| Mission | | | History | | | León Staff |
Mission
The programs include education about both communities, travel exchanges, involvement in educational, medical, agricultural, nutritional, construction, and community development projects in the department of León. This sister city organization affirms a shared membership in one human family and a commitment to work for peace and justice.
History
After seeing the effects of the long history of US intervention in that region, observing first hand the immense poverty of the people and being challenged by the tenets of liberation theology to align with the poor, the group began to tell its story and encourage more "solidarity trips" to Central America, especially Nicaragua.
In 1987 community members from Adams County, Pennsylvania and members of the College community formed a Sister City organization, Project Gettysburg/León (PG/L), in order to foster friendship and understanding between the two countries and to provide assistance to neighborhoods in and around Nicaragua's second largest city through people to people exchanges, community development projects, and humanitarian aid.
In its first 20 years PG/L partnered with another program, Project Minnesota/León, sharing projects, office, and staff in León. As of 2007 the two organizations function independently, and PG/L maintains an office in León with a full-time program coordinator.
In 1989 León, Nicaragua was officially recognized by the Borough of Gettysburg as its Sister City. We are also officially recognized by the Nicaraguan government as a registered non-profit humanitarian-aid organization working within its borders and subject to its regulations, including an annual audit.
PG/L is a non-profit 501c3 corporation registered in the state of Pennsylvania.
León Staff
Country Director Greg Bowles
The following is excerpted from an
introductory letter sent to PGL.
My name is Greg Bowles. My past work includes time as an adult
educator in Alaska, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia and
Peace Corps staff in Bangladesh, and three years working for a
sister city project between Boulder, Colorado and Jalapa,
Nicaragua. Those years in Nicaragua were among the best and
worst of my life, the best because of the many wonderful
Nicaraguans I worked with and the worst because of the poverty I
witnessed every day. In the end the best certainly outshone the
worst, because most Nicaraguans have not given to the despair
and hopelessness that would be easy to embrace. But perhaps my
greatest inspiration in Nicaragua has come from a more personal
source, as I met my wife Mercecdes there, and her vision of what
is possible for her country has heavily influenced my own love
for Nicaragua
My vision of the work is to have local communities in Nicaragua involved in the decisions about the direction of PGL’s work. My past experience, as well as my wife’s experience, is that the best projects are the ones where the people who receive the benefits play a crucial role in planning and doing the work As Delmore Schwartz wrote: “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities.”
One of my aspirations for my role with PGL is to find ways to help both communities, Leon and Gettysburg, to grow closer and to understand each other more. In order achieve that I will certainly need the help of Nicaraguans and I will look for the same thing from Gettysburg and its people.
Housekeeper Anielka de los Angeles Carvajal García
Anielka de los Angeles Carvajal García is 24 years old and comes from a very humble home. Her father is a farmer and mother is from the edge of the city. She has two siblings, is married and has two children, Lipzy, 5, and Rudy, 3. She currently works as the housekeeper of PGL. On Sundays she studies at INTAE-INATEC and is in her last year of a technical degree in Business Administration.