New office!

Incredibly exciting news from Granada, as tomorrow we open the doors to a new office, affectionately named "Tres Pisos" which means "Three Stories" in Spanish. It's the only building on our street with three floors, which led to the creative nickname. The new office was formerly a hostel and restaurant, and will offer more than 8 times the space of our previous office, allowing us to host all of our activities there (with the exception of soccer practice, although the third floor could host quite the 3v3 tournament). The Grandes group (older girls) will have their own space, as will the Pequenas, in addition to a staff lounge, drop-in homework space, office, equipment bodega, and bedrooms for interns. 

We are really excited to take the program to the next level in this new space. Thank you to our old office for 2 great years!

 

Old office

New Office and Community Center

Revolving Door in the Soccer Without Borders office

This week has been a week of arrivals and goodbyes in the Soccer Without Borders office. Starting of the week, our summer intern Clara returned to the United States. Her sendoff was followed quickly by the departure of Fernando who spent three weeks volunteering in the office. In their place arrived Mary, Myra and me, Lindsey. Mary on her sixth trip to Granada, and third this year will be in the city for three weeks, checking in on the latest progress of SWB and establishing goals for the year to come. Myra Sack spent two months here in 2009 and returns to Granada as the Assistant Director of SWB Nicaragua. I (Lindsey) am one of the new long-term interns in Granada. I will be joined shortly by my co-intern Larkin and am excited to be involved with SWB Nicaragua and keep the program going strong!

I'm just finishing my fifth day here in Nicaragua, but I already feel a huge welcome from the Soccer Without Borders community. Everyone from the youth leaders to the coaches to my host family to all of the families in the barrio have been quick to accept me into their community and into the organization. So far this week I've gotten to participate and help in Tuesday afternoon practice, la noche de niñas (girls night), noche de manualidades (arts & crafts) and noche de idiomas (language night). The girls involved in the program have also been quick to greet me into their community, offering hugs and hellos around every corner. The energy surrounding Soccer Without Borders is apparent throughout the community and makes me excited to be here until next June!

Lindsey