AFTER TWO intrepid residents set out to go and see one of our twin towns for themselves, Reading is hosting an exhibition of their travels and a talk about their experiences.
Russell Maddicks and his son, Francisco, visited San Francisco Libre, Nicaragua, sharing their travel tales online as they went.
Not only did they seek to get to know the town better but they also took educational supplies along with them for residents, as well as correspondence from the mayor of Reading, Cllr Tony Page.
While it was Francisco’s first time visiting his namesake town, his dad Russell has been writing about and visiting Latin America for more than two decades in his roles as a travel writer and BBC journalist.
After returning home, Mr Maddicks said: “We had a really interesting combination of popular tourist sites and seeing the twin town itself, so it was hard not to have a fantastic time.
“Francisco is 11, so I didn’t know how he’d adapt to the small-town lifestyle: there’s few amenities, no cinema, probably about one place you could go and by fried chicken, and maybe an ice cream parlour.
“Coming from Reading to a rural town like that, it was a very chilled-out first experience of Nicaragua– it’s a quiet place.”
During their travels, they climbed the Mombacho Volcano, near Granada, visited coffee plantations, and attended the chocolate museum, where they learned about how cacao is grown, processed, and turned into chocolate.
“I was wondering what Francisco would make of it: we stayed in rustic houses often, and the transport involved sitting in a pimped-out old American school bus next to a kid with a box of chicks, but none of it seemed to faze him at all.
“A big percentage of the population in San Francisco Libre is very young, and families are big, so there were lots of kids about.
“So while he was a little bit shy to start with, as soon as a game of football was struck up, he was arm-in-arm with the other kids and asking me if he could go out and play with the others– it was a great experience for him.”
As for whether Francisco would go back to Nicaragua, Russell said: “He agreed as long as we can go back to San Francisco Libre and meet his pals again.
“SFL is really quite small, and I spoke to a medical professional who was one of those who benefited from the scholarships from Reading’s San Francisco Libre Association.
“So there are people remaining part of their communities, working and adding value, thanks to the work of Reading’s SFLA.
“It has a direct impact on the residents there and also on the environment, through the tree-planting projects– so a small donation can change a child’s life, and benefits residents directly.”
Portraits of those they met along the way are on display in Portraits of Francisco Libre, and Russell and Francisco are set to hold a talk at RISC on Friday, November 2, to share their experiences.
Portraits of San Francisco Libre, Reading’s twin town in Nicaragua is free to visit at The Holybrook Gallery, Reading Central Library.
It’s open from 10am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, starting Tuesday, October 17.
Russell and Francisco’s illustrated talk takes place at RISC, central Reading, on Friday, November 2, from 7.30pm.
Admission is free, details available at: whatsonreading.com
More information about how Reading San Francisco Libre Association supports residents in Nicaragua, as well as how to take part in supporting them, is available via: sanfranciscolibre.org
