HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-12-13-LWSCC-rpt.pdf LEXINGTON-WASPAM SISTER CITY COMMITTEE
P.O.Box 283,Lexington,MA 02420
13 December 2001
Dear Friends,
We are writing to tell you about the activities of the Lexington-Waspam Sister City
Committee during the past year. These are uncertain times to be sure,but we hope your
past loyal support for our activities will continue 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. This 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. This
year we provided$1,000 for this project and are again budgeting$1000 for next year.
On a very sad note,Ken Hale, one of our founding members, passed away this fall. As a
linguist,Ken worked with the indigenous people of the Americas, including educational
projects in Eastern Nicaragua. It was through Ken's leadership that our group began
supporting educational projects. Ken's first-hand experiences with the Awastingni people
assured that our contributions were being leveraged to the maximum extent possible.
As we mourned Ken's loss, we were fortunate to meet Elena Benedicto, a close and
trusted colleague of Ken's. Like Ken,Elena has coupled a career in studying the
languages of the indigenous people of Eastern Nicaragua with a proactive stance of
"giving back."Five years ago she established the Mayangna Girls Project, an effort very
similar to our Awastingni education project. Her project provides tuition, room, and
board to indigenous girls from Mayangna communities so that they can complete
secondary school in the town of Rosita. There are now 12 young girls in her regular
program and three young women in a pilot program for young mothers. This year we
contributed$1000 to her project and are budgeting$1000 for next year.
Through her annual visits, Elena will provide the kind of personal contact that assures our
efforts will continue to have positive and lasting impacts. Although the total amount
($2000) is not great, it is not insignificant,and it must be obtained if the projects are to
continue. 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 ki. tingki, tingki, tingki, tingki. That is to say "One must give
thanks four times: thanks,thanks,thanks, thanks."
Sincerely,
Wally Leutz
Chairperson
Bob Bond,Matt Foti,Richard Games, Sally Hale,Wally Leutz,Ellen McDonald,Jackie Ward