"A Nation's Moral Progress Shows In Its Treatment of Animals." Gandhi. "... and of Earth and her Children."(Echoes of Silence)
Horses and humans have a well-documented empathy, ranging from ‘The Horse-Whisperer’ through to equinotherapy as an established form of care for people with many types of difficulties. Often such therapy tends to be designed, primarily, for the benefit of the humans involved. Nags, Nippers and Mother Earth however sets out to extend compassion not only to the children, so often abused, but also to the ponies themselves, whose experience on the streets is scarcely less brutal.
And indeed to the Planet itself. Nags, Nippers and Mother Earth will offer an ‘equinotherapy for the dispossessed’, bringing tenderness and beauty to some of the most impoverished sectors of society, both animal and human, while helping heal the planet on which all life depends. We've already run some trial visits to the ecological farm which is the heart of the project. They worked really well. The children loved grooming Geronimo, the gentle working pony with which we're starting - ponies straight off the street can be very nervous due to all they've suffered. And based on those experiences we're designing activities to celebrate and combine simply escaping city slums into the countryside and fresh air with practical education in ecological techniques to improve the children's home life and that of their neighbors, including instruction and assistance with planting home gardens to improve nutrition.
A friend, David McKnight of Wales, made this lovely video. A thousand thanks, David; and thanks also to the immortal Victor Jara, Chile's murdered singer/poet, for his lovely song precisely about street kids and ponies. It sets out the projects vision, goals and how you can help beautifully.
The farm is run by Mike Boudreau of Compas de Nicaragua, a long-established community organization working with marginalized families in La Primavera, a city neighborhood of Nicaragua's capital, Managua. Compas' farm is situated in La Paz, Carazo, a small village about 25 miles into the surrounding hills. It's completely organic, wholly dedicated to ecological solutions to waste and contamination, and to the development of an intelligent, loving and sustainable way of life. Read more about Compas here: http://compas1.org
Thus, as the children learn something of the art of animal management, and discover how to produce food, coffee, etc. in a sustainable and just manner, they will also experience a different kind of infrastructure: drainage systems to eradicate grey water with its attendant mosquitoes and water-borne diseases; cooking gas from animal waste; ‘no dig’ gardening; small-scale electric power from renewable sources; using plastic bottles in all sorts of imaginative ways, and many other wonderful, intelligent, simple yet supremely effective projects and techniques. In this context too the children are exposed to a practical philosophy of community and sharing that offers a different perspective – and indeed reality – from the rampant consumerist culture which is tragically destroying the very planet on which we all depend, and by which they have been discarded.
In all these ways, the children are empowered to make a real contribution to improving their families' life back in the barrio.
Beyond this, Echoes of Silence is constantly seeking to link into the wider community, locally, nationally and abroad; to learn from the local farmers and carters; to provide free clinics for the ponies even during their working lives; to obtain more dedicated land for fodder, for shelter and for recreation – for both horses and children; to find ongoing funding and decent stipends for workers. Our ultimate goal – grandiose, but essential for a truly human world – is to work in broad coalition to help eradicate animal and child cruelty in Nicaragua and wherever it occurs, and, through that process, at the same time, develop a society and societies that are intelligent, sustainable and beautiful, founded on cooperation, trust and solidarity.
We welcome questions, suggestions and contacts of every sort. In particular we want to form sister-relationships with pony clubs and other horse-related organisations. The project is also perfect for a school or a faith community. While fund-raising will be an important component of such relationships through sponsored rides, birthday gifts and so on, even more vital is that participants make links around the world, receive regular updates by video and social media, and learn, not only about other children's lives, but also ways in which we can all improve our ecological footprint back home.
To that end, supporters will be encouraged to come visit us in Nicaragua to see how we are indeed all part of the one world - exquisite, exquisitely fragile and wonderful beyond belief; that our children, so often disadvantaged, are still full of spirit and laughter; and that together we can work to heal that shared world and with it all those - animal and human - who suffer so terribly under the current world order.
So, please give a simple, non-polluting, beautiful present to your whole family, by helping us get Nags, Nippers and Mother Earth really up and running. A present that’ll draw you closer together all year by helping heal abused ponies, children and the planet itself. Then share the idea with wider family and friends.
Or simply donate what you can on behalf of the person you wish to make happy.
UK/Europe: please send cheques made out
'Christine Jennings' (memo: Nags, Nippers and Mother Earth)
to
C. M. Jennings, Echoes of Silence,
3 Upper Regents Park, BRADFORD-ON-AVON BA15 1EB
THANK YOU!
Members, donors and recipients will receive a special card, plus regular updates, make direct links with marginalized ponies and children, participate in special accompaniment brigades to Nicaragua,
and have a real say in the project.
DONATE TAX-FREE
USA Online:
https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/ 7315/donate_page/fiscally- sponsored-projects
UK Mail:
Cheques, etc. made out to 'The Christine King Memorial Trust'. Send to C.M. Jennings, Echoes of Silence, 3 Upper Regents Park, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1EB, England.
Phone: (01225) 866181
Thanks to our fiscal sponsors, Nicaragua Network and the Christine King Memorial Trust
all donations are tax-exempt.
