A photograph can speak a thousand words.

It can show that you do not require the most sophisticated cameras to capture the true essence of a scene. It can also show that you do not need to be a preofessional to make poetry out of an everyday activity. And, most importantly, it can show that children with no means or exposure can weild their cameras like paint brushes and create masterpieces out of the drudgeries of life.

The idea of using photography as a means of honing children's creativity hit Kathy in 2003 when she started with Joseline who was 8 years old then. Kathy knew the idea would be a hit but had never imagined how well it would actually work out.

After all, these kids were not your average carefree symbols of happiness, plied with the latest gadgets and toys. The kids that EI works with live an extremely harsh life in the most shockingly poor conditions. They do not have the simplest necessities of life like safe homes or running water, leave alone electronic gadgets liek digital cameras. Besides, thsi photography program was to be started for teh most at-risk kids, the ones who had the highest chances of defaulting. 

Still, the experiment began in an organized way in July, 2007 in the filthy slums of Granada with 15 nervous students. The beginning was jittery with most students finding it hard to hold the camera steady. But, amazing though it may sound, few of these kids who had never before held a camera managed to create unbelievably artistic shots within half an hour of the first class! This goes on to show that talent and hard work always persist over the worst conditions and the least resources.

As can be imagined, the photography workshop leader was thrilled with the results. The pictures were not jut simple snapshots of any still life but carefully framed posters of the most ordinary objects made extraordinary by their unique points of capture. After about a week of classes, 8 dedicated students were short-listed for the program. They were taught in two batches and timing was adjusted to suit their school schedules. The progress of these 8 kids has been very inspiring. Their photographs posted on Flickr have generated some of the most appreciative comments and numerous “awards”.

 

The only male in the photography classes is Colochon. This 15 year old boy is not only one of the most creative in the class but also the most at risk of moving on to the other side of law. With a recent loss of his father and a very real possibility of getting hooked to gangs and illegal activities, photography seems to be one of the only positive aspects of his life.

 

Extremely passionate and creative, this lad could easily go places if shown the right direction. He surprised everyone with his sensitivity when he suggested the idea of shooting elderly homeless people and child workers to raise awareness about them. This idea is to be one of the next EI projects in June. Advanced classes will be offered to him and other interested kids in summer.

 

It has been statistically determined that most female participants in the EI program (and in Nicaragua in general) often drop out by the time they are around thirteen years old, putting this category of participants at high risk. Photography, thus, became an engaging attraction for these kids who stayed on due to the innovative classes offered.

 

Joseline was the first unofficial participant. She started out by taking photos of kids entering the program as founder Kathy Adams interviewed them. She has matured into a phenomenal photographer and an excellent student who is still very much with EI. Just like her, several other kids, who might have cut short their education, have been tempted into sticking with the program. Photography has become the most loved extra-curricular activity that helps the kids channel their creative energies into timeless creations.

What is absolutely delightful is that these kids try to go beyond the usual technicalities and look deep into the soul of the scenery. A leaf becomes a canvas for shadow play. Fruits change into colorful paintings. A sunrise becomes a light from heaven. Tractors convert into dusty compositions of harvest. A pup becomes the symbol of these kids' sad lives.

 

The heart wrenching conditions of these children are  completely contrasted by the sheer magnificence of their lovely photographs. Every phot shows a mind crying out to have  better opportunities and a heart determined to change the misery of life. Just look at the world through the eyes of the photographers and you see stories of hope amidst misery and courage in the face of devastation.

 

- Neha Singh 

What do you do when asked to help in an area that is frustratingly remote and painfully difficult to work in? If you are a member of EI, you collect all the essentials, rent a pickup truck, and hop in its back to deal with the challenge head on!

In fact, this is exactly what happened when EI was approached by community leaders at Santa Ana de Malacos, a rural location, often accessible just by horses and mules. It didn't matter that no one wanted to work in this remote location; the team at EI took up the challenge.

Their first task was to distribute school supplies like backpacks and uniforms to the children of Santa Ana de Malacos. On February 3rd, the distribution was successfully completed with the help of the Rotary Club. Students as well as parents showed their interest by being present in large numbers.

Anielka, the EI Nicaraguan program director, says about the distribution program, "When we started the program, the children and their parents listened intently to the instructions and were very friendly with the staff. Once the work was completed the parents helped in the cleaning of the classroom and asked questions about the program". This overall participation from the community is what EI aims to achieve because only when every child as well as parent participates actively, will there be sustainable progress. It is, therefore, always heartening to see the enthusiasm and interest of the children and parents.

What is even more heartening is that those students, who once were being helped by EI, now help EI with the tasks! Margarita is one of the young girls who graduated from high school against many odds and is about to attend university via EI. This talented student is now an intern at EI and assists new children in receiving education and support. When the distribution of supplies to school started, she was one of the main team players. It is touching to note what she had to say on the day after the distribution.

"When I saw the children wearing the new uniforms and carrying their new backpacks, I was overwhelmed with happiness. I am sure I will never forget this experience and pray to God that someday I start a program like this and help many children."

On the distribution day, not only did EI distribute backpacks and uniforms to children at Santa Ana de Malacos but also distributed supplies to 200 children in Granada, the main location where EI works.
No challenge was big enough for the brave volunteers.

If there was a lack of funds - "we found everything at the lowest cost after scouring all the markets"

If there was too much work - "all parents came over to the office to help in the packing of the supplies which were going to be awarded".

When hungry and tired - "we looked at the beaming faces of the kids and knew that this was the best compensation we could receive".

EI not only provides all the school supplies to the children but far more importantly, provides the much needed support and guidance.

Each family needs to be convinced about the importance of education so that all guardians help their kids with their education. EI uses a special "contract" to ensure that each child completes his education. According to these contracts (which every parent must agree to before receiving all the supplies), the parents need to agree to complete the year, support the child in the best way they can, work with EI and learn, and make an effort to keep the child's attendance high. The parents are also required to attend a monthly community meeting where everyone shares their stories and problems.

Inscription day is always an important function for EI. Teen volunteers, parents, and EI staff  work tirelessly, often more than 10 hours per day, to give the new supplies, and cherish, what Carla terms as, "the beautiful smiles of happiness" of kids. Carla is another young worker in EI who started out as a volunteer, hoping to build up her computer skills and her passion and enthusiasm earned her first right to a position when EI needed a new employee.

A week after the inscription in Granada and Santa Ana de Malacos, Anielka went to distribute supplies to 46 children in Costa Rica, a country much more successful than Nicaragua in development and literacy. This is where EI first started. Today, after 9 years, the families there understand the importance of education and are confident and capable of handling the education of their children on their own. The fact that they "get" the need of education is definitely a high point and EI aims to achieve that and more in the impoverished and neglected communities of Nicaragua.

This year EI has more than 230 kids in Nicaragua. They need to be provided with the school supplies like uniforms and backpacks as they are too poor to purchase them. They must learn to be resourceful, using community and more educated family (often older siblings) as support when school presents challenges, as many parents are uneducated and often illiterate. They have to be encouraged and supported throughout the year to attend classes as the temptation to drop out when situations get tight is strong. Their parents have to be counseled on the need for continuous encouragement and ways to check their child's progress.
This process, which needs to be carried out for each child, may become frustratingly slow and painfully laborious at times. However, for the team at EI, it is work as usual as they prepare for the new set of (more than) 230 challenges.

Neha Singh

We have all worked hard as a team of donors, volunteers, and local staff over the last 9 years with the goal of making a true and lasting difference in impoverished lives by investing in children's education. Today I can say we are definitely seeing the fruits of our labor emerge.  The Nicaragua Press is recognizing this as well.

In December of 2007, for the first time, we had two of our students graduate from High School within our Nicaragua program. This is no small feat from the very impoverished country of Nicaragua, where only 50% of all children that enroll in first grade actually complete 6th grade.*   Now these young ladies have found sponsors who will assist them to embark on the next level of success. They will be attending the University, one studying Computer Science, the other Tourism.  In return for the support, the two young ladies have started interning with EI part-time and are both loving it. Since this has been one of my personal long-term visions, to see our successful participants become active models and mentors to other program participants,  I get chills as I write this. 

Enjoy the article and thank you all for making this dream a reality.  Little by little we all can be a part of the change in making our world a more educated, thus less impoverished place to live. 

------------------------------------

Hope for Students in Granada

Noel Gallegos   END - 19:44 - 07/01/2008

Lizbeth Hernandez and Margarita Arroliga are two young women who live in Villa Esperanza, a community situated to the north of of Granada. These Teenagers, like the rest of the people in this community,  find themselves in a dire financial situation.

While they have lived on the impoverished streets of this heavily populated area, they never imagined in 2008 they would be able to sit at the desks of a university in their country.

The parents of these young ladies, with limited financial resources, until not long ago could hardly pay for the high school education, and only with a huge amount of sacrifice.  However, thanks to the help offered to them by the organization Empowerment International, these two young women will be able to see their dreams become a reality.    

This program's endeavor is oriented toward the social aspect of the community and is led by North American woman, Kathy Adams.  The organization is a non governmental, non-profit, organization.  for several years, it has been dedicated to making schooling accessible to children of low income families who lack financial means in Villa Esperanza.  

There have been a constant stream of visitors to the office today. It's the deadline to submit an application for EI's 2008 program, and mothers and fathers are sitting patiently, waiting to speak with Anielka or Milagros. By the end of the day, over 135 applications have been submitted.

“I'm estimating that probably, we have around 50 spots for new students,” Anielka says. The math is not difficult.

 

Some families, perhaps like Reina del Carmen Morales, the mother of three, will be left out.  Reina del Carmen has three children. A single mother, she earns less than a dollar a day working in the free trade zone that abuts the barrio.  “What I manage to earn goes towards food,” she says. “There isn't enough money left for uniforms, shoes, or school supplies.”

Her 15-year old daughter, Gema, is hopes to start high school this year, and she hopes that her 8-year old son, Luis Francisco, will manage to begin the third grade if he will be healthy enough.  “He was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago,” Reina says. “He missed the entire school year last year.”

Medical expenses are also a concern for the small family. Luis regularly visits a hospital in Managua to receive expensive treatments – blood transfusions. They receive some help from other organizations, but hardly enough to make ends meet.

“With luck, with help, we do it,” says Reina. “I hope that the Empowerment International scholarship will make it that much easier.”  Still, it's not yet certain whether Luis will manage to get a scholarship.  Whether there is  a chance for for Luis to attend school  depends not only if he is well, but i there is room in the program  and in how many other deserving candidates there are.

“We're going to evaluate the applications,” says Anielka. “We'll be looking at attendance, grades, teacher evaluations. Still though, there are so many students.”  Anielka added that recently another community has sought out EI's support. “In Santa Ana, here are another 50 students who in need as well. I don't know if we'll be able to help them all.
The road to Santa Ana los Malacos

Santa Ana los Malacos is a community about 5 miles north of Granada. Anielka visited the pueblo at the behest of Sergio Cabrella, one of the two teachers who instruct the 60 or so students there.

“There are always problems,” Cabrella says. “The situation is difficult. Sometimes there's no food at the school (students are traditionally given lunch in Nicaraguan public schools – rice and beans), and then the kids don't attend.”

Cabrella says that around 50% of the adults in the community are unable to read, and teenage mothers – 14, 15, or 16 years old – are not uncommon.  “I've worked there for 11 years,” he says. “In that time, we've been teaching class in a community center. There's no proper school.”  

 

That is not all that the rural agricultural community lacks.  “There isn't any potable water,” Anielka says. “Some people have wells, though most don't even have electricity. It's clear that there is a lot of need there.”

Whether EI will be able to step in to help is uncertain. There is need everywhere in Nicaragua, and with limited resources, it's impossible to address it all. Still, that doesn't mean that one should not try.

“We'll see,” says Anielka. “We're looking outside of Villa Esperanza for students now. Perhaps in the future, we'll able to work in other cities as well.”

It's clear that there is a long road to travel, not only for EI, but for the struggling families which its scholarships help support. I'm glad that despite the challenges, both EI and the hard-working families that it supports, are trying.

 

-- by Sam Jacoby (on location) 

For Josephina, a 14-year-old girl in Granada, Nicaragua, education is something to be cherished. Every morning she wakes up in the poorest of area of Granada Emerging from her family's home, made from plastic bags supported by sticks, she takes a shower using a bucket. She treks two miles to attend school, and then after classes she travels another two to the market. Once there she buys the makings for various snack foods that she, her sister, and her mother sell on the streets every afternoon. Like many others in Nicaragua, her family's income is about $40 per month.

Despite this life, Josephina has remained positive and excited about (click here to read more on Collecive Lens)

Josephina's Mathematic Olympics award(by Leslie Alsheimer)

The front room has been brightened by the new bulletin board that Karla made this week. I don't know if the writing is legible in the photo I've posted, but it lists how rapidly the program has grown in the last few years. I'll copy it here. I was so impressed to see how EI has jumped in size.

 

    Año 2005: 76 Participantes

    Año 2006: 180 Participantes

    Año 2007: 206 Participantes

 

Considering the resources that the ground staff here is working with and the obstacles that they are working against, that is nothing short of amazing. There is a growing stack of applications for the 2008 program on top of Anielka's desk too, so who knows how many students EI will be able to fund next year.

There are certainly enough needy children.

When you see boys and girls – 10 or 11 years old – selling gum and cigarettes in the street or peddling sandals and tupperware in the market, you realize what a valuable and important job EI is doing here. Literacy rates, which peaked in the 80s after a massive government campaign, have slowly rolled back into the 70^th percentile. Sending kids to school is an important first step in halting that slide into ignorance and putting to end the poverty that is its bedfellow. Hopefully, with more sponsors, EI will be able to fund even more students in the future.

EI's growth, as impressive as it is, is not much compared to Caña's, the office dog. In just a few months, she has easily quadrupled in size. I tried to take a photo of her for 20 minutes, but she can't stay still for 2 seconds, racing from wall to wall, up to the front door, and then back to the patio. We'll go for a walk in the afternoon and let her burn some of that energy. In any case, I'll spare you my blurred photos, though now, sleek and confident, Caña is very different dog than the cowering terrified puppy that Kathy brought home in July.

The rain has slowed, though only to be replaced by withering heat. In truth, it's nowhere near as hot as it will be come the heart of the dry season in April (I'm told), though it certainly seems caliente enough. I have heard that November and December are beautiful months in Nicaragua, and I'm looking forwarding to watching EI finish out the year strong.

 

~ Sam Jacoby  

 

*** UPDATE ***

I managed to snag a photo of Caña in a rare moment of repose. Here she is looking uncharacteristically docile:

 

The video below is a video depicting an average day in a life of one family of Empowerment International.  Until Empowerment International came into their lives , these children were not able to attend school.    They are all excellent students and their mother is extremely dedicated to do her part in making  their lives better, she is even on EI's  volunteer  parent committee.  

A Muddy Commute to SchoolIt's been raining for a week. Everything is damp. Clothes hung out to dry are molding on the line and the rutted dirt roads have turned to mud. Yesterday, a rainbow split the sky. Today, it is raining again.

EI held a program-wide meeting with the parents of enrolled students this Wednesday. Despite the torrential rains, the turn-out was impressive. “Most of the parents came,” Anielka said. “The water was this deep,”she pointed to her mid-calf“ but people came. Some had plastic bags and held sheeting over their heads. Everyone was soaking.”

It is the involvement and dedication on the parents' part that gives the EI program vigor and lasting influence in the children's lives. “I could see how much interest the parents had,” Anielka said. “They were very serious about attending, and very concerned about their children, despite the horrible rain.” In the meeting, Anielka discussed the program next year. In response to falling school attendance rates, there will a new process by which students will be selected for EI scholarships.

“There are problems with some of the older kids, they are leaving school to find work,” Anielka said. “It's a social problem in Nicaragua. but it's a situation that we have to live with.” Some students may work because their families need the extra money, giving up on the better opportunities that completing school offers.

“They need an education, and if they stop going to school, they are cutting off the best road,” Anielka said. The new selection process will hopefully ensure that the most deserving students and families receive EI support, at least until comes the day when every student can be enrolled in EI's programs.

For the first time, an interview will be part of the application process, and the students' prior school records will also be examined. “With the new system, we're going to try and make more careful choices with the kids,” Anielka said. “We want to improve the quality of the program participants and make sure that the most dedicated students and families are not being left out.”

Such complex and troublesome challenges aside, it has been a successful year for EI. At the end of this semester, 17 students will be moving on from primary to secondary school, and for the first time, two students will be graduating from high school and progressing on to university.

Margarita Arrólija is planning on studying engineering systems, a branch of computer science, and Lisbeth Hernández wants to pursue a career in tourism and hotels. “We're working on ways to continue supporting them,” Anielka said. “We're trying to work out something with the universities, maybe they'll pay 40%, we'll pay 40%, and the family will pay the rest – we want them to be invested in their children's education.”

Coming back from the meeting, the streets of Villa Esperenza were washed out and Carla and Anielka hitched a ride back to the office in a horse-drawn cart.

   

        -- posted by Sam Jacoby
 

A few kids were already waiting when we arrived. The trip had been short, though bouncing up dirt roads in the back of a pickup truck stacked with school supplies had proved more challenging than anticipated; despite Darcy's careful driving, wayward packets of notebooks slipped out of the boxes, sending Anielka and Carla sprawling to restore them before they bounced out of the truck altogether. Still, we made it in good order—all 186 bundles intact.

With the help of the few early arrivals, we unloaded the truck, and lined a dozen boxes filled with notebooks, pens, pencils, and paper against the wall. It was Saturday morning, but that didn't seem keep anyone in bed, and by nine, students in the EI program began to pour in—most with a parent in tow.

Soon, every desk in the large classroom where the students were gathering was occupied and some of the youngest children sat in circles on the floor. Anielka explained the drawing activity—a connect-the-dot coloring book picture of a dog—and everyone got to work. Older siblings helped younger ones while mothers anxiously supervised, and a brisk trade in colored pencils commenced.

Perros of every possible color, brown to be sure, but also red, green, purple, and yellow, gradually took shape. Children excitedly compared their work, racing up to Kathy and Milagros with pride. “Look, look!” Once finished, they raced out into the schoolyard and received their second-semester school supplies from Darcy.

 

Not everyone was having such a good time. 9-year-old Luis Angeca Tañeda sat glumly in a desk. Not enrolled in the EI program, there was no packet of supplies awaiting him, and no coloring-book worksheet either. “I just wanted to see what was going on,” he said. Kathy explained the program to him, and why he wouldn't be able to receive any of the notebooks, pens, and pencils that others were already waving excitedly. There was only material available for those already enrolled, she explained. His face fell. “Can I join?” he asked. Perhaps in the future, but for now, Luis doesn't live in Villa Esperanza, so he is not eligible for EI's programs.

 

He remained sitting quietly though, absorbing the convivial community atmosphere until Anielka took pity on him and gave him a worksheet. He sprang to life, eagerly collecting an assortment of bright pencils and set to work drawing an electrifying brown-and-green dog. Proudly showing off his work, you would have never known he wasn't part of the program. Perhaps soon, as the program grows and develops, he will be.

 

~ Posted by Sam Jacoby

Unos cuantos niños ya estaban esperando cuando llegamos. El viaje había sido corto, aunque sobre los caminos de piedras íbamos rebotando en la parte de atrás de una camioneta llenos de materiales escolares, este viaje resultó ser más difícil que lo que habíamos anticipado; a pesar del cuidado que Darcy tuvo en conducir la camioneta, las libretas se salieron de sus cajas, haciendo que Anielka y Carla volverlas a poner en las cajas inmediatamente antes que todo lo demás saliera del vehículo. Aun así, pudimos hacerlo todo en buen orden --- resultando que al final todos los 186 paquetes estaban intactos.

Con la ayuda de aquellos que llegaron temprano, descargamos la camioneta, y colocamos una docena de cajas llenas de libretas, plumas, lápices, y papel contra la pared. Era el sábado en la mañana pero esto no guardó a nadie en cama, y para las nueve, estudiantes que participan en el programa de EI empezaron a llegar—muchos de ellos con sus padres atrás de ellos.

 

De una manera apresurada, cada pupitre en esta aula grande donde los estudiantes se congregaron, estaba ocupado y algunos de los niños más pequeños se sentaron formando un círculo en el piso. Anielka explicó la actividad a dibujar ---conectar los puntos en el libro de dibujo en la figura de un perro—y cada uno se puso a trabajar en su dibujo. Los hermanos mayores ayudaron a sus pequeños hermanos, mientras al mismo tiempo las madres supervisaban vehementemente, y un rápido intercambio de lápices de colores entre los niños comenzó.

Perros de cada posible color, carmelita por seguro, pero también rojos, verdes, morados, y amarillos, empezaron a tener forma. Los niños comparaban sus trabajos excitadamente, corriendo hacia Kathy y Milagros con orgullo. “¡Mira, mira!” Unas vez que terminaban se apresuraron hacia el patio de la escuela y recibieron de Darcy los materiales escolares para el segundo semestre.

Luis con Sam Jacoby (autor)Sin embargo, no todos estaban disfrutando de este momento. El niño de 9 años de edad, Luis Angeca Tañeda, permanecía descorazonado en un pupitre. Al no estar inscripto en el programa de EI, no había ningún paquete de materiales esperando por él, y tampoco libros para pintar a colores. “Solamente quería ver lo que estaba ocurriendo”, dijo él. Kathy le explicó el por qué no podía recibir ninguno de las libretas, plumas, y lápices que los otros niños ya estaban exhibiendo excitadamente; solamente había material para aquellos que ya estaban inscriptos. La cara de Luis se acongojó. “¿Puedo participar?” pregunto él. Quizás en el futuro, pero no por ahora. Luis no reside en Villa Esperanza, por lo tanto no es elegible para participar en el programa de EI.

Sin embargo Luis permaneció sentado tranquilamente, absorbiendo el ambiente de armonía que existía en la comunidad hasta que Anielka sintió pena de verlo así y le dio una hoja de dibujo. Este niño saltó lleno de vida, contento, obteniendo un surtido de lápices y comenzó a dibujar un perro de colores excepcionales: carmelita y verde, orgullosamente mostrando su trabajo. Nunca uno hubiera sabido que este niño no era parte del programa. Quizás pronto, a medidas que el programa crezca y se desarrolle, Luis lo será.

~ Por Sam Jacoby

 

The Empowerment International office is buzzing with activity, and it's driving Caña-the exuberant puppy that we call a guard dog-absolutely crazy . She's running in small circles in the courtyard, unsure of where to begin. Everyone else is more focused.

Open boxes are spread across the normally neat office floor, and a dozen people are busily assembling packets of supplies to distribute to students in preparation for second semester. The volunteers are parents themselves, most with one, if not several children enrolled in EI's programs. Ana Rosa González's family-two sons and two daughters-have been involved with EI for the past three years, "from the beginning," she exclaims proudly. "We're glad to be here and help," she adds, taking a break from stacking the notebooks that are part of the mid-year supply package.

Her neighbor in Villa Esperanza, Ana Carolina Ruíz, agrees. Ruíz has two daughters in the program, and says that "the supplies are very, very important to us, they make it all possible." Both are eager to share, and are even more eager to tell about how much they value cooperating with EI to improve their children's education. "It's about unity," says González. "We are all working together to get them through school."

In all, 186 packets are being assembled. In addition to the notebooks, each contains extra pencils, pens, and a stack of blank paper. The supplies handed out in the beginning of the year are far more substantial. Then, each student receives a backpack stuffed with everything they will need through most of the school year: a uniform, shoes, colored pencils and crayons. Even silly putty for the youngest children. That package can cost $30 for each student, a sum that mounts up quickly as more and more young scholars seek to join EI's programs.

Sam is teaching a digital photography program in the barrio with our kids this summer. We will bring you her impressions, stories and experiences throughout the summer. 

 

I went into the barrio with Kathy for the first time today. It was a hot and humid day. I thought I drank enough water, but regardless of how much I’m drinking, I would feel lightheaded every time I try to get up and walk. I felt as if sweat was pouring out of every pore in my body. So when Kathy asked if I wanted to sit down and rest while she looks through some letters, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. About ten mosquito bites later, we started to head out towards the neighborhood where the kids live.

As a foreigner, the site I saw before my eyes was really heartbreaking. What I saw were homes that were assembled together with a combination of cardboard boxes, tarps, wood, and plastic pieces for their walls, topped with tin roofs, while the more well to do families have homes within the same row, but are made with concrete and tiled roofs. A tiny stream of waste water runs through both sides of the road. The kids play by the water and some even splashed their feet in it. They seem to be doing everything outside. They cook outside, they wash themselves outside, they iron outside, and they socialize outside. The neighborhood smelled of smoke because just about everyone burns their garbage by their homes. Each house we walked by, there’s usually a small pile of burning garbage at the corner somewhere.

As poor as they may seem to me though, one thing I noticed in particular is how their smile never seems to fade and how close they are together as a family. As we walked through the neighborhood, the people that know Kathy would greet us with an “adios” while hanging out in their yard with members of their family.

One family that really stuck out for me was a family of six where the mom serves as one of the parent board members for Empowerment International. The little girl’s face and huge, beautiful, brown eyes were unforgettable. While I was photographing her, she looked so shy and so sweet while hanging behind the barbed wire that holds the wood pieces together to form a fence. Fortunately Kathy knew the family so we were invited to go in and hang out with them.

While Kathy and I were walking through the gate, the mother swept away piles of leaves and sticks from the dirt floor and had her kids brought us chairs to sit on. The rusted iron chair that I sat on looked as if it would break if I put anymore weight on it, but I sat down anyways. The mother then must’ve sent her older son to buy Coke to serve us because 10 min. later, he came back riding his bike with a liter of Coke in a plastic bag. The small gesture of kindness was really touching because I know that it’s not something they can afford to do on a regular basis. The kids were so well behaved and so sweet. 

As we started talking, I asked the kids what their names were. Their names were so different from the names of my Spanish students in the States. And because I’m a visual learner I asked the older boy, the one that purchased the Coke from the store to write his name for me so I can remember it. He came back with his full name neatly written on a little scrap of note book paper. The mother then had all of her four kids brought out their books and folders included what looks like all their graded tests and homework during the academic year to show to us. Just the way their faces beamed with smiles and how neatly they kept their work, I can tell that the mother and the kids were proud of their accomplishments. The older brother showed me grades and all his tests and homework, including drawings that he’s done. I asked him to read for me from one of his composition notebooks. He was more than happy to show me what he can do.

I was so absorbed into the older brother’s reading, that flies were swarming all over my plastic cup of Coke that’s been sitting on the ground. From the corners of my eye, I saw his younger brother sitting down on the ground beside my chair and started shooing away the flies. Eventually he came back with another plastic cup to cover my drink for me. I love hearing them speak because it sounded like Spanish mixed with the softness of Brazilian Portuguese.

I looked inside their home from the doorway and all I saw was a dirt floor with two rooms separated by wall made from cardboard boxes and another door parallel to the one I was looking through. Inside was just as austere as the outside of their home. There doesn’t seem to be much of anything in it. I wonder how the kids slept and what their beds must’ve looked like? Kathy showed me pictures of some of the other children’s beds earlier that morning and I just couldn’t believe that anyone would sleep in them.

I’m excited about working with these kids. In the midst of what seemed to me, one of the dirtiest places to live in, I saw people of great beauty, integrity, and with a heart to match their outer beauty. 

~ by Sam (Somphonh) Oulavong

 

Addressing the realities of living in a developing country as poor as Nicaragua requires some consideration to long-term security. This is necessary for the benefit of the program, the staff and volunteers who work with EI. There are many things currently under consideration as we further establish the EI’s foundation for the next level of growth ~ a permanent, more central location in Granada, 24-hour security, shared with other organizations, etc.

This puppy is EI’s newest volunteer and another long-term security measure ~ although it may take another 6 months until she can grow into her new role.

Her name is “Cana” short for the national drink Flor de cana, a local Nicaraguan brand of rum.

Security is likely to be an on-going discussion surrounding EI's program, both in our current barrios and areas we expand to. To read more of Kathy's thoughts on this issue, read "Can we build a bridge?" 

~ by Janine Ramlochan

Kathy arrived in Nicaragua last week. She will be there for 6 weeks to organize the program direction for the 2nd half of the 2007 school year (the school year runs from Feb-Dec).

Part of the task is to purchase, organize and distribute school supplies to all the children in the program throughout Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Any donations received at this stage would be very much appreciated.   

 

~ photo by Leslie Alsheimer, Santa Fe Digital Darkroom

I feel that no pictures, written, or verbal words can truly explain my experience in Granada. I try my best in the blog, but know I can never do justice. I learn something new everyday… from a stranger on the street, to the friends I have made. There is someone always willing to teach me more about the Nicaraguan culture.

The World Cup starts tomorrow which will be exciting to watch over the next month (I don’t have a TV, but I have friends that do!). Although Nicaragua is not in the World Cup, it is still a big event to follow here.

I went to Costa Rica last month to visit the project in Alajuela, which is not too far from San Jose. EI has been in Costa Rica since 1998 so the program is well developed. The kids eagerly came running to give me hugs and kisses and show me their grades. The children have learned through EI the importance of education and they take it seriously. In Costa Rica the children appear more outgoing and expressive than in Nicaragua. We are hoping to instill these same thoughts about education in Nicaragua and help them become more expressive.

~ posted by Darcy (06.08.2006)

 

 

Two years ago I spent seventeen days in Granada, Nicaragua. A good friend and I delivered suitcases of children’s books and instructional materials and volunteered at Donna Tabor’s school for street children. Newly retired from twenty-seven years of teaching and serving as a professor of literacy education, I had worked with thousands of teachers in hundreds of classrooms and now as a volunteer, I was again sharing the fascinating process of teaching and learning. But my trip made one thing clear -- too many of Nicaragua’s children were not attending school. Parents may be lucky to make thirty-six cents per hour. If not, children selling or begging on the street could help put a meal on the family table.

In spring of 2006 I learned of Empowerment International. Their efforts in Nicaragua and Costa Rica to provide essential uniforms and school materials, tutor kids at home, and counsel parents to focus on the long-term payoff of keeping their children in school fit my dream for Nicaraguan children.

Now in January of 2007, my husband Bob and I have come to Granada delivering 80 pounds of backpacks and school supplies given by EI donors. We will also participate in the hectic and rewarding days of distributing the school supplies to the children.

At the airport, we pile the supplies and ourselves into a worn Toyota taxi. At a small house in a modest neighborhood, we meet Darcy, a volunteer who shows us around the spartan EI office and her living quarters. Simple wooden tables serve as desks, notebooks, papers and supplies fill crude shelves. In one corner, the requisite balls and bats, always found in places where adults and children work and play together. We also reunite with Anielka, a native Granadan whom we met when she was working at EI headquarters in the United States and studying English. Anielka is gracious and talented, with a smile which lights up the room; a terrific ambassador for Empowerment International.

Four simple wooden rocking chairs face the center of the office–the kind one sees all over Granada. Families carry them into the street each evening to visit and enjoy lake breezes. EI volunteers work and conference in these rockers. With laptops awkwardly balanced on their laps, they make the plans that get over 300 kids to school and help them succeed.

On this day, we visit the barrio Villa Esperanza for the first time. Volunteers walk or ride bikes from the office into the barrio 2 miles away. As we enter the barrio from the rear, Kathy calls out a greeting and a wiry man in his late forties, Don Horacio, comes to open the barbed wire gate. He moves smoothly although his left foot was injured in the war. He hurries to place white plastic chairs in a circle under the shade tree in front of his simple home of weathered wood. Kathy, Darcy and I sit. Bob and Horacio argue over who will take the last chair. Finally, Bob accepts Horacio’s hospitality and our host sits on a stacked-block wall next to us.

Upon hearing Kathy’s voice, two teenage girls join us. They both hug Kathy and Darcy and extend hands of welcome to us. Yoaska, the younger, stands near Kathy’s chair and drapes her arms around Kathy’s neck. As we talk, she runs her fingers through Kathy’s wild golden hair. She braids it and fashions several up sweeps. Kathy gives herself over to her impromptu hair dresser as she tells us how Horacio helped her begin her work here. He has worked hard to organize his neighbors and bring electricity and running water to the barrio. He is also involved in a new government plan to help his neighbors obtain medical care.

The girls are good students, attending a school geared toward career preparation. Yoaska takes additional English classes and both girls are learning computing. I’m struck by how comfortable I feel here, but we must move on if we are to see more of the people with whom EI works. Houses made of corrugated tin, scraps of lumber and plastic, line either side of a dusty rutted path. As we walk, children run out to the fences that separate their yards from the road. Darcy and Kathy know all their names and make introductions mentioning what each child is good at, what games they like, or ways they help their families.

Children of all ages play together–the kind of free-form play I remember as a child. They use balls, sticks and swings cut from old tires. Older children care for younger ones. A boy of eight or nine carries his baby nephew off to change his pants before introducing him.

Further along we meet a woman and her husband who are parents and grandparents of the children we just talked to. She is taking computer classes. Kathy says she’s a community leader. The couple is patient with our Spanish and we share stories of our lives.

After leaving the barrio, we stop for much needed beverages. As we sit in the shade and drink Coke Lights, Bob admits he is shocked by the poverty and is grateful for the chance to help. We’re both touched by the warmth and dignity of the people we’ve met. “Que Dios les bendiga!” “Que les vayan bien!” “Gracias por todo.” The gracious words ring in our ears as we walk down the cobblestone street to our room for the night.

Today, I get to help with registering children from Villa Esperanza in Empowerment International’s 2007 school year program. Kathy and I walk to the school where the E.I. staff is calmly finishing the final touches on organization for the big day. Half of nearly two hundred children will register today, the other half tomorrow. The walled-in school compound takes me back to the American School of Guadalajara, Mexico where I taught thirty years ago.

I am assigned, along with Kathy and three others, to interview the children and help them write letters to donors. The interview template looks straight forward. I think I understand the Spanish. We open for business and greet the parents and children who arrive at our door. I introduce myself to a very small boy and his mother and ask his name. He stares wide-eyed. His mother nudges to tell his name. Finally, she says it for him.

The room fills with children’s voices. Everyone seems to be talking. Everyone but my little boy. I ask if he has brothers or sisters, if he has a pet, what he likes to play. With each question, he smiles wider. His eyes are big with wonder. He looks at me as if I’m a rare bird. I wonder, does he understand me? I know how different Nica Spanish sounds to my Mexican trained ears. How must I sound to him?

“I’m sorry my Spanish isn’t better,” I tell him and his mother. She says she can understand, but this is his first time. He’s beginning school this year. I try to speak slowly and clearly, shrink closer to him and make my smile as big as the one he shares. I compliment him for being big and brave. Finally, with much prodding from Mom, we finish. Once finished, he’s as hesitant to leave my table as he was to speak. Through the morning I interview other kids, returning students who are quick to respond and enjoy telling about themselves. I enjoy them all, but my little first-timer is something special. The first-timers are so brave as they make the first steps into the new world of school.

Midday Yoaska, her sister, and two friends come to register. The young ladies with rod-straight posture and thick shining hair are striking in their immaculate jeans and tops with wide eyes and quick smiles. They offer to stay and help interview other students when they finish. Yoaska answers the last interview question and asks why there is a blank space at the bottom of the page.

“So the volunteers can translate the Spanish into English for the donors,” I answer. She sees a chance to practice the English she’s learning and starts translating her interview. When she gets hung up on something, I help. In no time she finishes.

I’m taken aback to see how much English she’s learned and we show her work to Kathy. After a hug of congratulation, Kathy grins and hands Yoaska a stack of interview forms. Yoaska motions for my help. We work through letter after letter. With each one, she grows more confident. When the English does not match the Spanish grammar, she wants to know why. I do my best to explain. She is so driven to learn and succeed, she frowns with impatience when I take a bathroom break or stand to stretch. At the end of the day, she hands Kathy a thick stack of letters she has completed. Delighted with herself, she gives me a big hug.

Yoaska’s mother has waited for her all afternoon. When I note how bright Yoaska is, how much English she knows, her mom sits tall and gracefully accepts the praise, smiling into her daughter’s eyes.

I walk back to the center of town tired but happy. I’ve been among the parents, children, volunteers, Anielka and Kathy for just two days, but I’ve seen how well they work together. The E.I. staff offers support and holds high expectations and the children respond to meet these expectations. As one who has spent nearly thirty years working with teachers and schoolchildren, it is a pure pleasure to see a program that works so well and accomplishes so much to better the lives of these children, their families, and the community.

~ posted by Sheila McAuliffe