155 W. 72 Street, #402
New York, NY 10023
Tel: 917-776-4246
Fax: 212-531-1921
info@tipitapa.org
A group of New Yorkers was
hosted by Dos Pueblos’ partner organization: La Asociación Coordinadora
Municipal de Proyectos de Ciudades Hermanas de Tipitapa (COMPALCIHT) for
a week of project review and planning. The group consisted of concerned
professionals from New York.
“Free Trade” is a critical issue in Tipitapa. Located along the
Pan-American Highway, there is one free trade zone with over 27,000
workers in factories owned by the U.S., China, Korea, and Taiwan. A
second free trade zone is under construction that is likely to have an
additional 30,000. Despite this poverty has worsened since we first
became involved with Tipitapa over 17 years ago. We observed the impact
of privatization of basic services like water and schools. Many rural
communities have virtually no services.
The visit brought together activists from the U.S. with activists in
Nicaragua, committed to globalization based on social and economic
justice, human rights for workers and their families, respect for the
environment and a world at peace.
The group gained an understanding of conditions in Tipitapa by:
- Attending meetings of the General Assembly and Executive Committee of the non-profit, non-governmental organization COMPALCIHT.
- Visiting four “comedores”, feeding centers in the communities of Aleyda Delgado, Quebrada Honda, Asentamiento Antonio Mendoza, and Colonia Agrícola de San Benito that together serve over 200 young children each day.
- Meeting with mothers working on self-sustaining projects including a chicken project and a project of worm culture/fertilizer.
- Talking with organizers in the free trade zone and visiting the free trade zone as 27,000 workers began their 12 hour work day.
- Learning about the process for upcoming municipal elections and the impact on forthcoming national elections.
- Being hosted by a community that is organizing with the goal of obtaining potable water for 70 families that presently walk up to a mile for buckets of water.
- Meeting with the Mayor who presented his long term plan and listening to youth working toward reducing gang activity.
- Beginning to plan for the
Evelyn Abrams Mauss health promotion project with meetings with the
Ministry of Health, the UNAN School of Public Health, and health service
delivery leaders in the community.
We hope to organize another delegation soon. If you are interested, contact Dena Fisher at dwf@tipitapa.org or call 917-776-4246.
