Good friends and colleagues

With my time coming to an end I thought I should at least introduce to the people I have been working with over the past months.

As Coordinator I have have the luck of working throughout all the teams working with both office staff in Granada (here I am working in the office along side office manager and our Nica-fixer Guillermo Galan), with all the volunteers and with the Nicaraguan teachers and directors who work in each community.

La Epifania is the largest of the schools and also one I spent a great deal of time as it is also the administrative centre of the school district. I would come here regularly to talk to the district directors to organise schedules, school hours, La Esperanza activities and general administration. Pictured here, I am with Profs. Jamileth, Guadelupe, Delia, Director Vincente, Jasmin and Estel.

At the start of my time this year I ended up as well as being Coordinator being the team leader of Elba Zamora. A small but highly charged school, full of wonderful kids and just three overstretched teachers, Maria, Karina and Christiam.

Las Camelias is the closest school to Granada and perhaps the most challenging school to work at. A ton of kids are squeezed like sardines into 3 small classrooms and a day working here rivals any job in terms of tiredness one feels at its end.

Early 2006 I spent an amazing 6 weeks working at La Prusia. For this reason this school will always have a special place in my heart. My job as coordinator this year came

to an end mid July but as I wasn´t quite ready to leave and as they were short of volunteers at La Prusia I helped out once again, this time tutoring 1st grade. Here I am with Nurse Julieta, School Psychologist Georgina, Profs. Raul, Rosario, Silvio and below Prof. and good friend Augusto.

I worked with Raul Planas last year and although he no longer works directly with La Esperaza Granada he still works within the schools bringing music to the children via another Granada NGO, Building New Hope and his project Ritmo en Los Barrios. Click on the following link for a short film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MOZIs1mc-I

Finally I return to the office and am shamed to say I am missing a photo. But this list would not be complete without mentioning Pauline Jackson. As Operations Officer Pauline works tirelessly to benefit La Esperanza and the communities it serves. I also leave, as mentioned in a previous blog, the role of Coordinator to Gonzalo Garcia who is doing a superb job. So much so I am sure I hear the words "Nigel who?..."!

I salute each and everyone of the above people for the hard work they do for the benefit of the people of Granada, Nicaragua. It has been a privaledge working with each and every one of them.