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Steve, Jude & Amy-Ruth in Honduras First of all, apologies for not having written a newsletter for so long. No excuse really except that the first few months of this, our final year in Honduras, have passed so quickly that it has left us reeling!
We were then called to MOPAWI’s main office in Tegucigalpa for a couple of months to work with the Directors on a funding proposal for the European Union which, if successful, will help fund the campaign for indigenous land rights in La Mosquitia. Life in the city (pollution, noise, traffic, high crime rates etc) is obviously very different to that in Belén and it took us a while to get used to it but it soon became more enjoyable as we took advantage of the chance to be in more regular contact with our families and started to attend a lively church. We also enjoyed having access to luxuries such as ice-cream, pizza and the internet! Through the church we found an excellent nursery for Amy where she made some good friends and learnt loads of Spanish.
We are also involved in the local Moravian church in Belén; helping with the annual planning processes, leading adult Sunday school and speaking at conferences from time to time. Amy-Ruth
She is very rarely ill so a urine infection in October took us by surprise, especially when she had to be hospitalised for a couple of nights in La Ceiba. However, the infection cleared up rapidly once she started the course of antibiotics and she has had no problems since. La Mosquitia enters the beauty products market For generations the Miskito people have used the oil from the native American palm as a skin and hair treatment. Most of it is produced in the area of Kruta, one of the poorest and most vulnerable areas of La Mosquitia, and since 1985 MOPAWI has been working with the people of Kruta to try and increase sales of the oil, recognizing the benefits this could bring to the local economy.
With a projected demand of up to 100,000 litres of oil during 2005 (last year they were asked to provide 30,000 litres, the year before, about 10,000!), it is estimated that this year the initiative will provide employment for around 500 people. The communities involved have already seen significant improvements in their standard of living in terms of food security, housing and health. A fund has also been established from the Canadian company’s profits to provide grants for young people from the area who wish to go on to further education, something that very few people have been able to do before. At the moment MOPAWI is coordinating the purchase and quality control of the locally processed oil but, with training and technical accompaniment, it is hoped that the community organizations will eventually be able to take over these roles. For more details visit www.ojonhaircare.com
Contract extension As many of you know, we have been discussing with Tearfund and MOPAWI the possibility of extending our current contract, which ends on 31 July this year. We have recently agreed a six-month extension to the end of 2005. We plan to fly back to the UK in December to spend Christmas with our families, and then return to Edinburgh for the New Year, basing ourselves at our flat in Balerno as we continue to reach decisions about the future and look for new jobs. All prayers appreciated!
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