"San Juan de Limay," the words themselves tell the story of this once stormy and now dormant town. During the revolution, suspicion hung heavy in the air. People never knew who to trust, who would take their children away to fight. Contras against Sandinistas, at times brothers spilling each other's blood. The Sandinistas were supposed to end hunger. The Contras were going to reclaim the country and turn it into a democracy. Time has passed. Much has happened. But hunger remains in San Juan de Limay.

And yet there is a quiet poetry in this town. As you walk away from the heart of the town, the sky cracks open and unveils a majestic landscape. When families and friends come together, smiles reveal immeasurable beauty and hearts ring truth.

	Cows grazing on the outskirts of San Juan de Limay.

The small, dust-ridden town of San Juan de Limay is located on the outskirts of the city of Estelí. Bus transportation to and from Limay is available six times a day. But poor families can seldomly afford to travel to Estelí. And most people travel by foot or horseback within Limay. Geovanny Castellón speaks for many neighbors when he utters, "I feel trapped at times in this pueblucho (a dirty, old town.)"

Running water can only found in the center of town, not in the outlying villages. Due to contamination, orders have been given to shut down these wells in Limay. "They tell us to close our wells, but they don't provide us with electricity for running water," complains Miriam Dávila. Many townspeople continue using these wells because electricity shortages cut off the water flow.

	A farmer from f San Juan de Limay holds maizillo, a typical food eaten in this region.

"Only rice and beans don't fail us," declares Gioconda Pino, a campesina union leader. Corn, beans, ayote, and coffee are staple foods grown in the area. Milk, cuajada (a cheese preserved by large quantities of salt and does not need refrigeration), eggs, and meat are luxury foods that are rarely eaten in Limay. This region is extremely arid and it is difficult to grow vegetables in this climate.

Malnutrition is a serious problem in San Juan de Limay and poverty is the culprit. You can see children with aged faces, adolescents trapped in dwarfed bodies, and hair bleached because of an insufficient diet. Gastritis is common in Limay because hunger can cause neighbors to consume excessive amounts of coffee. Enrique Rosales explains, "I suffer from bad stomach aches, last summer it was so bad that I was hospitalized. My family gets angry with me because they say I don't want to eat and get on my horse and go straight to the finca (farm) only having had my coffee. I feel guilty every time I eat."

Respiratory problems are another common health problem in San Juan de Limay. When Lester Rosales, a seven year-old boy, was asked how long he had his cough, he responded, "Always. I can't remember when I didn't have it." The causes include: dirt roads that kick up dust and wood-burning stoves, which do not have chimneys to force smoke outside the homes. When asked about the quality of health care in town, a patient of Limay Clinic replied, "there are many doctors, but not enough medicine."

	Women farmers from San Juan de Limay.

Respiratory problems are another common health problem in San Juan de Limay. When Lester Rosales, a seven year-old boy, was asked how long he had his cough, he responded, "Always. I can't remember when I didn't have it." The causes include: dirt roads that kick up dust and wood-burning stoves, which do not have chimneys to force smoke outside the homes. When asked about the quality of health care in town, a patient of Limay Clinic replied, "there are many doctors, but not enough medicine."

	A teacher from San Juan de Limay shows the poor condition of her classroom.

In respect to education, Limay is facing a crisis because of monthly tuition rates introduced by Nicaragua's "autonomous" system. Under the Literacy Crusade, "autonomous" implied freedom from dictatorial oppression. Now, this word signifies the end of state-sponsored social welfare programs and economic dependency on the central government. "They say autonomous, but we know it is privatization," stated several teachers in Limay.