BRIDGE/library: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:29, 8 June 2010

Fig 1: Volunteers helping with the construction of a medical clinic in Amaya

Fig 2: Students walking home from the school which will manage the completed library

Fig 3: Typical home construction in Morrito

Fig 4: Lacking running water, Morritans use these structures for bathing and washing cloths

Fig 5: Fishing Lake Nicaragua from the port of Morrito

Our first project as BRIDGE Nicaragua is the construction of a 18'x30' library and computer center for Morrito Nicaragua which grew out of our first trip.

Project Details

BRIDGE Nicaragua is a group formed by students from San Francisco State University who are working with local Nicaraguan communities in an effort to improve infrastructure and quality of life. We are currently working on a project in the small fishing community of Morrito, Nicaragua.

Morrito is the third poorest municipality of the second poorest country in the Americas. 34% of the population lives in extreme poverty at less than $1 per day.

Volunteers for BRIDGE Nicaragua first became involved with the town of Morrito after being informed by a local contact of the underdevelopment in the community. In April 2008, local Mayor Eda Medina and Judge Juan Sandino, along with other community leaders, met and decided a new library and computer center was of the highest priority. This would allow for access to information, education, and job skills at the moment inaccessible in Morrito.

In August 2008, a small group of BRIDGE Nicaragua volunteers made our first trip to Morrito in order to meet with the community and make preliminary plans for the project. After raising some funds, we returned in January 2009 and donated laptops, books, and other materials requested by the community. We were also able to finalize details on the library and computer center as well as perform health surveys and hand out health packs to families.

At this point in time we are in dire need of funding for this project as well as future projects we are in the process of planning. If you are interested in donating to our cause or would just like more information about BRIDGE Nicaragua, please leave a message on the talk page.

Donate

To donate, please click here

BRIDGE Nicaragua is a project of International Humanities Center, a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. All donations are tax deductible.

Please note that BRIDGE Nicaragua is an independent organization of Appropedia. To donate to Appropedia, please go here. Thanks Appropedia for allowing us to use your webspace and creating this wonderful community of people who are making the world a better place.

Morrito Contract

Click here to see the contract we made with the municipality of Morrito on our last trip.

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+[[Image:BRIDGE1.JPG|thumb|Fig 1: Volunteers helping with the construction of a medical clinic in Amaya]]
+[[Image:BRIDGE3.JPG|thumb|Fig 2: Students walking home from the school which will manage the completed library]]
+[[Image:BRIDGE5.JPG|thumb|Fig 3: Typical home construction in Morrito]]
+[[Image:BRIDGE6.JPG|thumb|Fig 4: Lacking running water, Morritans use these structures for bathing and washing cloths]]
+[[Image:BRIDGE7.JPG|thumb|Fig 5: Fishing Lake Nicaragua from the port of Morrito]]
-The community in Morrito, Nicaragua, has experienced hardship due to a lack of clean running water, internet and community lending libraries for children and adults.  The government of Nicaragua reports that 34% of the population lives in extreme poverty at less than 1$ per day. We want to help them out and one of the best ways we know of is education, so we hope to build them a library and computer center.
+Our first project as BRIDGE Nicaragua is the construction of a 18'x30' library and computer center for Morrito Nicaragua which grew out of our first trip.
-Lending libraries enhance education and information transfer. The community lending library will work in conjunction with the local school and act as a place where students and adults and borrow and read books.  This will be the first library in the municipality of Morrito which has a population of 6000.
+== Project Details ==
+BRIDGE Nicaragua is a group formed by students from San Francisco State University who are working with local Nicaraguan communities in an effort to improve infrastructure and quality of life. We are currently working on a project in the small fishing community of Morrito, Nicaragua.
-==Aug 2008 Trip==
+Morrito is the third [[poorest]] municipality of the second poorest country in the Americas. 34% of the population lives in extreme poverty at less than $1 per day.
-[[BRIDGE/trip1| This page]] Has the travel log and initial plans for the first trip that we took in August 2008.  You can see photos from that trip [http://picasaweb.google.com/bridge.nica/Aug2008# here].
-==Jan 2009 Trip==
-[[BRIDGE/Trip2| This page]] Has the information on our plans for Jan 2009 including information for people planning to come.
-==Library Plans==
+Volunteers for BRIDGE Nicaragua first became involved with the town of Morrito after being informed by a local contact of the underdevelopment in the community. In April 2008, local Mayor Eda Medina and Judge Juan Sandino, along with other community leaders, met and decided a new library and computer center was of the highest priority. This would allow for access to information, education, and job skills at the moment inaccessible in Morrito.
-The structure will be 6 by 10 meters (18 by 30 ft) constructed of steel beams, rebar reinforced cement walls and a tin roof.  The structure is estimated to cost $12,000.
-Construction will be overseen by a local professional contractor and completed by volunteers from San Francisco State University, UNI (Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria), and the local community.  Once completed, half of the building will be devoted to shelves with books, and the other half of the building will hold desks and computers.
+In August 2008, a small group of BRIDGE Nicaragua volunteers made our first trip to Morrito in order to meet with the community and make preliminary plans for the project. After raising some funds, we returned in January 2009 and donated laptops, books, and other materials requested by the community. We were also able to finalize details on the library and computer center as well as perform health surveys and hand out health packs to families.
-We will be coordinating with many entities to complete this project.  UNI, an engineering university in Managua is very experienced in development projects and is designing the structure so that it can be constructed with local skills and materials and is accepted within Nicaraguan building codes.
+At this point in time we are in dire need of funding for this project as well as future projects we are in the process of planning. If you are interested in donating to our cause or would just like more information about BRIDGE Nicaragua, please leave a message on the talk page.
-We are also hoping that one of several existing library charities we have identified will help us obtain our initial collection of books and guide the development of our library policies. The students of San Francisco State University will coordinate all aspects of the project, recruit volunteers and raise the necessary funds.
+== Donate ==
+To donate, please [http://ihcenter.org/groups/bridgenicaragua.html click here]
-==Schedule==
+BRIDGE Nicaragua is a project of International Humanities Center, a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.  All donations are tax deductible.
-A community meeting with the citizens of Morrito will be conducted on September 4th.  The structural design, a modification of the typical Nicaraguan school designs, will be completed by the end of September.  Funds will be raised throughout October and November.  Materials will be purchased and shipped in December. Construction of the structure will take place during the first 3 weeks of January.  Finally, books and computers will be shipped to the library in February.
-The library will be constructed such that additions could be easily added.  After the competition of the first phase of this project, second and third phases consisting of a computer center, and a well for the community will be pursued.
+Please note that BRIDGE Nicaragua is an independent organization of Appropedia.  To donate to Appropedia, please go [http://forum.appropedia.org/support-appropedia here].  Thanks Appropedia for allowing us to use your webspace and creating this wonderful community of people who are making the world a better place.
-==Help==
+== Morrito Contract ==
-===Fund Raising===
+Click here to see the [http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~dreber/MorritoContract.pdf contract] we made with the municipality of Morrito on our last trip.
-The most cirtical issue that we will be dealing with in the next few months will be  raising money. Perhaps you know of a rich uncle?  Perhaps your previous employer has deep pockets?  Perhaps you can throw a dinner party for your friends?
-So far we have raised $50 of $12,000.
-===Construction===
-You can also help us with construction of the library.
-So far 3 of 12 seats are occupied on the Jan trip.
-===Books and Computers===
-If you happen to have a large stack of unwanted Spanish books on hand, or a pile of computers, we would love to talk to you.