Nica HOPE: Haciendo Oportunidades

Buy Nica HOPE Jewelry

2009-06-05T06:32:00.001-07:00

2009-04-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Announcing Nica HOPE's NYC Benefit Concert on April 22nd

Come out for a fun night of music, merriment, and friends in a benefit concert event with Pete and J , Brent Shuttleworth , and Dusty Brown. All funds raised benefit the Nica HOPE Project of Fabretto Children's Foundation, in support of the children from the trash dump community of Managua.

CONCERT DETAILS
Music by Pete and J, Brent Shuttleworth, and Dusty Brown
Short remarks will be shared by Nica HOPE Director/Founder Deanna Ford

Date: Wednesday April 22nd
Time: 7:30-11:30pm - Stop by or stay the whole evening!
Place: The Canal Room , 285 West Broadway NY, NY
Two blocks from Canal Street subway stops (A,C,E,1,N,Q,R,W lines)

Tickets are $10 online or $12 at the door. Get you ticket online here:

Nica HOPE NYC Benefit Concert Tickets

You will also be able to buy beautiful jewelry made by the students at Nica HOPE or bid for hand-made Nicaraguan artisan work. You can truly make a difference in a child's life by choosing one to sponsor for $30 a month. We will have their profiles available at the Nice HOPE table at the concert, as well as more information on how you can support Nica HOPE.

Please forward this on to any one else you know in the NYC area who might be interested. Hope to see you there!

Nica HOPE is an outreach of Fabretto Children's Foundation

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Wonder what it's like to live in a trash dump?

2009-01-29T15:30:00.000-08:00

Meet Bryan. He's 7 years old and lives in the Managua City trash dump with his mother Luisa and 5 brothers and sisters. He often goes to help his mom work collecting plastic bottles and other recyclable items in the dump and has never been able to stay in school for more than a couple weeks. Now, Bryan comes to Nica HOPE everyday, where he is learning his letters and numbers in a safe and healthy environment. We have helped him enroll in 1st grade for this year, but he needs the after-school tutoring and continual follow-up from the Nica HOPE team to keep him in school and out of the trash. Only $30 a month (that's $1 a day - less than a coffee) to help Bryan or a child like him. You really can make a difference. Nica HOPE can only help as many kids as supporters like you allow.

Sponsor a child with Nica HOPE today

Meet Darling. She is 16 years old and has never made it past the second grade. She has been working with her mom near their home in the trash dump since she was old enough to walk. Now, Darling no longer needs to work in the dump because she earns money through the Nica HOPE jewelry program. At Nica HOPE she also receives daily tutoring classes, to get her ready for re-starting school this year. She still need shoes, a school uniform, school supplies, continual after-school tutoring, and individual follow-up to make it successfully through the school year. Will you help provide these resources for her?

We can't do this work alone.
To join us by sponsoring a child of La Chureca, visit us at:

http://www.nicahope.org/

Our work is made possible by supporters like you.
Many thanks for your support!

Nica HOPE is an outreach of Fabretto Children's Foundation

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Give the Gift of Opportunity

2008-12-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

Where will you be this Christmas?
Imagine waking up in a trash dump.

Give the Gift of Opportunity, Sponsor a Child of La Chureca

This Christmas, give a child from the trash dump community of La Chureca the opportunity to achieve a future apart from the trash. These children work in the trash for less than $2 a day and often drop out of school at an early age. For only $1 a day, you can help one of these children get back in school and receive a quality education to build a future of hope and opportunity.

$30/month sponsorship provides:
School supplies, school uniform, and shoes
Daily school lunch
After-school tutoring
Computer classes and/or vocational skills training
Continual household visits by Nica HOPE team

Bonus: If you sponsor this December, we will also give a Christmas gift to your child from you!

Help change a life!
Click here to sponsor a child

2008-10-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

NicaHOPE.org makeover!

2008-10-09T05:21:00.000-07:00

Nica HOPE has just launched it's new website at www.nicahope.org! We invite you to come check it out and learn about the latest that has been going on with Nica HOPE and the community of La Chureca in Nicaragua. Many thanks to Eric Smith for the site design and Michael Trozzo for the new logo - you can read more about their contributions and the symbolism behind the new logo on our news page.

Come meet some of the kids that need sponsors like you, many of whom have dropped out of school and are currently working in the trash, on our child sponsorship page. We need 150 sponsors by January for the new school year, to get these children in school! We are also now able to offer monthly child sponsorship contributions and all online donations completely free of any transaction or credit card fees, thanks to Razoo. com.

Many thanks for your continued support!

Deanna
Director of Nica HOPE
Managua, Nicaragua

Announcing Nica HOPE Child Sponsorship

2008-07-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Nica HOPE is announcing the opportunity for you to get more directly involved in the lives and education of our students here in Nicaragua! More than 200 students from the community of the Managua City Trash Dump are receiving quality computer training and education from the Nica HOPE Computer Training Center. As a Nica HOPE Child Sponsor, you can connect directly with these students, through supporting their individual education and allowing them to utilize their newly acquired email and computer skills to communicate with you!

For little more than $15 a month ($100 for a semester or $200 for a year), a child can be given valuable skills and motivation necessary to achieve both a career and a future apart from the trash. Your financial contribution will cover all costs necessary to provide this education, costs which include teacher salaries, student manuals, software programs, electricity, school security, and additional classroom materials.

For more information on sponsoring a child of La Chureca, please email us at sponsorship@nicahope.org. Upon doing so, you will be given additional assistance with getting started as well as information about your child. As always, all donations will be tax deductible.

Thanks for your support!

The Nica HOPE Team

Volunteers at Work:The Makings of Child Sponsorship

2008-06-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

One of David and my projects during our volunteering here was to help develop a sponsorship program for the students of the computer vocational school with a dependence on La Chureca. The student’s dependency on the trash dump ranges from living there, working there, their parents working there, or any combination of the above. Nica HOPE charges a small monthly fee of about US$1.50 to adults and non-Chureca students to help ensure student commitment to the program. Fee-based services help program beneficiaries put value on the services they are receiving, as has been demonstrated through a variety of development projects world-wide . These fees do little, however, to actually cover the costs of running the computer center. All students under the age of 18 with a demontrated dependency on La Chureca receive a full scholarship to the school. A sponsorship program would allow individual sponsors to cover the per-student costs of teacher’s salaries, electricity, class materials, etc. that are necessary for each child to receive this valueable training in computers. For a relatively small contribution, a sponsor can help an individual child from the La Chureca community complete their computer education, which can serve them for their future job search, and keep them out of working in the trash.

David and I have had the great fortune of seeing the kids in action. They love computers and love learning. For the sponsorship program each student will have a profile and portrait to be given to their sponsor to know a little more about them. The teachers were gracious enough to afford us some of their class time to fill out their profiles which served as an exercise of the computer skills they are developing. They answered questions like “What is your favorite subject in school” and “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and “If you could have a superpower what would it be?”

I loved to see the kids excited to change the format of their profile and see them beam when they inserted the photo of themselves onto the page. The answers on their profile were endearing. My favorite response to the superpower question was “el poder de salvar el mundo”: the power to save the world.

I feel so fortunate to have been able to get to know these kids. They were very shy towards David and I at first but I feel I have really gotten to know some of the personalities here. Nica HOPE is an amazing organization that offers these children a safe haven from their harsh environment while teaching them a marketable skill. I am confident that once a sponsor sees these profiles they will help these children achieve the bright futures they deserve.

-Liz

Liz Haight
Nica HOPE intern
Wake Forest University

Cyber Café Opening

2008-06-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

After spending two and a half weeks here at Nica HOPE, I am happy to announce that one of our main projects, turning the back room into a “ciber café” is finally near completion (thanks to a lot of help!). The idea behind the project is to have a long-term impact on the local economy that is both sustainable and progressive. The name of the project is “Cyber +” or “Cyber y más” (Cyber and more). The cyber café will offer internet, photocopies, black and white as well as color printing, scanning, computer repairs, and more.

Nica HOPE has had the major elements of a cyber café in place for some time now: four computers, a server system for cyber cafés that can monitor computer use, fans, and desks. What Liz, Scott, Gilmar, and I have been working on over the last few weeks is the interior and exterior design, the marketing, and advertising of the cyber café.

We painted the inside, decorated the walls with paintings from the La Chureca art program, painted the logo outside the building, installed a board for community members to post advertisements, announcements, etc., and searched out free tech posters for a vacant wall. We also commissioned Luis and Elizabeth, cousins who are both in the Chureca art program, to paint a mural on one wall of the cyber café’s interior.

We want the cyber café to promote to the humanitarian and social aspects of Nica HOPE, while maintaining the professionalism and advanced services of a cyber café. Indeed, as the cyber gets ready to open we are optimistic the business will reflect well on Nica HOPE’s commitment to sustainable development by providing a service that can help a community transform itself.

-David

David Wescott
Nica HOPE intern
Wake Forest University

A Visit from the Deacs

2008-06-25T09:57:00.001-07:00

Hello! We are two new interns at Nica HOPE from Wake Forest University. We are just now finishing up our three weeks in Nicaragua as part of a university service learning program. We have been taking classes in sustainable development as well as Central American society. It's been an amazing experience and we would like to thank Deanna and everyone at Nica HOPE for making our time here so enjoyable and educational. We've experienced the many ways in which Nica HOPE is involved in helping the community of La Chureca; from helping out at the Acahualinca elementary school's feeding program to delivering food on the behalf of Fabretto to La Esperanza inside of La Chureca to sitting in on Nica HOPE's computer classes and jewelry making program. We feel very fortunate to be working with such an inspirational organization.

In addition to helping out where needed, we have been tackling two different projects, a sponsorship program and the opening of the cyber cafe. More on this soon.
¡Gracias por todo Nica HOPE!
-David and Liz

David Wescott
Liz Haight
Wake Forest University

Nica HOPE in full swing

2008-04-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

Nica HOPE opened its doors to the community of the Managua City trash dump in February of 2008, bringing in a flood of students seeking opportunities in education and job training. Since then, it has been a whirlwind of activity, putting all our resources toward giving these youth the greatest opportunity possible to build a future for themselves apart from the trash.

The Nica HOPE Computer Training Institute has over 150 students, in 9 different classes, learning the basic computer skills that will open up future job opportunities in the capital of Nicaragua's growing economy. Many of the children have never even seen a computer before and come to class excited about this new world of information and communication. Introduction classes are a gateway to more advanced computer courses offered by the center and scholarships to other vocational training programs and further education.

Nica HOPE has also launched a jewelry-making vocational program targeted at girls who work in and around the trash dump community of La Chureca. In addition to developing their creativity and providing alternative activity to working in the trash, this program serves as a means of income-generation for the girls. The program is also teaching the girls about the business fundamentals of jewelry-making, so that each program graduate will have the capability to start her own mini beading-business to earn a living apart from the trash.

As part of its Chureca Schools Support Program, Nica HOPE facilitates the operation of the Feeding Program at the public primary school next to the trash dump, in partnership with Fabretto Children's Foundation and Austin Samaritans. The feeding center provides a full, nutritious lunch to over 600 children daily, increasing incentives for school attendance and improving overall health of the community. Nica HOPE also offers other support to the school to improve the learning environment and increase school attendance.

All of this and more has been made possible by the support of individuals like you, who have reached out to contribute in a desire to make a real difference in this community. Thanks so much for your support to enable the launch of these programs!

Deanna Ford
Director, Nica HOPE
Managua, Nicaragua

Gearing up for our Feb 2008 Launch!

2008-01-29T09:10:00.000-08:00

It 's a new year and many exciting things are happening down here in Nicaragua with Nica HOPE! It's been extremely busy, as we're preparing for the launch of our programs to serve the community of the Managua city trash dump, known as La Chureca. With children working in the trash to make little more than $2 a day, our programs aim to provide education and job opportunities apart from the trash for these youth.

Pre-enrollment for our computer training institute attracted dozens of youth from the community, lining-up to reserve a spot in one of our computer courses. With 3 college-graduated computer education teachers, a Microsoft-certified curriculum, and over 50 computers provided through the Fabretto Children's Foundation, this program will provide real opportunities for jobs in Nicaragua's growing economy. In addition, the girls are buzzing about the jewelry-making class, which will offer a way to earn money through selling the crafts they make instead of working in the dump with their parents. Several bright young men have jumped at the opportunity to study auto-mechanics in our scholarship program, to learn a skill apart from the trash. It is such a joy to see their eager young faces, excited to expand their horizons and future job opportunities.

In addition, volunteer groups (of both Americans and Nicaraguans) have been painting the classrooms at the local elementary school, to brighten up the learning atmosphere for the returning students in February. It's amazing what a difference a colorful coat of paint can make to old, dingy classrooms! This is the same school that will be opening a new feeding center this year, through the joint efforts of Nica HOPE and the Fabretto Children's Foundation, thanks to the contributions of the Austin Samaritans, the Tin Roof Foundation, and Cross International.

All of this is made possible by the generosity of our supporters! I have the immense pleasure of seeing your contributions come to life down here. In these busy times... just wanted to write to say thank you thank you thank you for all your support, in all its forms!

Deanna Ford
Director, Nica HOPE
Managua, Nicaragua

www.nicahope.org

Give thanks and give back

2007-11-18T18:06:00.001-08:00

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

2007-11-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

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

Graduations, Acceptances, Concerts, etc.

2007-06-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

A break from regular updates hasn't by any means meant a break from Nica HOPE news. It's been a busy month complete with long power outages, longer journeys, heavy rains, and heavier accomplishments. Congratulations to Deanna Ford on completing her final semester at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute and to Ben Bodell on his acceptance into Brandeis University's Master in Social Policy program! Deanna will be working in Managua full-time starting this August while Ben is en route to Boston. Both, however, will be in Washington DC on Tuesday June 19th for Nica HOPE's much anticipated benefit concert performed by Braddigan (of Dispatch) with Taylor Carson and sponsored by Razoo, a new online web platform to connect, inspire, and empower individuals to make positive change in the world. Check out our Nica HOPE website for more information and to purchase tickets.

And as always, check back for more news and notes. The upcoming month promises to be a big one as we move closer and closer to initializing our in-country operations.

Posted by: Jordan Hooper - Managua, Nicaragua

Student Interviews, Vol 1

2007-06-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

As for Managuan happenings, Nica HOPE co-founder Ben Bodell and his girlfriend Jorie Miller visited last week and between thunderstorms and heat waves we were able to tour the vocational training sites at both Los Brasiles and Monte Hermon and complete a long overdue task – student interviews.

The first interviewee, Norland Alberto Quiroz Martinez, is a 19 year old secondary school student at Escuela Monte Hermon. He's the oldest of seven children and has spent a lot of time working with his father planting bean and corn and caring for livestock. His primary occupation, however, is as a student, which he takes very seriously. Next year he will complete secondary school and wants to study to be a mechanic and/or police officer. Concerning vocational training, here's what he had to say (with translations by me):

Do you have any vocational skills?
Yes, in general construction. I've worked with my father and on construction crews with other guys my age. I've even helped with some of the work here (at Monte Hermon)

Why are you interested in learning more vocational skills?
More than anything to help my family. Also to help with the development of the community. A lot of work has to be done.

What specifically do you want to learn?
I want to study auto mechanics. It interests me a lot and there's a lot of work. I also want to learn to play the guitar and the drums and to study the Bible too.

How much income could you expect with and without a skill, and how much income is enough?
One can earn 800 cordobas (about $40) every 15 days but with a skill 2000 or 2500 ($110 or $135). You have to earn at least 1200 ($65).

The second interviewee, Ivan Hector Abelez Montano, is an 18 year old vocational training student at Mike Diebert's training center in Los Brasiles. He is the youngest of six children and has spent time working in a free-trade factory that produces clothing for export to the United States. He prefers, however, working with and learning vocational skills as he has more freedom, a chance to earn more, and a greater feeling of accomplishment. He's been at the school for the last few months. We asked him the same questions:

Do you have any vocational skills?
Yes, I've learned much about designing projects. I can work well with metal shaping. I can weld a little. A little bit of everything.

Why are you interested in learning more vocational skills?
Because I like to learn them. It interests me a lot, and it helps me provide for my family. It's good for my future.

What specifically do you want to learn?
I like everything. I like drawing and planning the most. Thinking about a project and then designing it is what I like to do most.

How much income could you expect with and without a skill, and how much income is enough?
Almost nothing without. You can make 600 cordobas (about $30) every 15 days doing labor. That's almost not enough for food. I hope to make more than 1500 (about $80) or more.

Both Norland and Ivan are excited about the opportunities that Nica HOPE will provide in the near future, both for themselves and for their country. Each wants to support a wife and children in the not-too-distant future, and, while Ivan wants to stay in Los Brasiles, Norland believes that moving further into the heart of Managua would provide more opportunity for his family. Both, however, would consider leaving the country (for work in Costa Rica or the United States) if necessary although they love their country and would rather stay close to home. When asked about their thoughts on the source(s) of Nicaraguan poverty, both students admitted to an atmosphere of frustration and self-pity within their local communities but ultimately placed the blame on a lack of opportunity. As Ivan put it, “everyone wants to be here with family and to work here, but steady work is harder to find.”

And when their desires and our mission align, it's hard not to see the HOPE.

Jordan Hooper
Managua, Nicaragua

Shelter from the Storm

2007-05-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

The month of May typically marks the onset of Nicaragua's invierno, or “winter.” Here, though, the temperature doesn't drop, nor do the days shorten. Winter is instead characterized by a lot of rain, and the season's first fit occurred last week as I was walking the kilometer between the main highway and my house. A cool afternoon breeze brought some light drops and then more and more until, within sprinting distance of home, heavy sheets of water were spilling over everything, transforming the dusty road into a muddy current. To the delight of the neighbors, I jogged around puddles, dodging frogs and almost falling once before disappearing behind a cascade formed by water pouring off of our tin roof. Everyone needs shelter, I thought, realizing then that no one knew this better than...well, than the laughing neighbors.

Next door to Monte Hermon is House of Hope (Casa Esperanza), a multi-building compound that houses former Managuan prostitutes and their children. The founder, April Havlin, has been working with troubled women in Managua for more than five years and has overseen the project's rapid growth. Her three-member afternoon support group has transformed into a multi-generational support system for nearly ninety women and their families. Eight women and their children make up the residential program, which officially opened its doors on Jan 27th after two and a half years of mostly volunteer construction, and another eighty arrive every Tuesday morning to participate in a cardmaking industry that provides a significant supplemental income. The program also provides microloans for qualifying women who are interested in operating their own businesses, and an alliance with Monte Hermon (the neighboring Christian school and my home) provides sponsored House of Hope children with education, recreation, and new friends. One of these kids – a 7th grader named Jennifer – became my new best friend after rescuing my cell phone from certain doom. It fell unnoticed from my pocket as I was running through the rain.

The terms of Nica HOPE's relationship with House of Hope have yet to be fully established. Considering our flexibility and their increasing need and indefinite growth, however, our organizations will work hand-in-hand in the future. April will eventually incorporate a sewing business into House of Hope's repertoire, and as a non-profit in support of vocational enterprise, we hope to be directly involved in fundraising, training, and job-placement and/or product-marketing. The same goes for a planned baking industry (anyone have a commercial oven to get rid of?), and our vocational training school at Monte Hermon will eventually be open to all qualified and hard-working students, regardless of gender.

It's May 10th and the steamy Nicaraguan winter is beginning anew. The women of House of Hope are beginning anew as well, clean and dry and laughing at the gringo in the rain.

Jordan Hooper
Managua, Nicaragua

Los Brasiles

2007-04-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Sundays are best in Nicaragua. Everyone's awake and work-free, and no matter how difficult the week may have been, everyone has plans. Church services, birthday parties, baseball games, and beach trips...from early morning the day crackles with excitement, which slowly begins to wane as the afternoon shadows begin to grow. By early evening the churches have been swept and the birthday cake eaten. Winners and losers trudge home together, recalling the calls that were made (or should have been). The beaches are empty, and everyone's at home. And the day's excitement has been replaced by the evening's restful solemnity.

Monday mornings, however, come early, and the climb to Sunday begins anew. At the Los Brasíles vocational school, instructor Mike Deibert and his students are already busy with the day's lesson, a new metalworking technique employed in the creation of ornamental hooks (for hanging keys, towels, plants, etc.) to be sold in local markets. The educational site is a functional mess. On one side piles of raw material – mostly long, unshaped metal rods – await creative hands, while the coal overspilling its bags across the “classroom” is ready to provide the needed heat. Directly in the middle, a late model car gets a well-deserved rest, having donated its innards to the observation of future mechanics, and a bright red welding machine sits restlessly alongside its half-finished, window-shaped security bars. The only observable uniformity is the coal dust spread evenly along the floor from wall to wall. It's a beautiful mess, full of potential.

What's now an established site providing self-esteem, jobs, and income to a community in need of each was an empty space just two years ago. The school's founder, Mike Deibert, has a background in elementary education and a longstanding interest in vocational skills and training. He wanted to combine these passions into a instructional program that would fit into Nicaragua's growing demand for skilled labor, and his search led him to Escuela Faro de Luz, which offered an open space, validity in the community's eyes, and access to qualified students. Mike's program includes training in metalwork, auto mechanics, and welding but remains flexible to further growth. What's stressed, however, isn't solely skill in labor but the development of the individual. Income alone won't change a community, and Mike's lessons are designed to reinforce the importance of work ethic, honesty, integrity, and teamwork so that the benefits are also apparent outside the workplace. On Sundays, for instance.

Nica HOPE's connections to Los Brasíles vocational school are deep indeed. Touring the site and learning of its successes and shortcomings provided the inspiration that eventually led to Nica HOPE's founding, and future schools will be designed based first upon local need but also based upon lessons learned at Los Brasíles. As such, a Nica HOPE representative will be observing classes, asking questions, and taking notes in order to learn first-hand the specifics of vocational training. In the near future, Nica HOPE will provide assistance in the post-instruction, occupational aspect of Mike's charge by developing outlets for product sales and job placement. And the symbiotic nature of the relationship will uplift us all, especially those most in need.

It's Friday afternoon and work week is winding down. Looking forward to Sunday.

Jordan Hooper
Managua, Nicaragua

El Rio

2007-04-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

It's good to be home in Managua after a trek to Nicaragua's eastern coast. The trip consisted of two days of chicken busing to and from Rio San Juan and two more exploring in both San Carlos and San Juan del Norte – small, isolated towns at Rio San Juan's source and mouth – plus four days in canoe on the river itself. We surrounded ourselves with unexplored rain forest, rowing stroke after stroke, winding 120 kilometers towards the Caribbean. And there it was! Brown and stormy and not exactly what we expected but fulfilling nonetheless.

So what's this to do with Nica HOPE? As distant from society as I've been, far away from the Managua slums and the out-of-work youngsters, all I could think of was our budding organization. Reminders were everywhere.

We didn't know what to expect planning the trip. Everyone's been camping, but for who-knows-how-long on a mysterious waterway through Amazonian terrain? And that's once there. Twelve rocky hours one way from Managua fighting for dusty air in a recycled American school bus shakes patience bone-deep. Then the river, the river pushes forth and pulls back, pools deep and splashes over shallow rock beds, flows interminably straight before curving nearly back around on itself. Paddle after paddle we went, often struggling but enjoying our work in an environment like we'd never seen. Only few others have (relatively speaking), and many advised us along the way, but with mixed results. Ultimately, the river and our own determination determined our success.

Planning the trip reminded me of Nica HOPE from the beginning. We talked about it casually, passed beliefs, ideas, and hopes around, collected our thoughts, and began collecting resources. Everyone had volunteer experience, but an indefinite commitment to a from-scratch non-profit? And just getting there – and we're not even there yet – to a fully-operational, tax-exempt organization is a storm of forms and expenses, especially of time. Patience is key as progress rushes forward only to halt suddenly, changes direction only to return down a familiar track. Small accomplishments clear a path through a sometimes overwhelming but always interesting and enjoyable challenge to make a difference. And in the end, it's up to us – to everyone involved – to see this through. We may not know when or where we'll arrive, but we're moving in the right direction.

So get moving yourself. Accept a challenge. For more about ours, check back frequently.

Jordan Hooper
Managua, Nicaragua

Next up: Vocational School Los Brasiles

Monte Hermon and more

2007-03-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Buenos dias from Escuela Monte Hermon – my temporary home, Nica HOPE's current Nicaraguan headquarters, and the proposed site for a new vocational school. It's already bright at 7:20am but still cool in the shade. The students are in the classrooms going through their morning lessons and can't wait until the afternoon. Today is the last school day before Semana Santa, Central America's most anticipated holiday, and everyone has plans. I'm leaving for a kayaking trip on the undeveloped Rio San Juan, a perfect opportunity reflect on what we've accomplished here so far and what we're heading toward in the near future.

Most of our in-country work has been done here at Monte Hermon. For those unacquainted, a brief history: Pastor Daniel Aragon and his wife Darling opened Escuela Monte Hermon in 2001, accommodating 46 students between 1st and 3rd grades. Monte Hermon now educates 220 students from preschool through “high school” and next year will graduate its first class. Based upon early projections, however, the administration expects less than 10% of the graduating class to continue at a university. Most will accept traditional roles in the home or search for an opening in the unskilled employment sector, which provides little potential for self-improvement through hard work.

This, of course, is where Nica HOPE comes in. Two weeks ago we helped form Junta Bezaleel, a partnership between Nica HOPE, Monte Hermon, and various local employers and consultants. The association intends to create a vocational training program at Monte Hermon with an emphasis on product-creation and job-placement in order to provide economic opportunity for local families and, eventually, economic self-sustainability for Monte Hermon. The vocational school is to be named Pavet and will provide official certification to all graduating students upon its successful operation and inspection by INITEC, the local vocational school sanctioning organization. Here's a picture from one of our meetings:

Each party involved will have specific responsibilities based on strengths and experience. Nica HOPE's role will consist of fundraising, curriculum design, general management, and business development. Monte Hermon will provide land and students, while Eduard Guardian – a local employer – will provide expertise in curriculum design and job opportunities. Don Carlos Sam, a local economics expert, will teach basic math and accounting and will help design the school's money management system, and Eli Covington, a volunteer from the US with years of vocational training experience, will help design curriculum and may teach classes as well.

So the all-star team is assembled and ready to play. Fundraising has already started, and classroom construction, vocational training, and economic opportunity is just ahead. It's a bright morning and everyone's excited about the future.

Jordan Hooper
Managua, Nicaraguan

Visit often for future blogs: Dia de Luz in La Chureca; Vocational School in Los Brasiles, A Day in the Life of a Nicaraguan Laborer; Pablo's Story – to the U.S. and Back; and more.

Going Home...

2007-03-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

...in August (as always) but now with a purpose. The Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University has accepted fully me into their master´s degree program. Good thing considering I´ve been telling everyone about it for months. Looking forward to going home and taking a little Central America with me.

Jordan Hooper
Managua, Nicaragua

Washington D.C. - February 23-26, 2007: "All for one and one for all"

2007-03-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

It wasn't quite that dramatic, but the first of many face-to-face encounters of Nica HOPE co-founders was nonetheless a productive meeting and an important symbol of our commitment to one another and the future of the organization. Deanna hosted Ben and I (with the help of some friends – thanks again Wade and Rod), and we began on Friday afternoon by reaffirming our shared vision for the development of Nica HOPE. We reviewed past accomplishments, including the project proposal, organization formation, and the creation of www.nicahope.org. We also addressed the status of pending tasks, such as bylaw creation, tax-exemption application, fundraising stratagems, and in-country development. The three-hour session was a much-needed leap in the right direction.

On Saturday morning we began another productive day by officially establishing ourselves as bank account signatories. Then for lunch we met with Eric Lungren, a good friend of Deanna's who worked two years with Safe Passage (www.safepassage.org), a successful non-profit founded eight years ago in the Guatemala City dump. Eric played a vital role in the development of the fledgling organization and the formation of a new vocational training program. We watched the documentary “Recycled Life,” which exposes the lamentable living conditions of the Guatemala City dump residents, their joys and pains, and the relief efforts of humanitarian organizations. Specifically highlighted is Safe Passage and the successes of its recently-deceased founder Hanley Denning. We highly recommend the film (which received a Grammy nomination this past year) to those of you interested in learning more about the lives of those living amongst a country's waste and the positive change that can be made by just a few motivated individuals. Thanks, Eric, for the guidance – past, present, and (hopefully) future.

Late Saturday night came the snow and when we woke (late) Sunday morning it was piled in fluffy heaps atop roofs and cars and sidewalks and anything or anyone stationary. Movement was all but restricted, which canceled the D.C. tour but gave us plenty time to reassess the weekend and prepare for the near-future. By Monday morning Deanna was studying away for graduate midterms, Ben was leaving for Chicago to continue working on the website, networking, and fundraising, and I was heading south to a capital city far, far removed from our own.

Thanks everyone for the support and please check back regularly for the new blogs (with pictures) that we'll be cranking out once or twice a week.

Jordan Hooper
Managua, Nicaragua

Official Website

2007-02-15T17:37:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce that we have launched our website. Please visit us at www.nicahope.org for more information. For further inquiries on our organization or ways you can support our efforts please email contact@nicahope.org

2007-01-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

Update - in less than 24 hours we received the necessary 100 votes to become eligible for tax-free donations through GiveMeaning.com!! Many thanks to all those who voted and made this possible.

To contribute to Nica HOPE, click here:

Donate to Nica HOPE

Many thanks for all your support!!

2007-01-22T22:33:00.000-08:00

Please visit our page at GiveMeaning.com and vote 'yes' for our project so that we will be able to work under an umbrella organization and accept donations tax free while our 501(c)3 status is pending. This will only take a minute of your time to show your support and does NOT require any type of monetary contribution. We are, however, starting to accept pledges for donations and would appreciate your support to help make this project a reality.

Please visit us here:
nicahope

Thanks!

Background and Project Opportunity

2007-01-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

La Chureca: Over 175 families live in the Managua city dump, known as La Chureca. Many more come daily to comb through the piles of trash to find enough recycleables to sell to pay for food and other necessities. There are severe respiratory and other health problems from breathing in the fumes of the smoking and burning piles of trash. Malnutrition is widespread and evident in the children’s swelled bellies and blond hair, a result of a lack in nutrients that maintain its natural dark color. STDs and prostitution are also a problem, and girls of all ages sell their bodies for money or trade them for other commodities. Many children and adults are addicted to sniffing shoe-glue, which helps suppress hunger and allows them to escape the reality of the life and the landfill they are trapped in. There are limited employment or living opportunities for these families outside of the dump, which results in a debilitating lack of motivation to take advantage of the rare opportunities that do exist, having become complacent with now dependent on their existence in the dump.

Employment constraints: Alarmingly high unemployment/underemployment coupled with insufficient education and training opportunities inhibit the abilities of Nicaraguans to improve their own lives through self-motivated effort and hard work. Untrained workers are left to compete for limited opportunities at subsistence levels of pay. Many Nicaraguans have the creative talent and drive to be reliable and skilled workers but lack the education and training to cultivate this potential. Foreign investment is bolstering the growth of various business industries in the country, promising a future with more job opportunity. A study by Bancomex has indicated the strong potential for successful production of wood and metal products in Central America. However, unless impoverished Nicaraguans are taught business fundamentals and the skills necessary to perform these jobs, they will be unable to utilize this opportunity to pull themselves up out of poverty.

Opportunity: Vocational training and education will provide the necessary skills to access opportunities for employment and income-generation for these communities. Increased coordination and networking will allow marginalized groups to better access existing opportunities. Project Nica HOPE will leverage available resources in financial, human, and social capital in order to provide opportunities for these communities to improve their own lives through socioeconomic advancement.

For starters...

2007-01-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Haciendo Oportunidades, the official blog of Project Nica HOPE (Haciendo Oportunidades por Educacion). Visit regularly for updates regarding the development and implementation of our newly formed non-profit organization that aims to alleviate poverty and change the unfortunate circumstances of those living in Managua, Nicaragua.