Ayudame a Crecer

It as been a grueling couple of months, but our new outreach program (Ayudame a Crecer or "Help Me Grow") is starting to make some good headway. In January, we hired a new Promotora, Maricela, who together with our Director Sebastian, located 54 children (ages 5 to 16) from some of the periphery barrios of Camoapa. Some of these children have never been to school, some have dropped out, some are just barely learning their letters and numbers. All of them are extremely poor and vulnerable. Working together with the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education, we have placed all of them in a school setting that works for them and their families. Some attend during the day, some at night and some on the weekends. Additionally, we have begun a reinforcement program that happens twice a day for two hours at a time, here at the Hogar Luceros del Amanecer. Local teachers in training are receiving credit from their university program to assist us in giving these children extra homework help and socialization experience so that they can be successful in school and in the future. Many of these children do not have the experience of socializing with others outside of their own homes, so this is a critical part in helping them thrive.

It has been a tough project to get off the ground. Many of these children are intimidated in class, some are expected to work when they are not in school, others are living so far away that it is difficult for them travel back and forth. We are doing what we can with the resources that we have and we are maintaining communication with the families of these children and their teachers so that we can target the difficulties that each one is struggling with. We are also strategizing ways that we can collect more school supplies by requesting donations from local businesses and organizations that are concerned about the education of their local children. Any new program is always a learning experience, so in the words of our Director, Sebastian, "No dejamos de luchar!" "We can't give up the fight!"

Here are some pictures of the new kiddos at work: