Lifting up through learning

Every month representatives from each Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners Learning Center in Nicaragua come together to share ideas, stories, and experiences. These meetings are typically held at the Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas office in Managua, Nicaragua. March’s Learning Center meeting was particularly special as it was held at the American Nicaraguan Foundation where the Tipitapa Learning Center carries out activities and projects. 

Several buses took representatives from the capital city of Managua out to the ANF and many travelled by car, on foot, or by bike to attend the meeting. At the meeting, representatives got to learn about the Sweet Progress program and about several gardening and nutrition projects taking place.

The ANF is a large facility located in Tipitapa, Nicaragua where individuals can come to take classes on baking, cooking, woodworking, agriculture, sewing, knitting, and much more. One very exciting and popular class that is being taught through the Sweet Progress organization is beekeeping! Students can learn about how to properly manage a hive, how to harvest the honey and beeswax, see the different products being made from what they harvest, and purchase hand-made beekeeping suits. So far, over 19,000 women and teenagers have been involved with this program.

At the same time as the Learning Center meeting, back in Wisconsin W/NP was having our Quarterly Meeting. Special guest Maria Centeno Tercero from Estelí, Nicaragua presented on her theater program, Iniciativa Colibrí. Maria started the program 7 years ago as a way for children in her community to express themselves in a safe place. Children can participate in the program at no cost and learn about how to positively interact with others and express their emotions through acting, art, and dance. The program currently has 45 participants that range from ages 5-18. There is even a group of adult community members that regularly participate in the activities as well!

At the Quarterly meeting intern Katelin Bridgman presented on the student chapter she has started on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus. She started the student chapter as a way to increase youth participation in the organization by giving students on campus a direct way to get involved and volunteer with W/NP. So far the student chapter has organized a school supply and backpack drive, hosted a packing event, and a Youth in Nicaragua presentation with Maria Centeno Tercero. Katelin also shared the video about the SPIN bikes that W/NP sent to Nicaragua in the last 2 shipments. These bikes were donated to W/NP by a company in California and are now at many of the Learning Centers and a fire department in Nicaragua!

Click here to learn more about Sweet Progress

Click here to learn more about the SPIN Bikes 

Click here to learn more about Iniciativa Colibrí

Thank you so much for your continued interest and support to the W/NP Learning Center program. 

Links:

• Information on Sweet Progress
• Video about the SPIN bikes
• More Information on the Colibri youth drama initiative

It has been an exceptionally busy few months for the Wisconsin-Nicaragua Partners of the Americas. In early December, 6 members of the organization, 3 from Wisconsin and 3 from Nicaragua, attended the Partners of the Americas-What Works 2018 conference in San Antonio, TX. At this conference they shared ideas, tips, and tricks for how to make a partnership successful with other POA organizations.

The women from Wisconsin presented on volunteer service with other organizations and how strategic alliances are important tools to enhance an organizations ability to accomplish missions and goals. The women from Nicaragua also presented on Nicaraguan women social and economic development where they talked about the process of creating the learning centers and their successful impact on personal/professional growth and income generation for women and families throughout the country.

After the conference, all 6 of the women traveled back to Stevens Point, WI where they met with other W/NP members at the quarterly meeting and shared their new ideas from the conference and how W/NP has made a life-changing impact on their communities and in their own lives. While the Nicaraguan women were still in Wisconsin, they presented at several other locations to raise awareness of W/NP including the local high school and university.

On December 13^th, W/NP volunteers filled and shipped 4 containers to Nicaragua. This humanitarian shipment included educational supplies, sewing machines/supplies, sports equipment, furniture (bookshelves, chairs, desks, tables) and firefighting gear. The objective is to improve quality of life, vocational options, income, self-sufficiency and empowerment for people living throughout Nicaragua. Residing in a developing country, resources and opportunities are scarce, and with the cooperation of many people it is possible to share with those most in need. The containers departed W/NP warehouse in Stevens Point, WI and will arrive at the W/NP warehouse in Managua for distribution throughout Nicaragua.

-          Click Here to read about our Nicaraguan guests sparking the interest of local high school students in the W/NP organization

-          Click here to read about the UWSP Student Chapter that will be forming in 2019