La Barra, a small coastal community off the east coast of Nicaragua, sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Stan.

The new 400 square foot rice mill comes equipped with new machinery for the villagers to harvest and process rice.

LA BARRA, Nicaragua - He shakes his head in distress while describing what was left of his village in the wake of Hurricane Stan.

"The hurricane wiped out all of our crops. Nothing was left standing … hardly one rice stalk was left standing. You can imagine how sad this is for us," he said as he stared toward the barren fields.

Immediately after Stan hit in late 2005, annihilating villages and towns along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, Operation Blessing began providing disaster relief in the form of food, medical supplies and clothing to townspeople and families in need.

Partnering with Peace and Hope Trust, OBI focused their primary efforts on rebuilding the village's economy and food supply by constructing a 400 square foot rice mill. The new mill is a concrete structure which is more resistant to severe weather and is fully equipped with new machinery to harvest and process the rice.

"Our rice mill was destroyed. We thought we would never have one again. Now, we can start to plant rice again," said one villager as she stood smiling in front of the mill. "We are very thankful for the rice mill we have received in La Barra."

Future projects for the village also include the construction of a multi-purpose community center. The center will hold emergency food rations and medical supplies; serve as a shelter during future hurricane seasons; and stand as the town worship center after the village church was destroyed by last year's storm.

In addition, a concrete wharf, solid enough to withstand severe weather conditions, will replace fragments of a wooden dock that once stood prior to Hurricane Stan. A 32-foot boat that can carry up to 8 tons of goods and equipment will also be donated to the town, providing a much needed transportation link for this remote, coastal community.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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