Elections of the Ruach Foundation board
According to our bylaws, meetings must be held every two years in July to elect the seven members of the Board of the Fundación. A general meeting is convened and the ballot to choose candidates is taken in writing. A new board would be facing the challenges that the current board faces right now: in addition to the financial challenges, there are also substantive matters that require careful consideration.
Our Board elections were held in August after some delay. Three new people (number 2,3 and 7 in the photo) replaced others who stepped down. Although this means there is some ‘fresh blood’ on the Board, personally I would have liked more new faces, and in key positions, because we need a board which actively will put their shoulders to the plough to tackle our financial problems. This was not the forte of the old Board. So may the new board develop more initiatives!
Our 5th birthday
At the end of August we celebrated our 5th anniversary with a special lunch for staff and the out-going Board members, in a simple way, also because of necessary COVID restrictions as the Delta variant was rampant in Nicaragua at the time. To highlight the occasion, Daniella had produced a short video in which each of our 6 core members were introduced. The video was well-received and gives a good idea of the atmosphere and the people living in the community house.
COVID
The COVID situation in Nicaragua has not been as serious as it is now. A number of hospitals now only offer medical help for COVID patients. Oxygen bottles are becoming scarce. The Government is passive and in denial: they hold on to idea that there is only one COVID death per day, although this is disputed everywhere. The assumed figures from independent doctors for last week were: 1,865 new cases, 329 deaths and 25,156 Covid patients. It is hard to get to the real truth, as COVID testing is the prerogative of the Ministry of Health and they do not test much.
Private schools are offering online lessons again. In public, 90% of the people wear masks. Carpenters who make coffins are very busy. At the Community Home we stay home as much as possible and we have tightened our preventive measures again. Fortunately with good results so far!
