"NFA with Kilambe"

NFA Teachers Heather Botelle and Katie Beit are traveling to Central America in March for eight days as part of a humanitarian delegation. They are visiting Kilambe, an area located within the Jinotega region of Nicaragua. They will be involved in a water-testing project and will interact culturally with the local population. Katie and Heather will be living with a Nicaraguan family for one week and will be working with the indigenous people at a school, health clinic, newly established coffee farm, and as a part of a scientific research project.

In an effort to raise funds for the trip, Project Outreach sponsored a Spaghetti Dinner and live auction, held on February 10, 2007 in the NFA cafeteria. The fund-raising committee, which was made up of 14 women from NFA and the local community, were responsible for creating a spectacular evening which resulted in raising $25,000. The money raised will impact the lives of those who live in Kilambe Nicaragua, the 2nd poorest country in the western hemisphere.

Heather and Katie are two of the six member delegation headed to Kilambe. "NFA with Kilambe" is the name of this newly formed humanitarian effort. The group has four main objectives: water testing, health promotion, education and agriculture. They hope to achieve these goals by:

1- Supporting the Millenium Development Goals of the United Nations as they relate to clean water issues in the Kilambe Region.

2-To investigate and improve the health of women and children in the Kilambe region.

3- To improve the quality of education by providing a safer and more comfortable learning environment.

4-To develop and support sustainable farming and agricultural techniques.

Katie and Heather hope their efforts in Kilambe and the Jinotega region will create lasting friendships and a support network that will help the people of Nicaragua well into the future. You can follow them during their journey as we update this page with daily news and photos from the region.

If you have questions for Katie Beit or Heather Botelle about their journey, please click on their names to send them a message.

UPDATE: Final Thoughts & Goals for the Future