I first came across the Guardian Weekly as an Australian Volunteer Abroad in Nicaragua in 1989. I was working as a veterinarian with the ministry for agriculture and livestock, and was a highly motivated Sandinista supporter. Naturally we read local newspapers and focused on our Spanish-language acquisition. However, in those pre-internet days, we were always on the lookout for English language material (and news) to read. Books were passed around the Australian and British volunteer group and devoured, with funny parts read out loud to others.
My housemate received occasional packages from her mother in Australia. Because the postal rate for newspapers was cheaper than for other packages, her mother taped tea bags and other treats between the pages of the Guardian Weekly (the original, lightweight paper). Once the tea bags were extracted, the paper was enjoyed by all.
I started subscribing when I moved to Finland some years later and then on to Australia, as a great way to get balanced reporting.
Nowadays, still working in development cooperation, I save older copies and take them with me to developing countries when I visit our projects, knowing that international and local staff alike love the chance to read them.
Thanks a lot to Guardian Weekly for keeping me entertained and informed for so many years.
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