Support the Lagartillo School Garden Initiative

As I spend a quiet Saturday reading, writing and cooking beans, my mind drifts back to the month I spent in Nicaragua. I've lost track of how much time it's been since I returned from Central America, but I know I've been back for well over a month. At work, people are counting down the weeks before our spring break--four more to go. I am thinking ahead of projects to do in the school garden where I work once spring arrives, which here in the Bay Area will be soon.

I am also thinking of another school garden project--the one in Lagartillo, the community in Nicaragua where I spent a month studying Spanish this past winter vacation. When I was in Lagartillo, some of the community elders spoke of starting a garden project at the school. A nonprofit organization that supports initiatives for women and children in Nicaragua, Project Sonrisas (http://www.projectsonrisas.org/) is working with the community in Lagartillo to help make the project a reality. To quote the Project Sonrisas summary of the project:

"This project is a community garden initiative that aims to provide food and health security for the children attending school in Lagartillo, educate youth about organic sustainable agricultural methods, and build a more ecologically healthy relationship with the environment.

The garden's design has been planned according to traditional Nicaraguan and other organic sustainable agricultural techniques. The garden will be a mix of perennial and annual plants, that will supply fruit, vegetables, and medicinal herbs for the community. The majority of food grown will go to the daily lunches at the school, with any surplus going to families in need.

Included in the design of the garden are both composting and irrigation systems. This will be an integral part of providing a sustainable method of growing the food for the school's meals and a valuable tool for environmental education within the community."

I am working with Project Sonrisas to raise awareness and funds for this project and also to support its' implementation. I plan to return to Nicaragua some time this year to both help with the school garden as well as learn more about traditional Nicaraguan farming and gardening techniques. As a fundraiser for the Lagartillo School Garden Project, I am raffling off a beautiful carved stone statuette that I purchased in Nicaragua. The statuette was hand-carved in the community of San Juan de Limay, famous throughout Nicaragua for its' stonework. Here are some pictures:

I am selling raffle tickets for a minimum donation of $15. If you would like to enter the raffle and support a good cause, please write a check to Project Sonrisas and mail it to:

Cash will be accepted as well. Your donation is tax-deductable and you will recieve a brochure and tax information from Project Sonrisas after we receive your donation. I will be drawing the winner some time during April, or sooner if I receive a lot of interest. Please consider making a donation--this is a chance to win a beautiful piece of artwork and support a good cause at the same time.