The donation included 4 wheelchairs. One was given to a young girl, living here in Camaopa, with cerebral palsy. We learned about her situation by one of the local pediatricians. Another was donated to a young man with quadriplegia, the third to a family member of one of our staff members who suffers from parapilegia caused by polio. The fourth wheelchair, which was an extra-large one, was donated to the local hospital. Also donated to the hospital was a number of other pieces of equipment, including 2 sets of crutches, 4 walkers (one of which went to a local resident), 2 commodes, 1 orthopedic kit, 1 glucose meter, 2 sacroiliac immobilizers, 5 wrist braces,  3 ankle braces and 6 inserts.

Thank you Stavros!

Red beans hanging to dry amidst our current corn crop

Our new 400 sq. ft. concrete pad for improved bean production and drying

So what’s been a’growin’?
In the third week of May we seeded 1.25 acres of red beans as well as constructed a new 400 ft² concrete pad in order to more efficiently dry the beans. The beans yielded about 700 lbs., which was about half of what we hoped, but because of a virus infection, the beans ripened unevenly and we lost some of the crop. We hope that the second crop, and possibly a third, will result in a year’s supply for our center. We are beginning the second planting season now and we are seeding corn, sorghum, soy and black beans which will be exclusively for the program center. We will also be experimenting with cover crops such as Canivale beans, which are not used as food, but help to renew the soil and reduce weeds. Forty rosa de jamaica plants have been planted as well. The variety planted is one that is used mostly for personal use so when it is harvested it will be used in our project kitchen to make a healthy lunch fresco (cold drink) for the kids, which is high in Vitamin C. However, with research we have learned that there is a better, stronger variety that is used more for commercial export, which is something we are exploring for the future. Plus, we have 100 yucca plants growing. In addition to all this exciting harvesting, we are also currently offering our staff an intense month-long training called “Family Gardens.” It’s on all things farm – from tropical plants (and how to grow them organically) to insects to common diseases to how to produce food for commercial use – and it will help us to improve our overall production.

Learning to force reproduction of a typical Nicaraguan root vegetable (cepa) during the first week of our "Family Gardens" training.

And what’s to come?
What’s most exciting is that we have recently been doing research on developing the farm as a commercial vivero (nursery). The purpose would be two-fold. The first is to develop a source of earned income for the self-sufficiency and sustainability of our nonprofit organization. Until now we have survived solely on private donations and a few small grants and we are actively looking to diversify our funding sources. The second is to do our part in promoting reforestation in our area of Nicaragua which has been largely deforested by commercial cattle production. We hope to be a leader in the community by providing an example, readily available and affordable tree seedlings, and green jobs as well as training our youth to care for the environment.
To start this process we have planted over 400 cashew trees on the property. It will take at least 3 to 4 years for cashew production to begin, but we are planning ahead and the cashew nut is a lucrative crop. The fruit can also be used for frescos. (See our previous post on cashews.) As these trees develop we will plant crops such as beans between them, a system known as agro-forestry. We have also cleared the brush from a moderately forested hillside area (which contains significant shade) where we plan to plant a combination of 100 coffee and cacao trees in the next few months. We are also exploring the possibility of raising pelibuey, a short haired sheep popular in the tropics. We have raised several pigs over the years for our own consumption, but we are interested in small-scale commercial possibilities.

We are looking for volunteers, or an intern, with some training or experience in sustainable farming practices to work with us on this project. If you are interested please contact us.

Our new trainer, Carlos, hails from Managua. He comes from a family of boxers and has been training since he was small. He is 24 years old, and has fought in over 60 fights. Though this is his first experience as a trainer, he has lived a life similar to the kids that he is training, giving him the background necessary to understand them and their struggles. He also comes highly recommended from a couple of our boxing contacts from Managua. He has been in Camoapa for several months now and he has shown outstanding commitment to both the kids and teens he is coaching as well as the small children we have here at the Hogar.

The cashew nut (seed) hangs off the bottom of the fruit which is shaped like a pear. The picture below shows the nut and fruit from one of our mature trees. From time of planting, trees take about 3 years to harvest.

Here Drew and Jordan are seen playing creative theater games and supporting the kids in their first-ever theater performances.

Without taking sides or passing judgements over this man’s work, or the education that is or is not happening in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan, we would like to share the following article and some of our own thoughts about the challenges of international development work and providing sustainable quality education to under-served people in developing countries. This article was written in direct response to the ongoing outrage over the Three Cups of Tea scandal.

Click here to read the article:
Three Cups of BS, written by Alanna Shaikh

The aftermath of this scandal coming to light could have significant consequences (both good and bad) for all international development projects. And those of us who are focusing on education may feel the brunt of those consequences (whether that is an increase of hoops we have to jump through or a smaller flow of international aid money.) The point we would like to make, however, is that all of us who work in this field should not be afraid to talk about the problems we face, the difficulties we have to overcome on a daily basis and the time that it takes to really make a program succeed for the children and people that it is serving. Development work is not easy (even when we might have a lot of money to spend) and we should always celebrate the small achievements. But simultaneously, we have to be aware of the dangers; whether that is the misuse of money, growing too large too quickly or trusting the wrong people. These problems can, of course, happen anywhere at any time, but with international programs, where programmatic and fiscal oversight is often less strictly enforced, we ourselves have to be vigilant of the risks without falling into the traps. We should impose our own oversight, and be honest with ourselves and with our supporters about exactly how we are making a difference and what we are doing with the money.

This controversy should not dissuade us from doing the hard work, from looking for support from the outside or from feeling shamed into hiding information. In fact, it should do the opposite. And maybe this can serve as a wake up call to the rest of the world about how hard our jobs really are.

To all of you international workers out there - Keep fighting the good fight!

Here are some pictures of our first parent meeting, our folkloric dancers to celebrate and some of the school supplies getting passed out to parents.

Drew is a high school drama teacher who has been working hard with our kids to develop their creativity in a way that they have never seen or experienced. He started with basic theater games, moving to charades and finally has been working with some of the older kids and the adolescents to write a version of “Beauty and the Beast” which they will soon perform for the Hoger Luceros community. Most of the youth began this process feeling uncomfortable acting and performing in front of each other. Many of them goofed around, some chose to sit out altogether. But with persistence and allowing them time to let their guards down, they eventually warmed up. The classes are truly in full swing and the kids are really enjoying themselves (as you can see from the photos!)

Jordan, our other volunteer, helps Drew with the theater class and also holds play groups with the younger children of the Ayudame a Crecer program. She also spends a few days a week volunteering at the Casa de la Mujer, a program for women in Camoapa. She has a background in both theater and psychology.

To see more photos of our new theater class, check out our photo album on facebook.

This year, for our 7th birthday (February 4th,) we have set a simple fundraising goal of $500. With a contribution of just $25 from 20 of our supporters, we can reach this goal in no time flat. So will you consider sending us a birthday present? Your support will help Nicaraguan children learn, grow and continue to stay healthy. Please contribute TODAY!
Just click on the CAUSES icon above and it will bring you directly to our birthday wish webpage! You can also view and/or become a member of our CAUSE by clicking right here.

Olimpipitos 2010 (Special Olympics)

Los Pipitos from Camoapa, the organization that works with children with disabilities, also traveled to Managua to compete at the national level, in the Nicaraguan Special Olympics (Olimpipitios 2010) after placing first in the regional competition. Two of our children, Diego and Delvin, participated and Diego took home a third place medal in 4 X 500. To watch this touching video, capturing the emotions and excitement of the day (published by La Prensa),

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