Explorations of San Juan del Sur Biblioteca Movil

Once the first group of gringos left the Surf Sanctuary, we quickly realized that tourist season does not actually begin in Limon Dos for another couple of months—with that in mind, we planned a trip to San Juan Del Sur. It proved to be more like Mexico than any part of Nicaragua including many cafes and restaurants that catered to our American palates. Two of our particular favorites—in case you ever find yourself in San Jaun—were El Gato Negro, a café and bookstore, and El Buen Pan, an organic, vegetarian restaurant found off the beaten path in it’s own Garden of Eden.

Our main purpose for this trip was to visit the San Juan Del Sur Biblioteca Movil, a library with a mobile component which caters to nearby schools founded by an American woman, Jane Mirandette, seven years ago. (Visit the website here: http://www.sjdsbiblioteca.org/) We were fortunate enough to participate in the anniversary celebration which included piñatas, dancing, face painting, and other festivities. The library has flourished under Jane’s guidance and is now, as we see it, a staple to the local community providing activities for parents and children alike. In addition to the library in San Juan there are approximately thirty other sister libraries throughout Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Although Una Escuelita is too far to be a part of the mobile lending program, Jane suggested starting our own library at the school. She was an extremely generous host for the weekend answering all of our questions and giving us her insight on the trials of working in Nicaragua. We left San Juan rejuvenated and equipped with several new books that Jane graciously donated.

Back in Limon Dos, several changes are underway. As we write to you the wind is howling and we just recently regained electricity after yet another blackout--it seems the windy season has officially begun. Our new roommate, Erica, has recently moved into the house with us. The three of us have already begun talking with women in the local community with the hope of beginning a women’s empowerment group. A local woman named Maella has offered us her guidance and support in this venture. Maella owns her own shop in town and is a strong female role model. Her son is working in the States (very unusual for this area) and her daughter has plans to attend medical school in Cuba (practically unheard of). Maella and other instrumental women from the community will hold discussions with local girls as a way to inspire and aid future women like themselves. We hope to involve many of the older girls from Una Escuelita in this group. We have already seen such empowerment in the girls’ enthusiasm for baseball which has quickly become part of their daily routine. Everyday, the girls are gaining confidence and skills, and the boys are beginning to respect them on the field!

Jane has been working steadily with a group of the older students in English. There is now a regular group who eagerly stay at the school once they have finished their meal. They have been learning verb conjugations, vocabulary, and the hardest thing of all, pronunciation.

We are still working to find a daily structure that successfully accommodates the different needs and abilities of the children. Recently, we divided them into two groups by age and are still deciding whether or not to continue this structure. Although this is the most practical method to use in the States, there may be a different structure that is more natural to Nicaraguans.

Friday the children finished their exams and Monday marks the commencement of their Winter break. For Una Escuelita this may mean an even higher attendance, but only time will tell. This evening, we cooked a delicious Pacific lobster dinner fresh from the ocean. Though they look different than their Atlantic Ocean cousins, they are just as tasty and much cheaper…seven for ten dollars!

Hasta Luego,

Jane and A