(The following article is taken from the February 2006 issue of Our Town Magazine Brookline, with thanks!)

Brookline's Sister City by Joan Millman

Imagine the excitement! The school cow had arrived!

Here in the most primitive of settings, the cow would provide fresh milk for the youngest students. Unlike typical schoolyard “trappings,” the new cow was a cause for major celebration. Twenty years ago, Brookline resident and Boston Public School teacher Maxine Shaw took a leave of absence to teach in rural Quezalguaque (kay-zal-wa-kay) located 30 miles from the Nicaraguan capital of
Managua. With a population of 10,000,Quezalguaque was home to the“poorest of the poor.”

A Primitive Life
When Maxine arrived, there was no indoor plumbing. She drew water from a well and used a latrine. She slept in the one-room schoolhouse. She took part in a farmers’ tradition called pepinando. Stooping for leftovers behind the tractor as it cut corn, people collect the gleanings and bring them home to feed their families. City-bred Maxine actually drove the tractor – to the amazement of her students – freeing one more worker to join in the pick-ups. It was 1985, the height of political awareness about Central American poverty and inequities. It was also a time of great hope, since the new Sandanista government was struggling to provide free universal education and health care.
Among the forces of nature that affect this part of the world – hurricanes, earthquakes, mud slides, volcanic eruptions – one immovable force is Maxine Shaw. In 1987, her persuasive energy brought Brookline into the fold of Sister Cities, an organization encompassing 1600 communities across 110 countries. Now, for the past two decades, as Brookline’s Sister City, Quezalguaque has been the beneficiary of countless acts of kindness and generosity by the residents of Brookline.

The History of Sister Cities
In 1956, President Eisenhower proposed a people-to-people program for citizens and community organizations. Participating cities communicate both professionally and socially, paving the way for improved cultural understanding, technical assistance, and economic investment; as well as educational, medical, and environmental training. Together with a group of Brookline activists called the Muddy River Affinity Group,Maxine ignited Town Meeting’s fervor to adopt a Sister City. Town
Meeting member John Basset’s resolution received resounding acceptance. The Board of Selectmen followed with a similar resolution, formalizing the Sister City relationship, and opening interaction and
enrichment for both towns. With the blessings of the Selectmen, flags, proclamations, and plaques were exchanged, a formal reception held, and collection bins set up in the Town Hall parking lot.“This is a longstanding and deeply felt relationship,”Town Adminstrator Richard Kelliher says.“Particularly after they were hit by two devastating hurricanes, Brookline outdid itself to send money, goods, and supplies.What a touching human experience,” he said.

Brookline’s Sister City program relies totally on volunteer contributions. The project receives no public
tax funds.And what contributions! Brookline’s focus has been on medical, educational, environmental,
and housing assistance, and disaster relief.

Building A Library
Clearly, among the village’s immediate needs was a library. Two local architects with experience in library design,Tony Tappe, a Brookline resident, and Marta Portocarrero, a Nicaraguan residing on Beacon Hill, donated their professional services. Longtime Sister City stalwart Raymond Borsman and project treasurer J.Archer O’Reilly oversaw the construction.

Funds were raised by the Brookline Rotary to provide computers and most of the library furnishings. John Grew and Elias Audy spurred the Rotary’s grant, while Brookline High School students raised $3,500 for books. In addition, the Brookline Booksmith, Schoenhoff ’s, and The Children’s Bookstore in BrooklineVillage set out collection boxes for Spanish language books. Six to seven thousand books were purchased or collected. Brookline also made a commitment to fund the salaries of two professional librarians for five years. Now open six days a week, the library is also used by residents of neighboring towns. A lending library is very unusual for Central America,where most libraries require
patrons to use books only on the premises.

A Clinic Comes to Life
Perhaps an even more significant contribution was the health center. A group of volunteers from Brookline and neighboring towns built a health clinic in 1989. Through the support of the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health, the center provides a full staff of physicians and nurses.The clinic is free and open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Thanks to the efforts of Sister City, there are now three dental chairs, which were donated by retiring Brookline dentist.There is also a dental x-ray machine and ceiling fans.Mass General Hospital donated scrubs. A few years ago, Dr. Bruce Moore led a team from the Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity.The team flew down to measure the vision of hundreds of Quezalguaque residents, and 500 pairs of glasses were donated. Recently, Ayuda en Accion, a Spanish charity, added a maternity ward.

Confronting Health Issues
Brookline volunteers and fundraisers have been actively involved in combating the health problems that affect Quezalguaque. Where there are active volcanoes, there is asthma. Brookline purchased and sent a dozen nebulizers and tubing. In addition, a mosquito spraying machine was provided in response to incidences of malaria and dengue fever. And thanks to the gift of its Sister City, there is now a $3,100 blood testing machine to study blood chemistry. Sadly, the citizens of Quezalguaque suffer from a prevalence of renal failure. Sister City Health Commission Chair Richard Segan and Drs. Peter Stringham and Dan Brooks are working with researchers from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and Ministry of Health in Nicaragua to discover the cause. Family practitioner Stringham says,“They have ten times the incidence of renal failure than we have in the U.S.” Some possible causes under investigation include exposure to agricultural pesticides and herbicides, and a home brew, called lija, which is stored in metal or plastic drums. Segan, a health care administrator for the elderly, and Sarah Johnson, a specialist in international public health, went house to house with local
authorities gathering data on past victims of renal failure, as well as current renal patients.The search for a cause continues.

An Outreach for Housing
Housing in Quezalguaque is an ongoing challenge. Funded by Chobee Hoy, simple cinder block houses, some with primitive indoor plumbing, are being erected by volunteers from Habitat for Humanity.One of the youngest to assist in this effort was Brookline’s 12-year old Aisha Simon, who spent a week in Quezalguaque with her mom, Kirsten Russell, and brothers Sam, 11, and Jake, 9. Traditionally, pre-bas mitzvah students do a mitzvot, an act of kindness, to mark their new adult role in the Jewish community. Inspired by her piano teacher’s interest, Aisha chose to go to Quezalguaque. With only two weeks’ notice, the family prepared for the journey. Twelve Brookline adults joined them. Aisha’s first impression: heat! No paved roads, few electric lights, an outdoor sink, an outhouse. (The lack of modern facilities didn’t daunt the Sister City Simon family since they have a simple cottage in the Maine woods.) They paid a local family $100 for room and board for a week. Meals were mainly rice and beans. The language barrier presented a great opportunity to play Charades! Aisha likes to play soccer, but she could play only with the boys, because girls don’t play soccer in Quezalguaque. The family’s job was digging the holes for house foundations.The scene resembled something out of the popular children’s book, Holes. Imagine Jake’s chagrin when he dug them in the wrong places! They built supports, mixed cement by hand, and slept during the hottest hours of the day. At her bas mitzvah at Temple Sinai, Aisha reported on her experience. In the invitations, she had asked for donations to Quezalguaque. Such deeply felt outreach is called G’milut hasadim.

Delivering Sports Equipment
Early in the Sister City relationship, Brookline provided backboards, baskets, and basketballs for a basketball court built in the Quezalguaque town square. More recently, Brookline sent enough sports equipment to outfit four baseball teams.Most of the equipment was donated by Brookline Little League and public school students. The contingent that delivered the equipment was on hand to watch a game between two village schools.

Providing Disaster Relief
In 1989 and 1999, Brookline rallied to provide relief to its Sister City after hurricanes Joan and Mitch. A 20-ton container left Brookline in January 1999, filled with 31,000 pounds of powdered milk and large quantities of rice, beans, clothing, and medical and school supplies to aid the victims of Hurricane Mitch. There was a grand public send-off, with then Lt. Governor Evelyn Murphy, a Brookline resident, leading the remarks. A representative from Brookline traveled to Quezalguaque to meet the container
and supervise the distribution of its contents.

Sharing Visits
A mother-daughter contingent from Brookline in February 2001 brought 22 suitcases of donated school supplies and sports equipment. While in Quezalguaque, they instructed local teachers about the latest teaching methods in the U.S. In October 2000, the first official delegation from Quezalguaque brought
the mayor, the parish priest, the director of the health center, and a teacher to Brookline. Sister City Week was proclaimed in their honor. Brookline’s State Senator, Cynthia Creem, hosted a reception in the delegation’s honor at the State House, and local homes welcomed them. Richard Kelliher warmly recalls hosting the mayor of Quezalguaque in his own home.“We talked all hours of the night.”

Passing the Torch

Charismatic leaders are always missed when they retire. Maxine Shaw is planning to move on, relocating to Florida at the end of this school year. The baton will be passed to another dedicated volunteer, Carol Caro, a retired librarian who was elected co-president this past November. And
the passion will prevail.