La Esperanza Granada

La Esperanza Granada

www.la-esperanza-granada.org

When a child learns to recognize the significance of letters and numbers, a gateway to the whole world opens up for them.



Nicaragua Even though the country has been at peace for over 20 years, most people have a certain image of Nicaragua…



Nicaragua This autumn, the image will shift again when the country is portrayed on television as a pristine and untamed playground, and so ripe for tourism…



Nicaragua However, the real Nicaragua is very different from both of these perceptions…



Basic Facts 47% of the population lives below the poverty line.



32% live on less than $2 a day.Basic Facts



Nicaragua ranks only 129th on the UN ‘Human Development Index’.Basic Facts



23% of the population suffer the effects of malnutrition.

Basic Facts



Resulting in 1 in 3 children with concentration problems.Basic Facts



And only 34% of children finish primary school.Basic Facts



Such conditions are why La Esperanza Granada was created in 2002 – to lend a hand to the poor of Nicaragua.



This is done by providing primary school educational assistance to 4 poverty stricken communities outside the colonial city of Granada.



The motto is to give a hand up, not a hand out…



At the core of our program are the foreign volunteers – they have been very successful at fostering education among the children.



At any given time we have anywhere from 25 -45 volunteers – of all age ranges – here from around the world.



The volunteers provide the basics – reading, writing, arithmetic – to children in kindergarten and Grades 1 through 6.



Helping these children to develop their young minds and to expand their horizons.



And fostering an appreciation of education that will hopefully encourage them to continue their studies.



Outside the classroom, the volunteers go directly into the communities to read with the children and help with their homework.



With these visits the volunteers can focus on “one to one” interpersonal tutoring – ensuring that no child falls behind and is at risk of dropping out.



While the emphasis is on instruction, a key component is to instill in the children the joy and wonder that education can bring.



There is also an English Team that teaches the older children, Grades 3 – 6, weekly in each school.



Aside from classroom education, extracurricular sports programs have been developed .



And dexterity and creativity are given free reign to flourish in the Arts and Crafts programs.



Computer classes are also a special treat for the children – for most it’s the first time using one.



As dental health is very important we take children from all the schools for clinic visits which we pay for.



Another part of our program is awarding high school scholarships to primary school graduates from the communities.



The objective is both to encourage the children to successfully complete primary school and to reward them for doing so.



Our donors commit to supporting the children for the whole 5 year program - we currently have 80 children enrolled.



A further key component of our work is enlisting older youths from the communities as “Ayudantes” or ‘Helpers’ in both the schools and the office.



These are former students financially supported by donor scholarships through 5 years of university – an opportunity not otherwise available to them.



This enables them to learn new skills and so have a better chance of finding a good job – and breaking the cycle of poverty.



They must complete high school to qualify and give their time helping children within the same poor communities they grew up in.



The objective is to have these young people take part in the improvement of their own villages while increasing their experience and building confidence & self esteem.



This is a double boost for these impoverished communities – providing higher education to their youth while developing role models for the younger children.



Introducing our team

Chilo

English

Scarlet

Pablo Antonio Cuadra

Justo

Pablo Antonio Cuadra

Karla

English

Tatiana

Nueva Esperanza

La Esperanza Granada Ayudantes

Juan Bosco

ComputerMaria de los Angeles

Nueva Esperanza

Jaqueline

Jose de la Cruz Mena

Alvin Computer Ramon Computer


BelkysEscudo

MarioEscudo


Donald

Volunteer Coordinator

Karen

Office Administrator

Flor

Office Asst.

La Esperanza Granada Employees



The organization also helps in another fashion – by developing, funding and coordinating construction of needed facilities within the schools and communities.



Also, through the years we have been able to pay the salaries of extra local teachers and pre-school assistants.



Our relationships within the communities have allowed us to host visiting groups outside the educational field – providing

medical clinics, school painting and other diverse needs.



Helping and allowing children to learn

Lending a hand to the poor of Nicaragua

The motto : give a hand up, not a hand out…

We are grateful for any help you can give us!

La Esperanza Granada

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