Rice Mill Revives Nicaraguan Village
|
La Barra, a small coastal community off the east coast of Nicaragua, sustained heavy damage from
Hurricane Stan.
 The new 400 square foot rice mill comes equipped with new machinery for the villagers to harvest and process rice.
|
LA BARRA, Nicaragua - He shakes his head in distress while describing what was left of his
village in the wake of Hurricane Stan.
"The hurricane wiped out all of our crops. Nothing was left standing … hardly one rice stalk was
left standing. You can imagine how sad this is for us," he said as he stared toward the barren
fields.
Immediately after Stan hit in late 2005, annihilating villages and towns along the Caribbean coast
of Nicaragua, Operation Blessing began providing disaster relief in the form of food, medical supplies
and clothing to townspeople and families in need.
Partnering with Peace and Hope Trust, OBI focused their primary efforts on rebuilding the village's
economy and food supply by constructing a 400 square foot rice mill. The new mill is a concrete structure
which is more resistant to severe weather and is fully equipped with new machinery to harvest and process
the rice.
"Our rice mill was destroyed. We thought we would never have one again. Now, we can start to plant
rice again," said one villager as she stood smiling in front of the mill. "We are very thankful for the
rice mill we have received in La Barra."
Future projects for the village also include the construction of a multi-purpose community center.
The center will hold emergency food rations and medical supplies; serve as a shelter during future
hurricane seasons; and stand as the town worship center after the village church was destroyed by
last year's storm.
In addition, a concrete wharf, solid enough to withstand severe weather conditions, will replace
fragments of a wooden dock that once stood prior to Hurricane Stan. A 32-foot boat that can carry up
to 8 tons of goods and equipment will also be donated to the town, providing a much needed transportation
link for this remote, coastal community.
How You Can Help Today, the 60 families of La Barra prepare to plant rice again. Your continued support of OBI programs will ensure that relief arrives to communities like these that have been devastated by hurricanes. Thank you for partnering with us to break the cycle of suffering!
|
]