Nicaragua

 Nicaragua Programs

Pathway to Change

Goal
Given that education is the single most powerful weapon against poverty, Hand in Hand Ministries is committed to finding ways to overcome the barriers that deny poor children access to a good education. One of our programs, Pathway to Change, is an education sponsorship program that was developed in an effort to address this problem head-on. Pathway to Change makes top-quality education available to bright children from poor families. We are currently sending more than 60 children, who range in age from 6 to 16 years, to three different private schools in the Managua city area. Our goal is to reach children early, giving them the best possible chance to reach their full potential. Sponsorship covers the cost of tuition, a healthy breakfast, transportation, uniforms, school supplies and medical care  Parents pay a monthly fee of about $6.50 (or work in lieu of cash). This shows their commitment to the program and their willingness to make their child’s education a priority. They know the public schools do not have what it takes to deliver their child out of a life of poverty. Pathway to Change is about giving a poor child a fair opportunity to get educated and a chance for a better life.
Background
Due to a great number of factors, children of poor families in Managua are getting a very poor education and will likely end up no better-off than their parents. Forty-five percent of children starting school in grade one in the public school system are no longer in school by the fourth grade. Experts agree that the surest way to escape poverty is through a quality education.

Method
• Work with pre-schools in poor areas to have them select their best graduating students based on attendance, comportment, intelligence and parental involvement.
• Send the selected children to good schools selected by HHM.
• Utilize HHM staff “Family Coordinators” to continuously work with the families, the schools and the children to facilitate the education process.
• Where necessary, feed the children breakfast and a mid-morning nutritious snack.
• Provide transportation, for the child’s attendance in school.
• Provide uniforms, school supplies and school books.
• Provide needed medical and psychological treatment.
• Meet with the parents on a monthly basis
• Require the parents to make a monthly financial contribution ( or work in lieu of cash) to enable them to demonstrate their commitment to their child’s education and development
• Provide after-school tutoring sessions with trained teachers when necessary.
• Provide presents and transportation to enable the child to attend classmates’ birthday parties.
• Provide a two-week Camp each year for new and returning students.
• Facilitate the bi-annual anti-parasite treatment of our students and their families.
• In coordination with our Immersion Trip Program, organize fun, interactive activities for the children away from their school and home settings.

History
• Program commenced in January 2006 as a pilot project with three grade-one children.
• In 2007 the program grew to 19 children
• In 2008 grew to 52 children enrolled in five high-quality schools in Managua.
• In 2011, the program grew to more than 60 children.

Results

As of July 2011, half-way through the Nicaraguan school year, here's the report card for the 64 children in the program:

• Four Pathway students were 1st in their class
•  Thirteen Pathway scholars achieved outstanding averages of 95% or more
• Twenty students achieved averages between 90% - 94%
• Forty-nine students maintained averages of 85% or more
•  Thirty-six students are in the top quarter of their class

 Fifty-four students are in the top half of their class

Adult Vocational Scholarship Program

Goal
To provide an opportunity for qualified adults to continue/complete their education to improve their employment and income earning options.

Background
In the Acahualinca neighborhood where we work we have found many adults who cut their education short for various reasons. With a little encouragement and some financial help many are interested in finishing their high school or post-high school education.

Method
HHM accepts application from needy people looking to finance their educational pursuits. The assistance is in the form of monthly financing for school costs which they pay a monthly fee, the amount based on their ability to pay. Participants attend monthly meetings and provide copies of results as available.
 
Results
So far the results have been good. We have given assistance to 25 adults under this program with the average cost per student per year is $315 US.

Immersion Trip Program


Goal
To provide an opportunity for adults and students to be exposed to the realities of life in a poor country where 80 percent of the population lives on less than $2 per day and to show them first-hand the important work HHM is doing in Nicaragua.

Background
Founders Wayne Fowler and his brother Father Joseph recognized the importance of personal exposure to need as a result of their own humanitarian trips to Jamaica in the mid to late 1990s and so from its inception in 1999 HHM has incorporated Immersion Trips as an integral part of its programs.

Method
HHM accepts applications from groups wishing to participate and schedules regular trips to Nicaragua.

History
HHM has been sending Immersion Groups to Nicaragua since 2001. It started initially with 2 groups per year from Louisville, and has grown to eight groups from Louisville, Mobile and Halifax, Canada in 2008. With the increased demand, full-time staff was located in Nicaragua to receive these groups starting in August 2005.

Results
The results of Immersion Group visits have been excellent. The visiting groups have accomplished many good works in Nicaragua from building, repairing and renovating school buildings, to house construction and repair. Many lives have been changed as a result. The lives of many of the trip participants have also been changed forever as a result of their experiences with HHM and many of them have become long-term supporters of the organization.

Home Repair and Construction Program

Goal
Using the resources provided by visiting Immersion groups to assist poor people in Nicaragua in improving their living conditions.

Background
With 80 percent of Nicaraguans surviving on $2 or less a day it is no surprise to see hundreds of thousands of people living in vastly inadequate conditions. Immersion Groups that come want to feel useful, and nothing fulfills that need more than the satisfaction of taking a family out of a shack and enabling them to live in a decent home.

Method
• HHM accepts applications from poor families who want financing to assist them in improving their home.
• Families are accepted on the basis of need and their ability to pay back at least a part of the costs.
• Family members work alongside the Immersion Group members to substantially complete the home in five days
• A local construction crew is employed to direct the construction process and ensure its completion after the Immersion Group has left.
• After completion, HHM staff inspect the home along with family members to ensure satisfactory completion.
• Within a month of acceptance of their application, the family starts to pay their share of their home financing.

History
This program started in January 2008 and as of mid-September 2011, 17 families have been helped with substantial home repairs or a completed home. The home currently being built by immersion groups ia a 16 x 20-ft. concrete block home with space for a bathroom and costs approximately $2,700 U.S.