On July 16th this year, our dear friend Bob Barr died after a long illness.
Bob founded the Estelí Women's School in 1999. So everyone here owes a huge debt of thanks to him on that score but also for the constant support he gave to Superemos and its community projects right up until his debilitating illness. Bob also founded a possibly unique scholarship program in 1998 for 40 young women from very low income rural families to help them complete their teacher training in the local Escuela Normal here in Estelí, which prepares young people as primary school teachers for Nicaragua's Ministry of Education.
At Superemos we are very grateful to his widow Beatrix for continuing this program on Bob's behalf in recent years. We are also very appreciative to Bob's daughter, Lissa Shaw, for administering the Barr Foundation's invaluable support for our community programmes. All of us at Superemos and at the Escuela Normal send our love and thanks to Beatrix, Lissa and all of Bob's family for the great gift of Bob's enduring solidarity and friendship with the people we all serve here in Esteli and Nicaragua.
Here is a video prepared by Maria Julia Rodriguez and Sylvia Torrez Rugama with Bob and Beatrix Barr's scholarship students in homage to Bob. For us Bob's death means we have lost someone whose guidance and concern made him very much family for all of us here but whose example will ensure his work will continue through the lives of the countless people he has helped and inspired.
A message to the family of Bob Barr with heartflet condolences from the Estelí Scholarship Program.