Equal Relationships Are Fundamental

PML has spent over 20 years building relationships based on solidarity and community empowerment. Whether the relationships are between Minnesota delegates and their host families, between volunteers here in León and our Nicaraguan Advisory Council or between community members where PML carries out our small scale development projects, equal relationships are fundamental. Here are some relationships I look forward to being strengthened in 2005:

Community Preschool Teachers: In 2005 we will expand this program to include all 112 León community preschool teachers with 6 training sessions, instead of only 62 teachers as in years past. The sessions will be carried out in improved coordination with the Ministry of Education this year.

Santa Rosa Midwife Network: We expect to see a stronger network built between the rural communities surrounding Santa Rosa and the midwives. Training sessions will be brought to the communities by the midwives who will inform people about the Casa Materna Infantil (Infant/Maternal Center) services in Santa Rosa.

Rural Community, El Chague: PMGL plans to support El Chague more directly this year in the area of education. We will begin raising funds for construction of a new classroom and will support the community as they create an action plan to confront the lack of school attendance by El Chague youth.

University Social Work Students: Last year's successes will be repeated with two university students continuing their social work practicum with PMGL in the El Chague community.

PML Medical Delegation: A delegation of Physicians Assistant students from Augsburg College will arrive in León in August and focus most of their time in El Chague. At this point, they plan to look at the most common chronic illnesses that El Chague residents suffer and make a proposal to PMGL regarding support for medicines, vitamins, etc. Their work will be carried out in coordination with El Chague health promoters, the Ministry of Health and other NGO’s who support El Chague in this area.

Perpich School for the Arts Delegation: A delegation of Minnesota art students will spend time with students of Arte Infantil, a school PMGL supports in Sutiava, León. The objective of their trip is to create a continuing sister-school relationship between Perpich and Arte Infantil to foster cultural exchange and learning.

Nicaraguan Advisory Council: This year our advisory council (the Consejo Sur) has committed itself to working even more closely with the León coordinators. We have organized ourselves into commissions of Education, Health and Agriculture/Infrastructure and look forward to adding new members and working more cooperatively regarding our projects.

All of our endeavors in 2005 address the values of collaboration and equal exchange of ideas and energy. I'm looking forward to a busy and happy year.