HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-12-16-LWSCC-rpt.pdf LEXINGTON-WASPAM SISTER CITY COMMITTEE
P.O. Box 283, Lexington, MA 02420
16 December 2000
Dear Friends,
We are writing to tell you about the activities of the Lexington-Waspam Sister City
Committee during the past year. We recognize that you have been a very loyal supporter
of our activities in the past. We again ask for your continued support in the coming year.
In January of 1995, the LWSCC started a tuition project in the Mayangna town of
Awastingni in the municipality of Waspam in the Northern Autonomous Atlantic Region
(RAAN)of Nicaragua. The Mayangnas are an indigenous people in the RAAN. Last year
this project provided tuition support for 14 young people from Awastingni to attend
secondary school,technical and education courses, and universities in Bilwi. Bilwi,
formerly Puerto Cabezas, is the primary city in the RAAN on the Atlantic coast. Last
year we provided$1,000 for this project—in this case a little goes a long way Next year
we are budgeting$1,300 for this project to accommodate additional students and
dramatically increasing costs because of inflation in the RAAN over the last year.
In 1999, we received letters from Pastor Netario McLean and Wilfredo McLean, director
of the school in Awastingni, proposing that we help them create a library, furnish it, and
supply it with books and other materials. For each of the last two years we have provided
$1000 for this project. At this point the library structure has been completed as an annex
to the school. Additional support is needed for additional books and other materials for
the library and the school as a whole. Next year we are budgeting$700 for this project.
On a sad note,Mathilda Holzman, one of our founding members, passed away this year.
Her compassion for those less fortunate and her vision that education is the bedrock for a
more promising future were an inspiration for our activities. She will be missed as we
carry the work forward.
Support to the education needs of our sister city has become the hallmark of our
committee. Our projects are impacting,the whole community The combined total for the
school tuition fund and the local school support project is $2,000 Although the total
amount involved for these projects is not great, it is not insignificant, and it must be
obtained if the projects are to continue in 2001 So please help us again with your tax
deductible donation.
For whatever you can give, we thank you again according to the Mayangna custom:
Tingki arungka kalanin Id. tingki, tingki, tingki, tingki. That is to say "One must give
thanks four times: thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks.
Sincerely,
Wally Leu(
Chairperson
Bob Bond,Matt Foti,Richard Games,Ken Hale, Sally Hale,Wally Leutz,Ellen McDonald,Jackie Ward