Sir – 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 and wet weather of Oxford.
Nicaragua is the poorest country in South 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 with the city’s mayor, enjoyed Leon’s new botanical garden and visited an urban wasteland transformed into a children’s playground.
We took a four-wheel-drive to the top of the local 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 (Chairman of the Leon Association)
Councillor Mike Rowley
Councillor John Tanner
Oxford Leon Association
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