Students work to create new organization

Student organizations and faculty are working on a collaborative effort to aid several communities in Nicaragua. The initiative, Outreach Nicaragua, aims to bring together aspects of third-world development, including health care, education, human rights and economic growth, and focus them into one specific area. \nAccording to the 2000 U.N. Millennium Development report, health care, education and human rights are interdependent and cannot survive or become sustainable without each other. The report also explains economic growth alone does not guarantee human rights. Outreach Nicaragua aims to follow this mindset. \nAmelia Reiling, philanthropy head of the Residence Hall Association, thought of the idea for Outreach Nicaragua due to her strong concern for poverty in third-world countries. She believes this initiative is unique because it will focus resources on one specific area while tying together multiple aspects of development.\nReiling hopes once the program is established that members will host fundraising events, plan trips for students to visit Nicaragua to perform humanitarian field work, and invite guest lecturers to educate students at IU about the country. \n"By focusing on one country and starting small in several areas in Nicaragua, the development will become more sustainable," Reiling said. "One major problem I've seen is spreading resources too thinly, which only helps on the surface. Our ultimate goal is to help the people of Nicaragua be self-sufficient."\nFrancisco Gomez-Scifres, a native of Nicaragua and President of the International Humanitarian Committee, supports the initiative. He is working on finding organizations from Nicaragua to get involved. \n"So much can be done in Nicaragua that it will be a wonderful opportunity for both sides," Gomez-Scifres said. "Many different organizations working together, showing concern for people and life outside of the U.S. can help, since Nicaragua doesn't have much coming in now."\nAlthough several other countries were considered for the initiative, such as Kenya and Honduras, Nicaragua was specifically chosen because of its strong ties with Bloomington and IU. For the past 15 years, Bloomington has had a sister-city relationship with Poseltaga, Nicaragua. In addition, IU also has faculty relationships with Central American University in Nicaragua. \nRandall Baker is the primary faculty advisor and supporter of Outreach Nicaragua. He wrote a letter concerning the reasons for choosing Nicaragua. In the letter, he makes a point in saying that not only is travel affordable, but because it is a small country, efforts there can make a visible difference. He mentions the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, pointing out the enormous burden of the cost of reconstruction in such a small country. \nReiling emphasizes the affordable cost of traveling to Nicaragua makes it the practical choice for this initiative. Ultimately, she hopes Outreach Nicaragua will create a model that can be replicated by other universities while creating a long-term relationship with one country. \nJohn Palmer, RHA President, agrees with Reiling's beliefs. \n"Outreach Nicaragua has a lot of potential," he said. "It's an interesting initiative. It will tie universities together on a much larger scale."\nReiling said funding for Outreach Nicaragua would be utilized by a major grant to establish the program, as well as from fundraising by individual departments. Each student organization decides what project it wants to do for Outreach Nicaragua, allowing each organization to maintain its individuality while working together toward a common goal. \n"For instance, business students may raise money to purchase sewing machines for microenterprise among Nicaraguan women, while education students may sponsor a school supply drive," Reiling said. \nReiling is hopeful for the future of Outreach Nicaragua but is still actively searching for more support from student organizations and faculty. \n"By institutionalizing Outreach Nicaragua through IU, we will be able to address the systematic problems of underdevelopment in Nicaragua through a solid program," she said. \n-- Contact staff writer Alison Hamm at ahamm@indiana.edu.