Our Story
Building ties of peace and friendship was the goal of the delegation from various Durham congregations that went to Nicaragua in June 1993, looking for a sister community. The US-funded Contra War was over, and the long process of rebuilding the economy had begun. The delegation visited the town of San Ramón, which is the center of a rural municipality of the same name in the mountainous highlands of north-central Nicaragua, in the department of Matagalpa (for an explanation of Nicaraguan geo-political divisions, click here). The municipality of San Ramón is home to about 45,000 people, most of whom depend on subsistence farming and income from day labor on coffee plantations to survive. The combined impacts of extreme poverty and limited road infrastructure result in very limited access to basic services.
That first visiting delegation was impressed by these people who had survived foreign occupation, military dictatorships, and ten years of civil war (for more information on US involvement in the Contra War, read this summary at ViaNica), and yet were still inspiringly resilient, open, and full of life. It was this spirit that motivated our founders to return home and begin Durham-San Ramón Sister Communities. Later, as more people from Raleigh, Chapel Hill-Carrboro, and Morehead City-Beaufort got involved, the name was simplified to Sister Communities of San Ramón (SCSRN).
Since its foundation, SCSRN has been a part of countless community development projects in the municipality of San Ramón in the areas of health, education, and tourism (for a complete list, click on the following link: 2016 Summary of SCSRN projects). One of our greatest legacies as an organization was the creation of Finca Esperanza Verde Eco-lodge and Coffee Farm, founded in 1998. At that time, no one in San Ramón knew what tourism meant, and people were doubtful that visitors would come to their out-of-the-way rural municipality. Nevertheless, they were intrigued and willing to help us make that happen. Now, FEV is an award-winning, internationally recognized eco-lodge and farm, and SCSRN’s tours have connected countless visitors with the community of San Ramón through our personalized cultural immersion experiences. We sold FEV in early 2013, and since then, we have worked closely with the new owners who enthusiastically want to continue serving as hosts for our groups. For more information on FEV, see www.fincaesperanzaverde.org.
We’re happy to say that this story isn’t over yet. SCSRN continues to work with and for the people of San Ramón, and we continue to make people-to-people connections between San Ramón and U.S. communities. We invite you to come be a part of our interdependent family!
Mission
SCSRN partners with San Ramón, Nicaragua to support education and community development initiatives that build friendship, understanding, environmental preservation, and respect for human rights.
Vision
We envision that communities everywhere will learn to value and create cross-cultural partnerships that promote peace, understanding, improved health care and education, sustainable community development, and a decent standard of living for developing countries.
Values
We believe in the ideal of an interdependent, one-world family whose future depends on justice, friendship, cooperation, and understanding. We believe that the future of this family depends on preserving and restoring the environment. We also believe that people-to-people connections that respect the power and dignity of each individual are a vital part of creating the bonds needed to support this family.