By: costajill

costajill — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:27:27 +0000

Your “El Porvenir, Water for People” blog tells the tale. I agree with everything you said. But we werent always together so I want to add to your comments about the Sandinista government . At the orientation meeting in Dario were two representatives of the government. One was a minister from Managua and one was a young man from the local, El Sauce, municipalidad. The minister was a good guy, open to answering questions but what I remember most about him was that in a day of longwinded orations he was brief keeping his speech to informing us about goverment standards for quantity of water that each person or community needs for minimum daily use. Also he said that the goverment was one of our partners and they were funding 10% of our project. The young man, Miguel, was a planning director in El Sauce, a Sandinista town. As you said, we were often divided into teams, the guys getting the plum jobs of hiking up the mountain to see the water systems while the gals made the house, school and clinic interviews. So I got to know Miguel in the field. He was an idealistic man and I could see that he enjoyed helping the people we visited. I dont remember that he commented on the run down state of the clinics and schools you surveyed. But once while we were riding in the back of the truck near El Sauce I saw a truckload of building materials being unloaded at a school. Roofing, pvc pipes, lumber. I asked him if the schools were being remodeled and he said yes, it was one of his projects. The last time I saw him, having dinner at Dona Mercedes kitchen, I wished him success in his career and hoped he would someday become mayor of El Sauce. One last comment, in the blog you said that Daniel Ortega had interests in Hotel Seminole and in casinos. I remember about the hotel and maybe it had a casino but I didnt hear he was a casino owner. But I do remember hearing that Pres Ortega had a substantial personal interest in the national electricity grid. I love your blog and thanks for including me. Bob

Comments on: Managua, Nicaragua – The End – But Never The End

By: costajill