Gearing up for our Feb 2008 Launch!

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

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

Graduations, Acceptances, Concerts, etc.

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

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

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

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