By Amy L Wiza | Program Director
Since our last update, the women involved with the Learning Center Program in Nicaragua have experienced a tremendous loss with the death of their leader and coordinator, Lynda Lou Pracht. Lynda died on Wednesday April 24, 2013 in New Richmond, Wisconsin. Even though as her health condition declined and prevented her travel to Nicaragua, Lynda remained in close contact with her counterparts and attended the monthly meetings via SKYPE.
A note from Nicaragua: A life of inspiration, this is what Lynda Pracht means to many people in Nicaragua since 1998. Lynda opened a path of opportunities for our ladies and their families through the Learning Center Program and Chica Nica Project. For 14 years, the ladies in Nicaragua could see the power of a woman that was providing skills to help empower them. Ladies in Nicaragua through the W/NP Learning Centers have felt powerful having Lynda. During these years she directly impacted about 1,000 and indirectly to more than 10,000 people and special ladies in Nicaragua. Sadness came to us about the news that she will not be any more with us, but her legacy will be forever in our hearts. This Saturday the monthly Learning Center meeting will be dedicated to her and we will sing her honor, her favorite Nicaraguan song, Nicaragua Nicaraguita. 14 years of Lynda's dedication to women in Nicaragua has been a really significant second opportunity in life for the ladies most in need in Nicaragua and just we will miss her a lot. - Moises
Lynda Pracht took the Learning Center Program to the next level, she touched the hearts and lives of Nicaraguan women though her development of the "Chica Nica" doll dress project. The magnitude of her influence is hard to fully comprehend. Lynda coordinated the recording and gathering of over 2,000 sewing machines sent from Wisconsin to Nicaragua, she sold 478 dresses in 2012 alone, and her dedication was overwhelming.
A little history on Linda....
Lynda Pracht traveled to Nicaragua in 1998 on a W/NP sponsored Sewing Center Tour. The excellent embroidery and design skills she saw, the enthusiasm of the Nic women, their spirit and their strong desire to become self sufficient, inspired her to find a niche market in the dolls dress trade. Women from the Sewing/Learning Centers are sewing beautiful dresses, designed to fit 18" dolls - now known as Chica Nica Doll Dresses! The dresses pass a rigid quality control review. The Nic women are paid for their work before the dress leaves Nicaragua. Purchase of these lovely dresses provide income to the home, often the only money coming into the household to support the family. Women can stay in their community, earn income, learn a skill and live with dignity.
We are honored to carry on with the Learning Center Program and Lynda’s Chica Nica project and invite you to join in helping her legacy continue. Please see the Chica Nica website to learn more about the doll dresses and women who sew them.
As a longtime family friend and colleague of Lynda's put it, "It would be wonderful if we all could find a passion like that in later life!"
Thank you for your interest, support, and consideration for a donation that will help greatly with materials for the Learning Center Classes, much appreciated by many.
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