WHEN five of us spent a week last month in Leon, Oxford’s twin city in Nicaragua, it was an eye opener. The university town was hot, dusty and very different from the cold, wet weather of Oxford.

Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America after Haiti. Oxford City Council twinned with Leon shortly after Nicaragua’s civil war between the left-wing Sandinistas and the United States-backed Contras.

The Oxford-Leon Association, thanks to the generosity of Oxford people, supports projects to tackle poverty in Leon. During our visit we saw these clean water, school nutrition and bee-keeping projects at first hand.

We met the city mayor, enjoyed Leon’s new botanical garden and visited an urban wasteland, transformed into a children’s playground. We took a four-wheel drive vehicle to the top of a volcano to see the clean water scheme we have helped to fund.

The sun rapidly setting over the Pacific ocean, as pelicans dived for fish, is another unforgettable memory. No wonder Nicaragua is so keen to promote tourism.

We have returned determined more than ever to deepen the friendship between people in Leon and Oxford. Links like this help in a small way to make the world better for us all. Your readers can find out more at www.oxleonlink.org.uk.

PETE FRYER (UNISON) JO LINDSAY JAN MARSHALL (chair of the Leon Association) Cllr MIKE ROWLEY Cllr JOHN TANNER Oxford Leon Association Oxford Town Hall St Aldate’s Oxford