Give thanks and give back

This week we Americans celebrate Thanksgiving and all the good things that we have been blessed with in our lives, however little we actually deserve any of it. Hardly a day goes by in my time here in Nicaragua where I don't find myself humbled in thanks by all the opportunities, resources, and good things that have been given to me throughout my life. Among them: the privilege to be able to serve down here in this country that I love - the beautiful beach sunsets and ocean waves - the children whose lives I am allowed to enter - and the opportunity to really make a difference in a way that I really believe in.

One of those opportunities is a new partnership with Fabretto's Children Foundation, a well-established and highly respected non-profit providing much needed education reinforcement services in Nicaragua. With Fabretto, Nica HOPE will be launching a new computer training program in February 2008 to provide increased education and future job opportunities to children attending the 3 main schools that serves La Chureca and the surrounding community. It is opportunities such as these that we believe can provide real change in the future of these youth!

So while you are home with family and/or friends this Thanksgiving, I just ask that you take a moment to appreciate all that you have been given in your life - and consider giving back to some of the least privileged in a country that has found itself at the bottom of the economic ladder on this continent. Nicaragua is seeking to pull itself up after decades of political strife, civil war, and natural disasters that have destroyed the country and the economy that sustains it. The children here do not enjoy the same opportunities that most of us did as children. Please consider helping us to open up these doors of opportunity so that they may find hope in a future where their own efforts and hard work can bring them a better life.

Click here to donate to Nica HOPE here

Our work is made possible by your support!

Deanna Ford
Nica Hope - Director
Managua, Nicaragua

The big move

I can hardly believe that it’s been less than 2 weeks since I only arrived back here in Nicaragua - and this time, it's long term. So much that has taken place over these past days. Someone very dear to me advised me before I left not to waste any time to get started on the work down here.. that time can just slip away from you where valuable contributions could have be made. Well, so I took his advice and hit the ground running... and haven’t stopped since. Despite my initial jitters, I was maneuvering through the crazy craterland that is the Nica highways only in my 3rd day of driving of learning to drive a stick shift, in my new 4x4 diesel engine pickup truck that I got within a week of arriving here.

I caught a ride to la Chureca my first morning here, reconnecting with that place and those dear children and families who inhabit it.



That afternoon I was running through the dirt roads of Cedro Galan to reunite with my dear girls who I spent all last summer with, teaching for Manna Project International.




The following days were filled with Nica HOPE meetings, project brainstorming, and tours of programs of a well-established organization that we are working through the details of partnering with.


So much falling into place more perfectly than I could possibly have planned or expected them to, through no merit of my own. From an unexpected temporary super-convenient housing arrangement... to a brand new surfboard arriving for me in Nicaragua in a couple days… and, most importantly, to some incredible new opportunities for our organization to make a real difference here in a community that I care so deeply about: The Managua City Trash Dump Community of La Chureca.




We're currently working through the details of the launch of two new projects targeting La Chureca and a big fund-raising campaign along with it. The Chureca Schools Support Program will be working to strengthen the 3 main primary schools that are currently serving the trash dump community. The Chureca Vocational Outreach Program will be providing training in specific skills such as computer training and automechanics that will help given these children greater access to job opportunities upon completion of school. Job training and opportunities is exactly what the people of La Chureca have been needing and asking for. Our estimates so far show that $12 a month will put a student through our computer training program. $20 a month will get a child out of the trash and into school, bring provided with a nutritious snack, uniform, school supplies, household support, and regular family visits from a Nicaragua social worker. It doesn’t take much to make a difference here and help provide the opportunities to open doors in these lives. I hope you’ll consider making a financial contribution!

Donate to Nica HOPE

My favorite thing so far has been finding my dear boy Israel again and his family, who were so much of my original inspiration for starting Nica HOPE. Spending that day at their home in La Chureca with them last December caught my heart in such a way that I knew I couldn’t just walk away – but had to come back and do something. That dear family – Israel (now 6 years old) who wouldn’t let me put him down the whole Dia del Luz day and danced in my aching arms until the sun started to set – his younger brother Reynaldo who has caught the heart of many with his joyous innocence and affection – his darling sisters Juliette, Olondra, and Brittney – and now the newest baby. They have my heart now more than ever…


I hope they capture your heart, too, and will make you consider how you might be able to contribute - whether through Nica HOPE or another organization working to bring opportunity to the people of La Chureca.

Posted by: Deanna Ford - Director, Nica HOPE
Managua, Nicaragua