanas: Iguanas form part of the local diet and are in danger of extinction. Apart from providing an income for the families involved the project's aims are to improve the nutrition in the county as well as to support the survival of this species. Projects concerning water include the installation of basic water pumps in wells to facilitate irrigation and to provide clean drinking water which is, furthermore, supported by the fitting of filters. Projects in the field of energy concern, for example, the usage of ovens with chimneys instead of open log fires in order to save wood and energy and also to reduce health risks. A new project deals with the installation of photo-voltaic facilities for the generation of electricity.

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