Matanzas Bay

Los Árabos - "We have and will have Socialism" - more pictures

NEW  Manchester CSC's new Project in Matanzas 
The José Martí Co-op's Tree Nursery and Market Garden in Los Árabos.

Manchester CSC has finished its work with the project in Matanzas City.  We have been working with the Matanzas office of ICAP (Cuban Institute for International Friendship) to selct a new project in the province.  This has led to the selection of  project near the town of Los Árabos, in the east of the province, where the José Martí Agricultural Coop are establishing a tree nursery and market garden to provide fruit trees, forestry species and vegetables for the locality.  This project will become self financing and provide 5 new jobs for local women.  Manchester CSC is raising the hard currency component of the funding required to establish the project (about 1/3 of the total cost) for things like construction materials, tools and equipment, fuel and office supplies.

NEW  Pictures of The José Martí Co-op:   Powerpoint slide show    .pdf version  
Note:  these are large files .pdf documents need acrobat reader - if you don't have it you can download it for free at  -  this link.  ......or use the Foxit alternative that loads faster and uses less memory.  Powerpoint needs MS powerpoint or the free Open Office suite.

More information is available here (pdf file).
We are seeking donations and regular payments to support this work - can you help?   Standing Order Form   We  sent our first donation of £2,000 in February 2008.

with Paypal or credit card  (click the Make a Donation button).

CSC Events - including Manchester Fundraising events.

Background:  Manchester's Link with Matanzas

The Manchester CSC Group has established a link with the province of Matanzas to the east of Havana. The link was originally established by Stan Dalby of the Bury Cuba Relief Group with help from the National Union of Miners.
Our link was  through the Sindicato Provincial Químico - Minero Energético the Chemical, Mining, and Energy Union for Matanzas Province.
The Chemical, Mining, and Energy Union was approached by the health department to see whether they could accommodate a new family doctor clinic in their premises.  In Cuba the family doctors work on a small neighbourhood basis, not just with curative medicine, but working on prevention and the promotion of good health.  The union already had plans to provide a social centre for the local neighbourhood - a room for coming of age parties, weddings, etc.
Felipe Hector Vega, the union general secretary from Matanzas visited us in  Manchester between 27 Sept 01 and 5 Oct .
A work / study brigade of 12 people will visit in April 2003.  Manchester CSC is also works together with UNISON in the North West which has sent considerable support for health services and  transport in the province.

Most recently (2005) we've sent  books and musical materials to the School of Arts and School of Languages, and a further donations  for a cold store for storing food provided by the government for lunches for older people in the city.

A further group visited in November 2005: members included activists, academics, a local councillor and public sector workers from Manchester and the surrounding area.

We are currently (summer 2006) considering with Cuban colloeagues the next phase of our solidarity collaboration with Matanzas.

Left  << Interior of building before most of the work took place   Right >> Exterior of the building before second story added.
More pictures below

The union only has limited funds for the project, which involves building a second floor on the existing single story colonial era building.

Pictuires below were taken by Jenni Ford in  May 2002.

Below:  The street in La Marina barrio, Matanzas city.  Typical Spanish colonial streets:  the union building is the first house on the left.  The picture on the right shows the building shown above, now with second story and new facade.

The left hand entrance is to the new family doctor consulting room.

(Left)  Construction taking place on ground floor, with Felipe Hector, the general secretary supervising.

You might like to help by making a  Financial contribution to the completion of this project and other health and social support projects in Matanzas.  This can be done through donations or standing order.

Standing order form to print and send to us

Felipe stresses that the most important thing is for the people of Cuba to know that they are not alone - contact us if you'd like to make contact with a person or organisation in Matanzas..

If this sounds interesting then why not get in touch ?    email: Manchester CSC

or phone 0161 881 6887

The Matanzas link is a regular item at our  regular monthly group meeting.
 

Photos from April 2003 Brigade

RED HOT HOSPITALITY Account of the April 2003 brigade visit

report of meeting to launch the link

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