Building New Hope

Education/youth programs - Building New Hope runs innovative educational programs in granada, nicaragua, and also provides high school and university enrollment support to the children of the coffee cooperative, el porvenir. Quinta los chavalos (the kids place) quinta is a supplemental school for children in one of the poorest neighborhoods in granada. Here these elementary through middle school students are tutored in their school subjects to supplement the half-day program in the public schools, and prepare them for future education in high school and universities. Computer, physical activities, arts, and music are offered as well. Quinta students consistently perform well in their public school classes. Parental involvement is an important ingredient in its success. Enrollment was reduced during 2022 because of covid virus restrictions. Escuelita yo puedo (the little i can school)escuelita is a supplemental school serving several granada neighborhoods where nearly 60 children discover an opportunity that eluded their parents: to learn to read, do math, play games, sing, and to be a child. Middle school students also receive english classes, which has become increasingly important in nicaraguan public schools. School programming also incorporates activities to enrich the curriculum, including arts workshops, poetry workshops, field trips and cultural activities and performances. Enrollment was reduced during 2022 because of covid virus restrictions.high school scholarship programit became clear in 2009 that the graduates of our two elementary schools were struggling after graduation because of poor quality high school education. Therefore a high school scholarship program was begun, enabling needy students to attend a quality high school. Recipients are required to maintain good grades, and to give back in some way, often through tutoring younger students or participating in clean up and improvement projects. Additional support is provided in the form of school supplies and tutoring sessions when needed. During 2022 eighteen students were supported.

Healthhealth work in 2022 primarily occurred in the context of our sponsored project, the casa lupita veterinary clinic.a large and sick population of street animals is a serious public health problem, as are work animals that are not in good health. The casa lupita clinic was founded to provide affordable spay/neuter services, and treatment of animals held as pets and as work animals.

Developmentthe coffee project - in 2002, when a precipitous drop in the world price of coffee brought devastation and starvation deaths to regions in nicaragua, Building New Hope formed a relationship with the 46 families of the worker-owned cooperative of el porvenir to assist them in marketing their product and to avoid foreclosure and loss of land. By working with many volunteers, bnh has been able to pay them more than the fair trade price for their product and also provide additional assistance, enabling them to secure their land and expand their school.building New Hope also provides an education fund for the community, which the members of the cooperative direct. These funds were used during 2022 to support an additional teacher for the cooperatives elementary school, make repairs and to provide school supplies. Twenty-three elementary students and 19 secondary students were served.

Buiding New Hope supports other projects in central america consistent with our mission:laman (asociacion de minusvalidos artesanos de nicaragua) is a school and sheltered workshop for handicapped children and adults in granada. During 2022 it served 26 individuals ages 14 to 72. For more than 20 years it has served physically and mentally challenged individuals, giving them the opportunity to be economically productive. During 2022laman served individuals with conditions ranging from autism, downs syndrome, and mental illness, to blindness and hearing loss.casa lupita veterinary clinic in addition to the public health purposes of the clinic mentioned above, the veterinary clinic also provides vital services to work animals such as horses and a few pigs, thus contributing to stable livelihoods. Puedo leer (i can read) program & libraries puedo leer is devoted to bringing the joy of reading to nicaragua. It provides access to books through libraries (including granadas first lending library) and small reading rooms in granada and nearby rural areas, including one in a clinic. The school program lends rotating booksevery two weeks to 24 urban and rural schools, providing teachers quality books to read to their classes, and provides training workshops for teachers and parents. In the reading in the park program volunteersand parents read quality childrens books to children of all ages. Thisactivity reaches children who do not attend school for various reasons, those who have no access to books in their homes, and even adults who want to learn to read or experience listening to stories for the first time. Randall shea guatemala education ministrythe vision of the ministry is to provide educational opportunity for low income mayan indigenous and mestizo youth and young women and men who are from santa maria tzeja, guatemala and surrounding villages. Its impact has been reflected by the achievements of their former students: one young mayan, born in a refugee camp, has become the first woman editor-in-chief of a major guatemalan daily newspaper, and won multiple international recognitions.