Last year Margarita lost her father and consequently her motivation to continue her studies. If it were not for the home visits by the team at Empowerment International, she would have dropped out of school all together. However, thanks to the frequent counseling by the team, a new bond of trust was formed and not only did she resume her studies but also started interning for EI. In fact, she has become the first person in her family to go to college, inspiring her younger brother to follow in her able footsteps.

There are many such stories hiding within the crowded barrios of Granada.

Stories of parents who considered education a waste of time until personal interaction with the EI volunteers changed their perspectives.Stories of teenagers tired of juggling physically demanding jobs and mentally challenging studies, but, nevertheless, hanging on after getting inspired by EI workers to finish studies.

A lot of this change in attitude can be credited to the consistent and encouraging home visits carried out by the EI team. Thanks to these visits, children have improved their school attendance, school grades, and neatness on their workbooks. Today, children as well as parents who failed to understand the need of education, are the most eager participants in EI's program.

The objective of the home visits is to make sure that the children are attending school and are improving their educational process. Their backpacks  and workbooks are reviewed in order to check that they are using the materials provided by EI. The staff also observes their personal hygiene and use of backpacks and uniforms (both provided by EI). Also, the team tries to teach the parents how to best provide positive feedback to their children regardless of their own education level. Sometimes this takes a bit of creativity.

A home visit becomes a significant tool to monitor and follow up on children's school activities. The visits take place throughout the year and the strengths and weaknesses of the kids are analyzed. The basic aim is to learn about the problems faced by the students. Many tend to lose interest in studies due to the difficulties encountered in balancing school and work ( which they need to do to sustain themselves and their families).

The staff of EI gathers information regarding attendance and grades through meetings with the school personnel every two months. With that information in hand, the staff then determines the causes behind poor grades or low attendance. Sometimes students themselves are unwilling to continue studies but often, parents are at fault too. Therefore, the staff meets with the parents on a monthly basis and discusses the difficulties while asking for their support during the following month.

The main idea of the home visits is to establish a strong rapport between parents, children, Nicaraguan Staff, and EI interns. Personal visits help establish trust between the volunteers and the families and allows direct communication with them. Importantly, these home visits prevent school drop outs through constant monitoring, support and counseling.

In a nutshell, home visits aim to groom kids into confident, educated and healthy individuals ready for a bright future.  

  - 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:

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

I spent my first month getting to know the children and learning more about the project. I think I have met almost all of the 180 children in the program! We have a sponsorship program that just started so I spend a lot of time translating letters, taking pictures and doing short interviews with kids. I also spend time playing soccer, kickball, and other games, visiting the schools the children attend, visiting other projects, and just networking around the city. I am enjoying getting to know Anielka (the native who works on the project) and Jude (a volunteer from England).

The barrio I am working in (Villa Esperanza) is about a 20 minute walk from where I live. The roads leading to the barrio are all dirt so I imagine it will be pretty muddy come rainy season! If I ride the bike that is here, I dodge potholes, broken glass, and streams of water -- a bit different than the mountain biking in CO where I am dodging water bars and rocks! There are also plenty of stray dogs, horses, chickens, cats, goats, and cows along the way!

The families live in very basic homes made of wood, tin, or sometimes concrete. I think all homes have running water (although no good sewer system) and electricity. A stream flows in the middle of the dirt road which accumulates lots of trash. A bridge was recently put up in one spot where there was waste/water flowing through the barrio from one of the factories directly behind the houses in the barrio (American owned I think). Walking through the barrio, I can always find children playing, washing clothes, cooking, sweeping, or dumping water in the street to get rid of dust. Some don’t wear clothes; others wear ripped clothing, and most wear flip flops on their feet if they are even wearing shoes.

I have learned that the children need love, affection and even perhaps just a simple sign showing them someone cares. Many parents work all day or are attending to the house and don’t necessarily have time to give the children the attention they need. Many people tend to live in one home due to large family sizes or extended family living in the home. This week I am going to begin doing more organized activities with the children. I am looking forward to spending more time with the children!

As for my living, I am in a house with 3 other women. The house is like any American home except no washing machine, TV, etc. We do have a stove, refrigerator, running water (which sometimes gets shut off), and electricity (which also goes off), and a platano and lemon tree in the back yard along with a hammock. I am really enjoying getting to know Granada and meeting new people. I have met Nicas as well as expats living in Granada. My day starts at 6 AM when I am awakened by dogs, children, or loud music and ends about 10 or 11 at night (unless of course it is a weekend where the discos are open till morning!! And I even watched the sun rise over the lake which is gorgeous).

There are many tourists and many businesses run by expats. I try to go to all the Nica places including the market, restaurants, street food, and businesses run by Nicas when possible. There is not much of a variety here with regard to food, but I am enjoying the Nica food and had my first taste of Nica pasta this past week...mmm, good!!

~ posted by Darcy