Mass at the Santa Clara chapel
Santa Clara
Community:
Santa Clara is a medium size community with more than 60 families and about 45 houses. It is spread out into 3 different areas. To get to Santa Clara, you drive south out of Villa Sandino for 20 minutes and then walk or go by horse for 45 minutes. It is open country with some dense forest in the hilly areas. They still have enough forest for monkeys to be present.
Economic realities:
They are poor but not one of the poorest communities. There is a mix of land ownership and people who work for large land owners. Dairy cows are the major means for making money, though some raise their own corn and beans. If they don’t work with dairy cows, their work is to clear the land with machetes. There are 2 major needs in the community- 1st is for a road, needed for people to get to church and get their milk to the truck for pick up. They need 3 kilometers of road. 2nd is the need to upgrade their chapel.
Education:
All children go to primary school. Classes are from 8 to 1:00. Secondary (high school) students go to Ricarito School in Santa Tomas on Saturday only. They ride horses for up to 1 hour on Saturday to the highway and take a bus for classes. A significant number of students go on to university classes in Juigalpa. In January 2016, we have one scholarship student.
Church:
The community comes together on Thursdays. Many families participate in Christian Base communities. Groups work with youth, teens, 1st Communion and Confirmation classes. A recent confirmation class had 12 students. It seems to be a very strong church community with good leadership.
Shelby County Involvement
Santa Clara was in the 1st group for solar panels, and approximately 25 homes have received panels. Raquel Del Socorro Gaitan Toledo is a scholarship student from Santa Clara.
Economic realities:
They are poor but not one of the poorest communities. There is a mix of land ownership and people who work for large land owners. Dairy cows are the major means for making money, though some raise their own corn and beans. If they don’t work with dairy cows, their work is to clear the land with machetes. There are 2 major needs in the community- 1st is for a road, needed for people to get to church and get their milk to the truck for pick up. They need 3 kilometers of road. 2nd is the need to upgrade their chapel.
Education:
All children go to primary school. Classes are from 8 to 1:00. Secondary (high school) students go to Ricarito School in Santa Tomas on Saturday only. They ride horses for up to 1 hour on Saturday to the highway and take a bus for classes. A significant number of students go on to university classes in Juigalpa. In January 2016, we have one scholarship student.
Church:
The community comes together on Thursdays. Many families participate in Christian Base communities. Groups work with youth, teens, 1st Communion and Confirmation classes. A recent confirmation class had 12 students. It seems to be a very strong church community with good leadership.
Shelby County Involvement
Santa Clara was in the 1st group for solar panels, and approximately 25 homes have received panels. Raquel Del Socorro Gaitan Toledo is a scholarship student from Santa Clara.
