n ns i s t e r c i t y p r o j e c t

2013

The Norwalk/Nagarote Sister City Project

is a partnership for sustainable community

development between the people of Nagarote,

Nicaragua and the Greater Norwalk Area

in Connecticut.

THIS YEAR NAGAROTE

CELEBRATED ITS

50TH ANNIVERSARY.

IT’S AMAZING TO THINK

THAT WE’VE BEEN PARTNERS

FOR MORE THAN HALF

THE LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY.

Highlights Thisyear,Nagarotecelebratedits50thAnniversary.

It’samazingtothinkthatwe’vebeenpartnersformorethanhalfthelifeofthecommunity.Itwasanhonortohavethecityaskourartstudentstohelppaintamuraltocommemoratetheanniversary.

TheMinisterofEducationforNagarote,MarioAleman,visitedushereinNorwalktoobservemodelpreschoolsintheareaandinNewYorkCity.Ourboardmember,JoanParris,DirectorofEarlyChildhoodEducationatNorwalkCommunityCollege,coordinatedthevisitandhostedadeliciousdinnerhonoringMario.HewassoimpressedandenthusiasticaboutwhathesawthatheagreedtohelpusmaketheDarlingPreschoolamodelforNagarote.

OurwonderfulFieldDirector,Ramon,leftusinMayasheboughtafarmoutofcommutingdistancefromNagarote.OurnewFieldDirector,MiguelSalinas,isaNicaraguanwhosegoalinlifeistomanageaprogramlikeours—aroundpeginaroundhole.We’vebeenremarkablyluckywithFieldDirectorsandMiguelshouldbewithusformorethanafewyears.

Afterschool Project

WeaddedaclassintheaterwithatheaterteacherimportedallthewayfromManagua.Theclassdevelopsdocudramasbasedonissueslikechildabuse,teenpregnancyandcooperationthatareverypopularwithaudiencesinthecommunityaswellaswiththeprojectkids.InAugust,theTheaterProgramperformedataneventatNagarote’sCityHallforchildrenwithdisabilities.TheyalsoperformedadocudramaondomesticviolenceattheAnnualFair,whichwasverywellattended.

OurannualtriptotheVOSHeyeclinicinSanJuandelSurallowedall65people(45kidsand20adults)tohaveeyeexams,and13receivedprescriptionglasses.Everyonegotsunglasses.WeappreciatebeingincludedinthisannualcliniccoordinatedbyAudreyBlondinofTorrington,Conn.andherhusband,Dr.MatthewBlondin.

ThankstoagenerousdonationfromTomandSandiKretsch,weaddedanewafterschoolprogramfor6to11yearoldsdirectedbyfourofourcollegestudentalumnaewhoaredoinganincrediblejob.Fiftyyoungstersenjoygames,creativeprojects,scienceactivities,homeworkhelpandtutoring.

ThekarateteamcompetedinEsteli,showingsuchremarkablesportsmanshipbyplayingbytherules

INCOME 2013

23% Events

5% Sales

35% Grants & Restricted Donations

37% Membership& Unrestricted Donations

thattheyreceivedtheloudestapplause—evenlouderthanthehometeam.Creditgoestoourkarateteacher,Josue,whonotonlyfostersdisciplinebutisalsoawonderfulrolemodelinaculturedominatedby“machismo.”Heisbothhumbleandgentle.Threeofthekaratestudentsreceivedgreenbelts.

TwoNagarotecollegestudentsvolunteeredasinternswiththeproject.Fatima,whoisstudyingsocialwork,helpedwithworkshopsonkeyissuessuchasselfesteemandteenpregnancy.CarloshelpedMiguelputtogetheragrantrequesttotheGermanEmbassy.Nowordyetonwhetheritwillbefunded.

TheAnnualFairwasahugesuccesswithattendanceof400.Thetheaterclass’sperformanceaboutdomesticviolencewasabighit,aswasthedeliciousfoodpreparedbythecollegestudentsandtheparents.Themenuincludedfriedplantainswithcheese,rebochetas(tortillaswithbeans,cheese,creamandsalad),chickensoupandjuicesmadefromthefruitsfromourfarm.

Wehavethreesoccerleagues:girls,boys12–14andboys15–17.Wearingtheirnewuniformsthattheyraisedthemoneyforthemselves,theymarchedproudlyfromthetownsquaretothesoccerfieldwithalloftheotherteams.

Model Sustainable Farm and Tree Nursery

SosteNicahasbeenusingourfarmasademonstrationsiteforthefarmerstheyworkwithteachingthemsustainablefarmingpracticesincludingbiointensivefarming.Theydonated100shadetreesforthetreenursery.

Teensworkonthefarmonaregularbasiswiththeirclassgroups,keepingtheweedsdownandharvestingthefruitsandvegetables.

FarmDaywascelebratedby80kidsandparentswhovisitedthefarm,pitchedinwiththeworkandtookhomesomeveggies.Amongotheractivities,theycoveredtheguavawithpaperbagstoprotectthemfromworms.

WetriedtointroduceeggplantintotheNicadietwithoutmuchsuccessalthoughtheeggplantsproducedabundantly.Nextyear,fewereggplantswillbeplanted.

Weharvestedatotalof202papayas,248onions,432eggplants,264peppers,682passionfruit,708bananas,84cucumbers,346guavas,9,560earsofcorn,180watermelons,32dragonfruit,1,490tomatoes,38pumpkins,78babycorn,1,016polebeansand492squashthisyear.

EXPENSES 2013

5% Postage, Printing& Supplies

84% Programs inNicaragua

8% Cost of Events & Sales

3% Professional Fees& Services

Scholarships

Wehave82scholarshipstudents,10ofwhomareincollege.

Twoofourscholarshipstudentswerechosentoattendaspecialboardingschoolforkidswithexcellentacademicperformance.(OnlyfourwereselectedfromallofNagarote.)

Ourfirstsixcollegescholarshipstudentshavegraduated.TheyreceivedscholarshipsfromfamilyandfriendsofSandyandKellyBankswhowereinthePeaceCorpsinNagarotesixyearsago.Theylookforwardtorewardingcareersandseveralalreadyhavejobs.Remarkably,ofthesevenstudentswhoreceivedscholarships,sixcompletedallfiveyearsofcollegeandgraduated.

Preschool

InMay,thankstothepersistenceofJoseDavid,thepreschoolcoordinator,themunicipalityconnectedelectricityandrunningwatertotheDarlingPreschoolforthefirsttimeever.Needlesstosay,thiswasahugeimprovement.

ThepreschoolfurnitureandshelvesdonatedthroughtheGivingTreeatourMayFiestawerebuiltinJulyandtheartclassdecoratedthedesksandbenches.

Partnerships

Ourpartnershipsenableustoenhanceourprogramsandaccomplishevenmore.

ThreePeaceCorpsvolunteersworkwithuscoachingsportsandteachingEnglishandentrepreneurship.Withthehelpofprojectkids,oneofthem,Cynthia,builtanecofriendlystovethatuses50percentlessfirewoodthanthestovescommonlyusedinthecommunity.It’sbeingusedasademonstrationmodel.

OurpartnershipwithSosteNicaremainsstrong.Theyrentedspaceinourcommunitycenterwhiletheirecohouse/officewasbeingbuiltandalsoshareourfarm.

KatholiekeHogeschoolLeuvenUniversityinBelgiumsentusanintern,Nele,whoisworkingwithMiguelandAnaIsabel,ourProgramCoordinator,onaseriesofworkshopsforthekidsonglobalwarming,communityservice,andviolenceprevention,amongothers.

ThreeofourstaffhavebeenselectedtoreceivetrainingonresponsetonaturaldisastersfromProjectConcernInternationaloverasixmonthperiod.

TheAlbertSchweitzerInstituteatQuinnipiacUniversityarrangedforstudentsintheirtheaterprogramtovisitourtheaterclass.We’rehopingformorevisitsin2014.

18 CHILDREN

GRADUATED FROM

THE DARLING PRESCHOOL,

WHICH WE SUPPORT,

AND ALL WILL RECEIVE

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FIRST

GRADE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL.

HEROES Over $2,500Bill Collins & Tish GibbsFred LandmanJohn Levin & Diane KeefeDavid & Catherine MurchieJohn & Priscilla Woyke

BENEFACTORS$1,000– $2,499Aliza Family FoundationAnonymousVirginia AusterJean ChappellMark & Angeles DamKirsten DenneyFirst Congregational Church of Greenwich Women’s FellowshipTom & Sandi KretschHalford Park & Ann DeFeoBill & Susan PascucciWilton Friends QuakersChristina SmillieJohn & Gail WallFrank White & Susan Mansfield

SUSTAINERS$200– $999Carl BaileySandy & Kelly BanksAnita BehnkenAnn BelloGeoffrey & Dana Beringer

Esther Bess Niki Bleifeld Dave & Marie Claire BueBob & Mimi BurgessThomas & Suzanne CalnonJohn CampbellPaul Cantor & Myska Lopaur Joe & Rosanne CarpentieriDarien United Methodist ChurchChristian EidtFirst Congregational Church of Norwalk Outreach CommitteeJose & Angelisa FranceschiniKim GarnerJoe & Susan GarofoliRoger & Marty GilbertDan & Heidi GodleskiMarvin & Chic GoldsteinJeanne GoodmanMartin & Anne GreenbergPeter GuarinoScott Harris & Anna ManzoLeslie HauckSean & Laura HigginsTom & Karen HowesBarbara HudginsBruce Kimmel & Kay AndersonDebbie KingMarian KretschBruce Lavine & Lisa ZimmermanGerard & Kathleen LeonardBill & Ann LowGeorge Mandler

Hawley McAuliffeBill & Roz McCarthyPaul MossRichard & Doris MungerPete & Cece OrvisMary OsterJesse & Joan ParrisGregory & Jane PerrySusan PfeilJohn & Patricia PodkowskyKathy RobertsRotary Club of New CanaanWilliam & Barbara RussoAlbertus Schmitz & Ceely AckermanPhyllis SilverRobin & Sylvia SteinChuck Tauck & Fran LittinMichael TraceyMark & Kimberly TsocanosNelson ValdezSteven & Susan WallersteinJeffrey & Patricia WieserHans Wilhelm & Judy HendersonNate & Mary Yordon

FRIENDS$50– $199Robert & Kimberlee AgeloffTom & Carol AikenheadShelly Altman & Susan BramhallIris Anorga-CookRita AnspachLucy Auster

Geoffrey & Ruth AxtTanya BachandBud & Betsy BainMike Barbis Jim & Lois BenfieldSteve BerizziDennis BradburyLiz Bradbury & Patricia SullivanNicholas & Stacia BrancaWilliam & Maria BrancaccioStefani BrandenburgSteve Brescia & Jill WeilerGwen BriggsDoug & Becky BunnellGary BurfootDavid Callan & Jalna JaegerDan & Pat CampbellTomas & Ana ChadwickJP & Jami CheneskiPaul & Marie CifatteNick & Arline CioffiLori CoatesJeff & Missy ConradConsolidated Color PressRobert & Kathleen CoppolaSusan CrosbyJack CutlerJo Ann DavidsonRichard & Rosemary DellingerMatthew & Dana DembskiBob & Judi DennehyDick & Paula DenneyJohn & Joan deRegt

Betty Devereux & Diane DilleyJohn & Stephanie DevitaSherrylee DickensonWalt & Gerry DunbarAlvin & Susan EpsteinLaura EpsteinJason & Anne FarrowDavid Fletcher & Michelle WhiteKeith & Barbra FordyceEric & Millyn GaaserudBarbara GeraghtyMaureen GeraghtyScott & Linda GieringJulius & Nancy GluckBob & Gail GonyaKathleen GorelickSandra GutierrezFrank HallPeter & Ann HanlonScott & Nena HasselmannKathleen HauserRose HawkinsAnnabelle HecklerCelestino & Elsa HeresNeil Hershkowitz & Judy RivasJennifer HeslinGraham & Jennifer HillRichard & Heather HopkinsPat & Shirley HoweJudy HungaskiElizabeth Jenkins-SahlinMark & Susan JohnsonGrace Kane

Peter KautskyWinifred KeaneFrank & Sally KeenJane KieferJoe Kirschner & Lisa HaugaardTeri KleinMerle KoteenBill & Regina KrummelLenny & Barbara KupermanPeter & Ann LawDavid & Evan LevinsonSteven & Jess LewisSandy LippeBrian MageeRichard & Annette MaibergerFlora MajorDenise ManzariTim Massad & Charlotte HartMarie McBennettPeter & Renda McCaughanDennis & Nancy MeanyStacey MillmanTony & Dorothy MobiliaBrech & Sandy MorganKatherine MorganSidney & Mirian MossShawn & Pilar MundayJustin & Carmen MurphyAlice MurrayWilliam & Lynette MurrayPhilip & Gail NegusPatty NeulsenJoan & Mary Neves

Bob NixonBernhard Nizet & Nadine QuaeyhagensBill PapasJoel Perez & Meg Reilly Leonard PerezCharill PierceAnne PiraNancy PoselGeorge PostJack & Ann PowersLea PrinceRamon & Marilyn RamosLouise ReidJudy ReinhardtChristopher Renaud & Mitra BehrooziKathleen RepoleTom & Sheila RietanoNohra RiveraDick Roberts & Jane MillikenMichael RodellMargaret RogersLawrence RosenRichard & Carolyn RossBilly & Sally SalancyFrances SalantThomas & Kelly SapioAnthony & Nancy SarnoMarcie SchoenfeldK.C. SenieJohn & Marylou SerravezzaTheodore & Hannah ShearPaul SinalFred & Marny Smith

Donald & Katherine SnookSuzanne SolenskyBrian Stacey & Denise CesareoTom StahlFortunato & Alba StanzialeHelen SteinRobert SteinBob Stevenson & Sara SikesTom & Grace SuraceBruce & Connie TaylorTJ TourseNick & Diane TrentacosteGeorge & Jo UbogyCatherine UrbainFrederic & Debby UryAase VanDykeMark & Diane VincentAndrew WalkerStuart & Galen WellsRebecca WhiteSherrie WinkworthAlan Wright & Paula KlineCharles Ziga & Lise Annie Roberts

MEMBERSUnder $50Harriet AbelJanet AleyShane & Heather BarlowDavid BedellRobyn BelcherWilliam & Catherine BowmanDominick & Jeanine Briganti

Paul BrownMary BudrawichKathleen CalabreseFrank Calamusa & Linda CadelliHeather CandelsNoel & Lindsey CarotaChristie’s Service, LLCKathleen ColemanMelissa CutlerAndy D’AlessioDenny DavidoffOscar & Margarita DestrugeFrank Devita & Merrill BullisEd & Anke DewBruce & Deborah FagerstromRochelle FieldBill & Margery GardnerIgnacio Garijo & Frances GardeArt & Ann GoldblattBarry & Katherine GrandonWilliam & Erin HackettKC & Christina HartPamela Harvey-RathRobert & Kimberly HathawayAlice HurleyJohn IlesVirginia IlesNicholas & Julia KennedySunny KhadjaviConstance KiermaierScott Kimmich & Kate TepperCandi LaClairIrwin Lebish

Roena LittlejohnMichel LothJose MattaRobert Mazzone & Kimberlee KinerBeth MazzottaJohn & Susan McleanObdulio & Patricia MendozaLarry & Cathy MinersBrian & Mary MoranEthel OwensWilliam PaolinoMary PenistonJose PerezKevin & Dina QuirkJudith RafaelLori RaimondoDaniel & Regina RizzutoStephen & Marjorie RoneySandeep Samal & Sheeter RautLucie Sasaki-ScanlonWilliam ScheydThomas & Mary SeilerJackie SteinerMark & Kathleen StephensonStewart & Mary StockdaleJames & Lisa SwiggettJeanne TarrantJohn & Evelyn TheallIra & Audrey TumpowskyGigi VanDykeMiles Wallace

YOU MADE ALL THIS POSSIBLE THROUGH YOUR SUPPORT.

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Norwalk/Nagarote Sister City Project

P.O. Box 382

Norwalk CT 06852-0382

203.846.9288

www.sistercityproject.org

nnscp@sistercityproject.org

Kay AndersonVirginia AusterAngeles Nieto DamKirsten DenneyTish GibbsScott HarrisKaren Howes Tom Kretsch

ADVISORY BOARDDr. Ed DewMonzi Figures-FacioDiane KeefeJohn LevinRachel LindsayWarren PeñaMary PenistonDr. Walter PetryRev. Susan Pfeil

Bill McCarthyCatherine MurchieJoan ParrisSusan PascucciRobin SteinJohn WoykePriscilla Woyke

EMERITUS BOARD Dennis BradburyPaul CantorBarbara HudginsRonnie MaherFrank White

N/NSCP BOARD OF DIRECTORS