Education & food for 200 children in Nicaragua

We would like to share the most recent trustee report from the GVI Charitable Trust. This report covers the six month period from July to December 2011.

We are delighted to share that this has been by far our most successful period, raising in six months nearly as much as we did the whole of the previous year. This increase in funding has brought a corresponding increase in the impact we have been able to create on our programs around the world.

During this period we have invested in sustainable education across Latin America including support for the elderly in Guatemala and income generation schemes to support education in Honduras and Ecuador. In Mexico we have worked with a community to establish a recycling centre and in Kenya our partners in Mombasa will now realise their goal of seeing impoverished students through to completion of the primary education earning recognised qualifications for the first time. 

These are just a few highlights of an amazing, productive and rewarding six months. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and played a crucial role in these achievements.

• July - December 2011 Trustee Report (PDF)
  

The New Year is off to a busy start on our project in Nicaragua. In addition to our regular activities in the two schools in two communities which have been established by this project our evening English classes have been very well received. Our Nicaragua base manager shares this report from the field:

‘As we start the New Year in Nicaragua, Esteli we have had a fantastic response to our evening English classes. These classes are given twice a week, open from ages 9 to 90 (though we have yet to have any abuelas) and free to both communities. We have been so impressed with the kids and adults enthusiasm to learn English and classes have been enjoyed by teachers and students alike. Phoenix Nicaragua is proud to give these lessons in the communities and love having over 100 English students every Tuesday & Thursday.’

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project.

An historic week here on the Phoenix Nicaragua Project, as La Thompson celebrated it's 3rd Pre-school graduation and Chriza had it's 1st! That's 30 kids in total, a huge achievement and a great acknowledgment of all the hard work that the volunteers and local staff have been putting in over the years.

The children came spick and span in their best clothes and the parents spoke of the pride they had on this special day. With their diplomas in hand, a whole new group of kids are ready to join our first grade next year, and here in Nicaragua, we just can't wait!

As the school year comes to an end there was time for one last fiesta to see out the year and to celebrate Christmas. Local staff and volunteers put in lots of hard work to make sure it really was a special day for the kids, for example over 200 presents were wrapped, labelled and decorated. There was an art competition to judge, piñatas, a special meal, party games and of course a certain Mr Santa Clause joined in the fun to make sure there was some priceless looks on some of the kids faces.

This was also a great opportunity with all the students together to continue with "Plan Cepillo", every student receiving their own toothbrush and toothpaste, all part of our aim to improve dental hygiene in the community.

Great fun was had by all (especially the volunteers), and it was a really fitting way to see out, what has been a really successful year for Phoenix Nicaragua. Merry X-mas and many thanks for your support.

The Phoenix project in Nicaragua set a goal in late 2010 to support secondary education in the communities in which we work, La Thompson and Chiriza. This goal has become a realization as we recently handed out six secondary scholarships; to two students in La Thompson and four students in Chiriza.

The scholarships offset the cost of public school uniforms, shoes, transport to school and the cost of school materials which proves prohibitive to many students in rural Nicaraguan communities preventing them from accessing education. Secondary education retention is alarmingly low in Nicaragua and we hope this initiative will help to improve the situation for students in these communities.

The scholarships will be awarded each semester if the students show consistent attendance, passing marks and bring report cards to be verified by project staff.

So far the scholarships have been viewed as a success given the feedback from the student’s parents as many of the children bought their school materials immediately after receiving the support.

Good luck to Karelia, Enma, Wendy, Joseph, Magdalena and Doribel in the upcoming semester!

Elsewhere on the project donations to the GVI Charitable Trust help to pay for the salaries of local teachers, transport to adult education classes, educational materials for the students, birthday celebrations, our teeth cleaning initiative and the all important feeding program.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our projects you really are making an incredible impact.

On September 30^th 2011 the sports program in Nicaragua was officially launched as 17 girls from our school in the community of Chiriza were transported to the football pitch in the community of Chiriza, where our other school is located.

12 girls were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the opposing team and soon after the whistle blew to signal the beginning of intra-school competitions between the two schools. The girls played their hearts out despite a lot of pushing and running through loads of mud. The teams played to a fitting 0-0 tie and the girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

The next match will take place at the end of October between the boys of each community and will become a regular part of the school year. The kids can enjoy this opportunity even more given they have earned a spot on the team through their attendance and behaviour in classes; another incentive program we have introduced.

We look forward to future matches between the schools.