With an office staff now firmly rooted in Altagracia, BOSIA projects and delegation proliferated: “Geek” delegations worked on bringing free e-mail to the office and local schools. Teenaged “Hep Cats” swung their partners to salsa and taught swing dance to Ometepe dancers. Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin returned to film their sequel, “Islas Hermanas.” Former high school student delegates returned to spend more time and involve themselves more deeply in their communities:
Since increasing coffee sales profits were no longer needed for water systems, BOSIA developed a procedure designed to make sure that money went to the highest priority projects proposed by communities (rather than thought up by well-intentioned nortenos).
The Sister Islands office on Altagracia’s main street gave the association tangible visibility and became a busy place.