La Esperanza Granada

My experience working with the kids at José de la Cruz Mena has been rewarding but also sometimes a struggle. First, I had to get to know the children, see what they already knew and what not. Some of the second graders couldn't read a short sentence in a book because they didn't know the difference between the capital and the lower case letters. So I practically had to start by teaching them the alphabet and go on from there. Eva from Germany teaching her students at José de la Cruz Mena Building a relationship and getting to know the kids better helped a lot to know how to keep them interested and motivated. Playing games, doing puzzles or coloring was fun for the kids and for me too. By doing this, they were improving their practical skills without even knowing. And they improved a lot! Some children need to be encouraged more than others but once you see the smile on their faces when they realize that they can do it, it's a great feeling. Never stop encouraging...

The past week was dedicated to vacation classes instead of normal classes. Due to a break, La Esperanza Granada took advantage of the opportunity to lead reading classes, mathematics lessons and, above all, stimulate the kids and give them a will to learn. All the volunteers and ayudantes together created groups which would be in charge of a bunch of kids for the whole week. It is at the school Pablo Antonio Cuadra that the classes took place every morning from 8am to 12am.  The principal aim of this week was a better tutoring for each kid as the number of volunteers and ayudantes was bigger. After having mathematics in the morning, the kids worked on a story throughout the entire week. First of all, they had to imagine it and create the characters. After that, they had to write the story all together in their respective groups. On Friday morning, each group presented its story in front of the whole school. Some groups named one kid to represent them and ...

How time flies - doing updates on our website and see that we haven't written a blog since July last year.  So many things to remember, update our volunteer listings websites, keep up postings on Facebook, write a monthly newsletter, keep in touch with donors, keep in touch with sponsors etc. etc. etc.  However rest assured, we may have fallen behind on the blogging, but we haven't fallen behind on our main goal - helping improve the future for the children through education. Here in Nicaragua life does run at a different pace.  We have so many volunteers who come, and so many who go, sometimes it is difficult to maintain the continuity of all we are trying to do. But the continuity of working with the children is not lost.  It is right up there at the top of our page every day.  I have a note on my screensaver that I see each morning when I turn on the computer: When a child learns to recognize the significance of letters and numbers, a gateway to the whol...

Just returned home from delivering a birthday cake to Laguna Apoyo.   Outside my job description I know, but these things come up from time to time. A student group from Derby High, UK, has been painting the school at Pablo Antonio Cuadra.   At the end of a week of hot hard work, they were spending today cooling off at the Laguna.   Today was Ella’s 17 th birthday and as a surprise for her, her friends arranged a birthday cake which I offered to pick up and deliver for them.   A vividly colored work of art with ‘Felicidades Ella’ in bright pink.   (The local bakery may have thought it a little strange to be inscribing the cake with what literally translates as ‘congratulations she’.) I had three bonuses from the trip.   That of helping a young lady, far from home, feel special on her birthday. (in later years she is going to forget the homesickness, and just love telling people she spent her 17 th swimming in a volcanic crater lake in Nicaragua). I ...

Volunteer Michael Schulmeyer about his work for la Esperanza Granada How did you come to work at La Esperanza and what are you doing here? We were planning our round the world trip and wanted to do some volunteering during the trip for 2 months. We searched on the internet for organizations in Central America and stumbled across the La Esperanza page. We liked the concept and reviews and established contact with Pauline ... and here we are! What was your education like? I am a computer scientist and I have a Master degree in Computer Science. I don't have any educational background and had never worked with little children before. I only taught a course at a University in Vietnam once before, which I enjoyed a lot.  What has been your best experience working here?      After 5-6 weeks there are finally some kids who really want to work and appreciate the help that is offered. Especially that one boy, that is usually always hyperactive and aggr...

By past volunteer David Drezner In Granada Nicaragua , there is an isolated atmosphere of artificial leisure on Calle Calzada, an island of First world civilisation in a sea of small houses full of poorer people, replete with mariachi bands,  American and European cuisine,  European music, native hawkers, and continuously flowing booze. Surprisingly, the chocolate here is delightful and the ice cream is delicious.  Even the cheap commercial brands of ice cream have a rich flavour which enchants.  The city centre features ceramic tiled colonial adobe buildings, homes dating from the 19 th century.  At night, all the homes in the centre of the city have open doors, all the better to bring the cool air into the house, while the inhabitants sit outside on wicker rocking chairs having quiet family and neighbourly chats. Poverty is an accepted part of Nicaraguan life, and it is reflected in Granada .  It isn’t unusual to see an expensive pickup truck...

Pauline Jackson - Operations Director La Esperanza Granada  Where have you lived before you moved to Nicaragua?  I was born in the UK, then I lived in Canada and after that in Australia. My parents moved there so I moved with them.  I moved from England to Australia because of the climate. I still own a house in Australia which someone is renting from me. Are you married, do you have children? No, I’m not married and I don’t have children. When did you make the decision to move to Nicaragua and why? Three months before I came here I was in Nicaragua for business. Then the founder, Bill Harper, died. I knew him before. After he died they asked me if I wanted to work for La Esperanza. Since the 25 th  of May  I’ve been  here for seven years. What do you like about Nicaragua? I like the fact that we are doing something useful here. I think it is very important to do something for the children. The organization is running...