During May and June this year, Superemos hosted a visit by four post-graduate students from Boston University to study the possible effects of pesticides on the health of local communities in the Miraflor area of the municipality of Estelí as part of their programme of study for their Masters qualification. Lisa Bullard Voltarelli, Melissa Rodriguez Vodak, Kirby Valentin and Rachel Pieciak. worked in a total of eight communities in the Miraflor area, living with local families and learning the various ways that the use of pesticides and fertilizers affect the health of rural families both directly and indirectly through contamination of different kinds. Lisa, Rachel, Kirby and Melissa worked together with environmental science students from the local campus of Nicaragua's National Autonomous University who focused on possible contamination of local water sources. The study by the students from Boston was closely coordinated with the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Natural Resources. We are very grateful to Boston University for encouraging their students to devote their skills and talent to helping communities in Nicaragua and their local authorities to improve the local population's environmental health.
farewell supper, (from left) Lisa, Melissa, Rachel and Kirby