n ns i s t e r c i t y p r o j e c t

2011

The Norwalk/Nagarote Sister City Project

is a partnership for sustainable community

development between the people of Nagarote,

Nicaragua and the Greater Norwalk Area

in Connecticut.

WE HAVE A

SIGNIFICANTLY

LOWER

INCIDENCE OF TEEN

PREGNANCY AMONG

THE PROJECT GIRLS.

Our 25th year was more than memorable! n We marked our 25th anniversary in Nagarote with a

fantastic celebration for the opening of our new Community Center with more than 400 guests and presentations by our kids as well as a festive party here in the U.S.

n We’ve hired Carol Way as our new Executive Direc-tor. Carol’s background and experience in non-profit management and fund raising are a perfect fit for our needs.

n And, thanks to your support, we survived another year of this endless recession.

Jeronimo Lopez Youth ProjectAs we enter the 10th year of the Jeronimo Lopez Youth Project with 185 teens participating, we take enormous satisfaction knowing that we have rid that desperately poor barrio of the teen gangs and violence that plagued it 10 years ago, and we also seem to have had a significantly lower incidence of teen pregnancy among the Project girls. Building self-esteem through community service and promoting education have proved very beneficial.

Our good friends from Torrington, Conn., Volunteer Optometrists in Service to Humanity (VOSH), held their annual eye clinic in January in San Juan del Sur, the surfing capital of Nicaragua, and we sent a busload of Project kids. Twenty-seven people received new glasses; 15 of our scholarship students were checked by the pro-fessionals and five of them needed eyeglasses. The stu-dents in the hair styling class provided free haircuts for school children as part of their community service. Two of the girls in the dressmaking class assumed a leader-ship role and have started a dance group. They per-formed at our graduation party.

Reading CirclesTwo of our former Youth Project participants who are now in college, Fabiola and Anielka, are now on our staff lead-ing a teen girls’ reading circle group, engaging the girls in discussions of the books they read. There are 15 in the teen girls’ group and 20 in the younger mixed group. The younger group is creating a puppet show of one of the sto-ries they read. These groups are fostering love for reading in an area where books are rarely seen and reading is usu-ally a chore.

INCOME 2011

30% Events

28% Grantsand Restricted Donations

37% Membership and Unrestricted

Donations

5% Sales

Community Garden & Tree NurseryWith a grant from First Congregational Church Green-wich, we grew 200 fruit trees from seed and planted them in the tree nursery. Some are already bearing fruit. We also received an additional 200 high-quality fruit trees from the Nicaraguan Institute of Agricultural Transformation. One of the ways our organic model farm will help local farmers is to be a source of high-quality organic seeds. Unusually heavy rains in the fall have impacted the garden, and produce yield is down to 775 pounds plus medicinal herbs and plants. However, the contour lines and wind barriers we established proved to be very effective in reducing soil erosion and improving water retention.

Kitchen GardensOur partner, Micro-lender SosteNica, has undertaken a project to encourage families to plant kitchen gardens. Because of our long-standing relationship, they chose 10 families from the Jeronimo Lopez barrio. This is a key element in improving the diets of our kids by adding fresh produce. At the end of the first year in less than four months of project duration, the 10 families had success-fully grown around 500 pounds of fruit and vegetables. The participating families had a potluck dinner celebrat-ing the harvest including salads, spinach fritters and juices. One of the gardeners is Arelys, a former Project member who lost her lower leg to bone cancer. Her gar-den was built up on raised beds made of old tires so that she could tend it more easily.

Bike LoansTwelve bikes were bought this year and given to people in the community who need them to get to work. All loans were repaid by the end of the year and another round of loans will be made next year.

EXPENSES 2011

ADDING FRESH

PRODUCE IS A

KEY ELEMENT

IN IMPROVING

THE DIETS OF OUR KIDS.

93% Programs in Nicaragua

5% Supplies, Postage,Printing

2% Professional Fees& Services

ScholarshipsNine preschoolers graduated and now have scholarships. We currently have 82 scholarship students from first grade through university and, on average, 30 attend weekly tutoring sessions. Monthly meetings with parents offer an opportunity to provide brief workshops on par-enting and other issues and to engage them in community service projects. We will have five high school graduates this year. We arranged a meeting with some of our cur-rent college students to motivate them to continue their education. Our star college student, Leo, is tutoring them on the college entrance exam. When you bear in mind that few of their parents completed sixth grade, this is an astonishing achievement.

PreschoolThis year there were 45 children in the preschool. The preschool staff enjoyed workshops presented by Joan Parris and Priscilla Woyke. Joan is the Director of the Early Childhood Education Program at Norwalk Com-munity College and Priscilla is a professor there. In Sep-tember, the preschoolers and their moms made a field trip to the community garden where parents were encouraged to start their own kitchen gardens.

DelegationsIn January, seven board members spent part of a week in Nagarote and again in August, five board members attended the opening celebration of the community cen-ter. In March, nine students from Wesleyan University’s Nagarote-Wesleyan Partnership (NWP) spent a week working in the community garden where they planted around 100 meters of our very successful wind barrier. This enthusiastic delegation also helped with the con-struction of the New Community Center.

PartnershipsPartnerships help us accomplish more for the people of Nagarote:n SosteNica, a micro-lender in Nicaragua, provided

supplies, training and support for 10 Jeronimo Lopez barrio families to grow their own kitchen gardens.

n Volunteer Optometrists in Service to Humanity wel-comed a busload of project kids and adults to their annual eye clinic.

n The Wesleyan-Nagarote Partnership sent a group of nine students (see Delegations).

n The Mayor of Nagarote, Juan Gabriel Hernandez Rochas, spoke eloquently at our 25th anniversary celebration and entertained us at his home for break-fast the next day.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE

82 SCHOLARSHIP

STUDENTS

FROM FIRST GRADE

THROUGH UNIVERSITY.

HEROES Over $1,000AnonymousVirginia AusterCarl BaileySandy & Kelly BanksJean ChappellBill Collins & Tish GibbsMark & Angeles DamKirsten DenneyFirst Congregational Church of Greenwich Women’s FellowshipThe International FoundationTom & Sandi KretschJohn Levin & Diane KeefeBill & Susan PascucciHans Wilhelm PlateChristina SmillieFrank White & Susan MansfieldJohn & Priscilla Woyke

BENEFACTORS $201– $1,000AnonymousBachand DiScalaRichard & Susan BanksAnita BehnkenAnn Bello Steve Berizzi Robert BroudyDan & Pat CampbellAdriano & Flora CayetanoAracely Centeno

Jeff & Missy Conrad Jennifer Cunningham Matthew & Marybeth DarcyDarien United Methodist ChurchMatthew & Dana DembskiDave FrancoJoe & Susan GarofoliMarvin & Chic Goldstein Martin Greenberg TrustPeter GuarinoSandra GutierrezScott Harris & Anna ManzoSean & Laura HigginsBarbara HudginsIan JohnstonBruce Kimmel & Kay AndersonAmanda Marks Alex Nason FoundationPhilip & Gail NegusBob NixonBill Papas Jesse & Joan Parris Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts ProgramErika RaczDennis Rivera & Teresa BischoffDick & Carolyn Ross Billy & Sally SalancyClaire SchoenPaul SinalJohn & Susan Strand

Chuck Tauck & Fran LittinPhuong Tran & Sue Anne CayteanoMark & Kimberly TsocanosJoan TweedyCatherine UrbainWilton Quaker MeetingNate & Mary Yordon

SUSTAINERS$51– $200Jud & Maria AleyArch Chemicals, Inc.Kathleen ArrixArtist’s MarketBud & Betsy BainJudith BarryBencom, L.L.C.Bert’s TreesEsther BessWilliam & Barbara BidellNiki Bleifeld Kelly Braddock William Brancaccio Steve Brescia & Jill WeilerWalter & Gwen Briggs Brody & AssociatesDave & Marie Claire Bue Gary BurfootBob & Mimi Burgess Thomas & Suzanne CalnonPaul Cantor & Myska LopaurJohn Casiano & Maria KerkajoLeslie Chapman

Christies Service StationNick & Arline Cioffi Julisette Collazo Commercial Capital ConnectionsCompendium PublishingJames & Cathleen CondrenConsolidated Color PressDarin CookBill & Barbara CoxAnn Crampton John & Sheila CreaturaHarry & Jane CuthbertsonDenny DavidoffJo Ann DavidsonJohn & Deborah DeAcutisBob & Judi DennehyGregory & Carolyn DeTroyJay & Kathy DevineJohn & Stephanie DevitaEd & Anke DewDiMar ElectricJoan DionneTom Doyle & Karen AschChristian & Helen Eidt Alvin & Susan EpsteinJose & Angelisa FranceschiniDylan & Mandy GermishuysRoger & Marty GilbertJeanne GoodmanDonna GormanGeorge Gorman & Christina Casagrande

Royal GravesDorothy GrimmFrank HallCharles & Rose Lee HalperDouglas & Denise HarnedTheresa HasselrotLeslie HauckAnnabelle HecklerRichard & Heather HopkinsEllis Horowitz & Lisa CombsTom & Karen HowesRobert & Mary Ann HumeElizabeth Jenkins-SahlinSarah JohnsonGrace KanePeter KautskyKbeau CommunicationsNolan & Barbara KerschnerKimmerline & WisdomJune KingMerle KoteenYves & Carol KrausPaul & Pat KrauseMarian KretschAnthony & Lisa LaudicoGerald & Kathleen LeonardEster LightSandy LippeLovejoy & RimerBill & Ann LowRichard & Annette MaibergerAnn MandelGeorge Mandler

Gillian MarshallJay MarshallRobert & Sallie MarsicoMarie MartinezJose MattaLorenzo & Patricia MatteraJudith McDowellMet LifeTony & Dorothy MobiliaHatsie MooreGerry & Joyce MoranKatherine MorganMiriam MossPaul MossCatherine NeiswongerPatty NuelsenPete & Cece OrvisEthel OwensStephen & Roberta PeetLeonard PerezGregory & Jane PerryArt PerschinoSusan PfeilDerek & Judy PhillipsPhilmark LithographicsPhotographic SolutionsCharill PierceJohn & Patricia PodkowskyStephen PolizziPrudential FoundationR.J. Aley

Dana RaphaelLouise ReidChristopher Renaud & Mitra BehrooziSheila RietanoDick Roberts & Jane MillikenKathy RobertsRochelle Field, MSWBernard RomboutJohn Ross & Monserat GarciaArnie Rutkin & Sally OldhamGunnar SahlinFrances SalantLucie Sasaki-ScanlonGeorge & Diane SchaumanAlbertus Schmitz & Ceely AckermanLeland & Gloria SmithBrian Stacey & Denise CesareoRobin & Sylvia SteinJackie SteinerBarry & Carol SteinmanMaggie StevensonStylin’Tom & Grace SuraceLee & Joanna SwinerdBruce & Connie TaylorGloria TenofskyT.J. TourseDavid & Mohan TracyNelson ValdezLaura van RiperMark & Diane Vincent

Steven & Susan WallersteinJoan WarburgStuart & Galen WellsKip & Julie WilliamsNadine WilligJennifer WoodWoyke & CompanyAlan Wright & Paula KlineMartha YoheAndrea Zacher-BrownMich Zeeman

FRIENDS$50 & UnderKeith & Kelly AbbottEd & Harriet AbelJanet AdamsPeter & Stephanie AhlTom & Carol AikenheadJanet AleyShelly Altman & Susan BramhallIris AnorgaChristopher AnspachGuy Bailey & Kathy KingSean Barry & Jennifeer GieringAlice BatesDavid BedellJim & Lois BenfieldBrian & Noreen BenzLiz Bradbury & Patricia SullivanSteven & Maria Briones-BarryEileen Brown

Paul BrownMary BudrawichGaston CadieuxPat CallahanHeather CandelsCarlin Paint & HardwareNoel & Lindsey CarotaPaul & Brandy ChapmanAlex ColeConnolly ConstructionRobert & Kathleen CoppolaCharles CortellesiColette Cote-MayerhoefferDavid & Melissa CoughlinCaroleanne CurryJack CutlerAndy D’AlessioTom & Suzanne DeanPieter deKadtRichard & Rosemary DellingerOscar & Margarita DestrugeBetty Devereux & Diane DilleyAlejandro Duhalde & Linda WineBobbie Earle Laura Epstein Exotic AquaticsFrank FayDavid Fletcher & Michelle WhiteDermot & Geraldine FlynnKevin & Jeannine GallagherJulius & Nancy GluckBob & Gail GonyaSteven & Cynthia Gorey

Frank HallPeter & Ann HanlonPhyllis HarrisScott & Nena HasselmannKathleen HauserCelestino HeresDonald & Jeanne Hersam Jr.Neil Hershkowitz & Judy RivasJames & Judy HoffmannJohn & Ann HolmesKatherine HookerJason & Gail HowardPat & Shirley HoweJudy HungaskiAlice HurleyVirginia IlesIntrigue Hair SalonRay & Sarah KamrathJane KieferScott Kimmich & Kate TepperJoe Kirschner & Lisa HaugaardTeri KleinNeal & Catherine KonstantinMitchell & Alison KreuchBill & Regina KrummelEd & Helen KweskinLaBella SalonCandi LaClairGail LaviellePeter & Ann LawLittle Nick’s Pizza

Linda LovettJohn & Phyllis MachledtBrian MageeRonnie MaherFlora MajorMama Carmela’s Italian DeliDavid & Caroline MarrenTim Massad & Charlotte HartGrace MaybellJoanne MayerSusan MaynardC & S McCormack, Inc.Richard & Allison McDermottCharlie & Julie MeadeDennis & Nancy MeanyThomas & Lynne MerceinMike’s Furniture & BeddingAlbert & Pamela MillerStacey MillmanLarry & Cathy MinersBrian & Mary MoranRichard & Doris MungerAlice MurrayWilliam & Lynette MurrayEleanor PalmerWilliam PaolinoJim & Cassie PascucciJose PerezEdwin Phillips & Emmy Marie LopezKimberly PrindlePrudential CT RealtyBob & Jane ReadyJudy Reinhardt

Phil RexonDavid & Pegeen RubensteinJohn & Patricia RyanDavid SarrWilliam ScheydDouglas & Tracy SchiffAnn SeidelMyra SibravaJohn & Nancy SlaisFred & Marny SmithSmitty’s Service CenterSusan SniderDonald & Katherine SnookSuzanne SolenskyMike & Tina SollottRaymond & Christine SpringGail StoneJohn & Dorothy SuttonJohn & Evelyn TheallTriple SIra & Audrey TumpowskyDebby UryAase VanDykeCarolyn WakemanWeezie Reid InteriorsRebecca WhiteKeith & Phebe WilliamsKip & Julie WilliamsSherrie WinkworthEd & Bunny ZammEric & Claire Zielinski

WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED ALL THIS THROUGH THE SUPPORT

OF OUR MEMBERS AND DONORS

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Norwalk/Nagarote Sister City Project

P.O. Box 382

Norwalk CT 06852-0382

203.846.9288

www.sistercityproject.org

Kay AndersonVirginia AusterMarcus CatsamJean ChappellAngeles DamKirsten DenneyTish Gibbs

ADVISORY BOARDDr. Ed DewMonzi FiguresDiane KeefeJohn LevinRachel LindsayMary PensitonRev. Susan PfeilDr. Walter Petry

Scott Harris Karen HowesTom KretschJoan ParrisSusan PascucciFrank WhiteJohn WoykePriscilla Woyke

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Carol Way

EMERITUS BOARD Dennis BradburyPaul CantorBarbara HudginsRonnie Maher

N/NSCP BOARD OF DIRECTORS