Farewell from Raul Planas of Rhythm in the Barrios

August 14, 2008

Tropical storm Alma hits El Porvenir, from Donna Tabor

July 5, 2008

As many of you know, Building New Hope has been in a partnership with El Porvenir, a worker-owned organic coffee cooperative in Nicaragua, for the past six years. The delicious coffee you enjoy comes directly from this community and we are asking for your help to continue to make this possible.

Last May, tropical storm Alma wreaked havoc on part of El Porvenir's coffee crop

The storm wiped out several thousand plants and uprooted trees. The damage affected up to 25% of their next harvest.

The community is now in a desperate struggle to save as many plants as possible and is in need of immediate financial assistance to make this possible. Fifteen hundred dollars is desperately needed to save hundreds of plants from fallen branches and tree limbs that threaten their survival.

This community continues to make great strides in their development. They have been able to raise salaries and build new houses for everyone in the community. They plan to send more students to university next year and are planting ten hectares of cacao and another ten of avocado for long term community investment. This will help them diversify their income base.

But for them to continue to flourish, they must recover from this immediate, latest natural disaster.

Whatever you can give -- $10 or $100 -- will go a long way in allowing Building New Hope and El Porvenir to continue to bring you some of the best coffee in the world and more importantly, help to ensure the economic livelihood of this community. If you can help the wonderful families of El Porvenir save their crop, please let us know immediately. We appreciate any assistance you can offer.

You can donate through the Donate Now button at the top left of this page, or send a check to Building New Hope, 106 Overton Lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Please note that the gift is for El Porvenir.

Thank you for your partnership and support as we continue to build hope with communities in Central America.

Little Corn Island Veterinary Clinic Results, From Scot Smyth

June 25, 2008

The following is from Scot Smyth who, with his girlfriend, Kristine, spearheaded the idea of our going to Corn Island to set up the week long animal clinic. He and Kristine live part time on Corn Island and know the community well. I had requested that he send us his thoughts about the animal clinic and the impact that we may have made in that community. I would say that this is community development in one of its finest moments. -- Donna Tabor

All the praise needs to go to that incredible group of people that came from Building New Hope! Wow!

We had your Dr. Noah Stroh come to the school two days before the clinic in scrubs and with a stethoscope and a feral puppy (Tic-Toc) that the dive shop had adopted.

We let the younger kids in school listen to their own heart and had them listen to the puppy's heart. Noah, who is fluent in Spanish, shared with them that we all have a heart and that animals deserve their respect because they are like us in that way.

The next day we had Dr Tom Parker come to the 5th and 6th day class and in the same way taught a little "science class" on the animal heart. Used "Tic-Toc" for that as well.

Interesting side note here: A vacationer from the US volunteered to hold little Tic-Toc during these events and decided to adopt her. So, with Nick and Toni's help, little Tic-Toc is now living in Florida in a happy new home! Yea!

The next day we had the children at the school compete for prizes for who could produce the best poster about the animal doctors visiting the island. Times, details etc. The winners were awarded prizes and all the posters were posted either around the island or sent home with the students to attempt to get everyone informed and involved.

I think both things worked great!

We had people lined up 30 minutes early on day one.

The surgery and care given by the group was amazing!!! I even became a little untrained vet tech (I gave two pigs their ivermectin shots).

I think the final count was close to 100 animals spayed or neutered in the 2 days.

I think we lost 2 dogs and one cat.

The response of the island was overwhelmingly positive. The community appreciated everything that was being done for them.

The days following the event

• We knew every dog or cat that had been treated because they were either still wearing their surgery collar or they had on their free flea and tick collar.
• Islanders were showing a sense of caring for their animals we had never noticed. We were constantly asked to come look at their animal who had surgery to be sure they were recovering alright. All were, some faster than others.
• Many islanders were saying "thank you"!
• Everyone knew of the event, all knew of the three casualties but all without exception understood that could happen and did not "blame" anyone.

The "elders" of the community wholeheartedly supported our efforts.

Winston, the most influential and one of the most successful islanders told me that this was the first time in his memory of the island that any one had ever planned an event ahead that put Little Corn before Big Corn, helped the people and animals and lifted their collective hearts the way this did. I think he was crying when he told me.

The support we had from Casa Iguana, Dive Little Corn, Paws 4 Claws and others was incredible.

Hopefully the volunteers felt our and the island's appreciation.

At the "thank you" dinner, we had the school director to dinner with us. After dinner I gave a little speech thanking all involved (Building New Hope, Vets, Volunteers, Case Iguana etc). As part of Kristine and my fund raising efforts we promised that we would be contributing to the school building fund.

At dinner we presented the school with a donation on behalf of all mentioned above for $2000.

Dr Tom, Clint (Paws 4 Claws) and Orpha the school principal all spoke as well. It was pretty moving.

After I presented the $2000 to the school, I presented an additional $1100 to Dr Tom to distribute as he saw fit to the team. He turned right around and gave it to the school! Noah then donated an additional $100.

So, we provided in one fell swoop 32% of the construction budget for their two new school rooms, library and principals office!

Kristine and I are so thankful for Building New Hope.

Dr Tom was amazing as well.

Please keep us alerted as to any other ways that we may be able to help both in Nica and out.

We definitely want to bring the clinic back to Little Corn. We made a huge dent in the problem and made great strides in helping animals and people live in harmony on the island.

Another islander told me that he hoped that our efforts would start to help the children give the animals a chance to show what a positive impact healthy, well treated animals could have on their heart and well being. Wow! We hope so too. We don't want to stop here!

Raffle Results, from Donna Tabor

June 11, 2008

If you bought a ticket to our Granada Getaway Raffle last month, you were one of nearly 129 people who are building new hope here in Nicaragua. To us, you are definitely a winner in your own right.

We know that many who purchased raffle tickets didn't expect to win a trip to Granada, though the odds were pretty good. What you did expect was to benefit the people of Nicaragua who need our support... and your expectations were met. Thank you, everyone, for contributing to the raffle.

Thanks to your participation, the farmers of El Porvenir who grow the organic, shade grown beans that many of you enjoy in your homes or at work, benefited. The children of our barrio schools who are the only hope for their families to break the cycle of poverty are also the winners, and the homeless, skeletal street dogs that roam our streets... they won too!

And then there is the surprised bearer of the winning raffle ticket. Her name is Patricia Dervish, and she is from Bethlehem, PA.

I want you to know a bit about Patricia. I think you'll agree that she is deserving of a Granada Getaway vacation (though it's doubtful that she will actually "vacation" while here). You see, just a year ago Patricia was one of several talented volunteers for Building New Hope who assisted our teachers in Escuelita Yo Puedo. The children loved her gentle spirit, her pride in them when they learned to read new words, and her animated style of reading a story to them and listening intently when they read to her.

After her stay in Granada, Patricia joined Mercy Volunteer Corps, a lay component of the Sisters of Mercy. She was assigned to the Women's Intercultural Center in Anthony, New Mexico, on the border of New Mexico, Texas, and Chichuahua, Mexico. This is where she is today.

In Patricia's words, "I have steeped myself in learning immigration issues from the ground up - from professional and grass roots organizations in Mexico, Texas, and New Mexico and from the people." In addition to working with U.S. groups in a Border Awareness Program, she also teaches English and a course in citizenship for civics tests. Her students, mostly women, are Mexican immigrants.

Patricia is a candidate for some good R and R when she cashes in on her Granada Getaway vacation.

I hope that each of you feels that Patricia is certainly deserving of a vacation prize in Granada... even if we intend to put her to work! And I hope that you'll take part in our next Granada Getaway to try your luck again. Thanks for participating.

Upcoming Veterinary Clinic, from Donna Tabor

May 29, 2008

Here are some dramatic statistics to consider. They point up the importance of sterilizing the countless stray animals that roam the streets in many countries throughout the world.

Nicaragua is not exempt. We see the sad results of the irresponsibility of animal owners who do not prevent litter after litter from being born The unwanted dogs and cats are then abandoned to the cruelty and neglect of the streets.

Consider the following:

• In 7 years a female cat and her offspring can be the source of 420,000 kittens.
• In 6 years a female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies.

Unless dogs and cats are totally confined (which is unlikely) and unable to continue the population increase (AND the spread of venereal disease), the humane option is to NEUTER OR SPAY them!

By now you know that our Casa Lupita here in Granada, Nicaragua, focuses on sterilizing the many street dogs and feral cats that roam through the city. We have made a tremendous impact on the situation. In many visits over the past two years by Dr. Tom Parker and a host of other volunteer veterinarians, we have sterilized hundreds of cats and dogs in our clinic.

Our vet techs offer cat trapping with our Have-A Heart trap. After the cat is neutered or spayed, then released the following day, it is a kinder, gentler feline that is no longer inclined to "serenade" from the rooftops at night. Most important, it won't spawn any newbies.

But our work is hardly done. In fact, it's only beginning.

Next month our vet team will be staging a spay and neuter clinic on both Little and Big Corn island where hungry strays run rampant and veterinary services are non-existent.

Our six veterinarians and vet students will be assisted by four vet techs, and we expect to make a dramatic impact on curbing the Island's stray animal problem.

I want to thank the donors who have contributed to this important effort. Many have answered our call for funding to cover the materials and transportation costs for this trip. Your willingness to help is immensely appreciated. We have received a discount on our flight costs on Air Atlantic for transport to the east coast of Nicaragua (the only way to get there in one day). We will also enjoy accommodations at Night of the Iguana guest house on Little Corn Island and at Club Paraiso on Big Corn Island.

Our greatest expense, other than transport, will be for medical and clinical supplies since our goal is sterilize from 400-500 animals during our visit. If finances allow, we would like to vaccinate as many animals as possible against various contagious diseases, treat for parasites and skin diseases, and tend to any other health problems that are presented

If you have not donated to our Corn Island mission there still time and definitely still a need.

This seems like a good forum to also mention that we are always in need of volunteer veterinarians to work in our Granada clinic. Though we do house dogs without owners in our clinic's kennels while searching for homes for them, the surgical area is available to any veterinary professional who has the time and inclination to offer services. If you know a veterinarian who would like the experience of a lifetime, please point him or her in our direction. We have the clinic... we have access to most medicines... we have the "patients"... we have vet techs waiting to assist.

Thanks for your continued interest in our Casa Lupita Spay and Neuter Program. It's all happening because of you!