Rotaract in Nicaragua

This week we had a group of Rotaracters from the University of Alberta come to tell us about their international projects in Nicaragua. They have had projects in three areas in Nicaragua since 2012, in Managua, Cinco Pinos, and Belen. Throughout 2012 to 2015 they have worked with Saint Albert based Roots of Change and the Nicaraguan FUNDACCO to build a preschool, a community centre and water collection resources in community. Partnering with onsite organizations is a huge part of Rotaract’s and Rotary’s mindset to ensure that useful projects will be proposed, well-managed, and carried out in a sustainable way. Their latest project was centered around supporting families in the rural Cinco Pinos where many families did not have running water. A representative from each of the fifteen effected families came to talk with the Rotaracters with the help of an ever-patient translator whose wife was the translator for the club’s last trip. The families said it was important for them to have a face to place where things were coming from and to be a part of the process in building relationships. In was an incredibly meaningful trip for our young counterparts as they had a chance to experience the lives of those they were supporting by billeting with community members. Each one had a story of how members on both sides said they were family afterwards and continue to build on their connections.