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E-Newsletter April 2010
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| Become a Child Sponsor Today! | |
Danny, Age 11
Jovana, Age 8
Katherine, Age 5
Samuel, Age 8
Maria Guadalupe, Age 10
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| It's All in the Numbers | |
Dear Friends -
"Show me the money!" That famous line from the movie Jerry Maguire has become synonymous with a request for proof that something is working. In the world of development however, what we hear mostly is "Show me the numbers!", or otherwise put, "Prove to me your programs are working.... before I agree to fund you again."
Fortunately, Fabretto teachers, health workers, and training staff are continuously gathering data on a wide range of measures so that we can effectively evaluate how well our programs are working. Happily, the results usually give us the proof that donors and funders want and require. However, when they don't, they also help us make informed, though sometimes difficult, decisions about how we need to restructure or change what we are doing with the kids. I'd like to share a recent example of each case with you.
Just last month, we received the results of a comparative study between ten Fabretto rural schools and ten schools in nearby communities not served by Fabretto. Proximity of the twenty communities to each other was important because we wanted the cultural and socio-economic background of all the students to be similar so that as much as possible, we could attribute differences in academic performance to the presence of Fabretto in the subject schools.
Here is the comparison of children passing their year-end tests for promotion to the next grade level.
In other words, Fabretto schools have an 18% improved performance rate over other similar schools - an impressive statistic by any standard. The numbers on the Fabretto schools not only tell us that 9 out of 10 are doing a great job at enriching the academic performance of their students, but that one of them, Félix Rubén, the only school with a rate not in the 90s, needs some additional attention to bring it into line with Fabretto standards. We'll be working on that this year.
As noted before however, sometimes the data collected shows less positive trends. Take the case of our center in Somoto. In 2007, we started noticing a slow but steady decline in program attendance by students at all grade levels. As a result, Peter Schaller, our Director of Operations in Nicaragua and his team started to investigate what was going on. It turned out that in the last few years a number of other NGOs have starting providing similar type services, lunch programs and school supplies in that community. Since our center is on the edge of the town, and other organizations operate from more centrally located facilities, we've been losing students because of distance and a perceived lack of differentiation of services.
Because of this, while it is a very challenging process, we are now reassessing the Somoto program with a view to moving it exclusively to a high school and vocational center within the next couple of years. After much research and talking to people such as teachers, students, parents and community leaders in Somoto, we believe that this new path will not only satisfy a significant unmet need in the community, but will also allow us to take full advantage of the facilities and campus that Fabretto owns and operates there.
No organization can get it right all the time and even if one gets it right at first, circumstances change and one needs to be fluid enough to adapt. We are trying to do exactly that and in doing so, I hope you'll agree that this is a positive quality indicator, along with our many well documented successes, for an organization that continues to merit your support.
Thanks as always! -
Yours in Fabretto
Alexandra Garcia
President |
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| Upcoming Events |
Mark your calendar now for an event in your city! Click on the event for details and ticket purchases when needed.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
This year's event will be hosted by MSNBC's Monica Novotny and will honor long time Fabretto supporters, Mary and Phillip Erdoes. This event is almost sold out, please contact our office for inquiries on seat availability.
CANTON, MISSISSIPPI
Thursday, May 13 2010
Fabretto baskets and wood puzzles from the Cusmapa carpentry shop will be available for sale.
Thanks to Fabretto supporter Marty Kenahan for organizing this event!
THE NETHERLANDS, VARIOUS CITIES
Various Dates in May 2010
10 Screenings of Dreaming Nicaragua at venues throughout the country,
details on exact dates are posted on our website.
MORGAN HILL, CALIFORNIA
Saturday & Sunday, May 29-30, 2010
Find the booth with Fabretto Baskets for sale!
Thanks to Fabretto supporter Jan Hagemann for organizing this event!
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Friday, June 18, 2010
This year's event will honor long time Fabretto Friend and Advisory Board Member, Dipak Jain, former Dean of the Kellogg Business School at Northwestern University.
MANAGUA, NICARAGUA
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Three Jacks Benefit Concert - A Celebration of Celtic Rock
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| Program Highlight - Coffee Project Wins World Bank Grant | |
On Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - Fabretto was named one of the winners of the 2010 Development Marketplace Grant Competition for Latin America and the Caribbean! Not only is this a tremendous feat, but as our first project with the World Bank - we are very excited to implement!
The 2010 Competition received over 530 proposals for innovative, early stage projects with high potential for development impact and replication. 44 finalist were selected and invited to present their ideas at a conference last week in Bogota, Colombia organized by the World Bank, the Organization of American States, and the Inter-American Development Bank. Of these, just 12 were finally selected for grant awards of up to $40,000 for one year implementation projects - including Fabretto!
 The project we presented, "Sustainable Livelihoods in Coffee-Growing Regions", seeks to improve the productivity and competitiveness of small coffee growers in the community of Las Sabanas, one of the areas we serve with our traditional education programs. The project will encourage the production of high quality coffee with innovative, profitable and sustainable techniques and technologies. The goal is to connect growers with outside buyers who are willing to purchase coffee directly from the coop; train young coffee growers and producers, or their children, in the tasting, roasting, grinding, packaging and labeling of coffee in order to add value and identity to their product; and make maximum use of coffee by-products to produce organic fertilizers. In the first year, the project will benefit approximately 100 youth. Ultimately, new customers and improved practices will raise the agricultural productivity of growers affiliated with the coop.
One of our partners in this project is Mayorga Coffee, Inc. based in Silver Spring Maryland who will be buying the cooperative's coffee and coordinating distribution in the United States. Also, Fabretto intends to have private label coffee available for sale directly from our website by this summer - something many of our donors have been asking for - so check back soon!
Congratulations go out to the team who wrote and prepared a terrific proposal for submission, especially Rafael Merchan in Fabretto's Arlington, VA office and Jairo Escalante, the project coordinator in Nicaragua!
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| Fabretto Wins with Hoops for Kids! |
 The first annual ¨Hoops for Kids¨ tournament was launched on Saturday and Sunday March 13 and 14 in Managua. The event was a three-on-three basketball tournament organized by a group of Nicaraguan supporters, led by Ricardo Narvaez that aimed to raise funds for, and awareness of, our organization. It was held at the American Nicaraguan School (ANS). Twenty-four Mens' teams participated in an exciting tournament with many buzzer beaters and bracket upsets. Meanwhile, six teams participated on the Women's tourney where former Ms. Nicaragua, Cristiana Frixione's team reached the final - only to lose in the final against a group of ANS teachers.
 116 participants/players and an estimated 200 fans went to witness the event including United States Ambassador Robert Callahan. The organizing committee reached their goal as they raised $5,200 through the following corporate sponsors: Marfil, Esso, Stream Call Center, Powerade as Platinum Sponsors; Huevos Barranca, Cereales Supremo and ANS as Gold Sponsors; BDF, MAGMA and Tropical as Silver Sponsors; and Equipos and Accesorios SA at the Bronze Sponsor level. Thanks to all the Sponsors!
 The high school choir from Fabretto's San Isidro Center performed two songs during the Opening Ceremony, reminding players and spectators of the true purpose of this tournament. The 20 choir members were accompanied by students playing the bongos, guitar, and percussion instruments, resulting in an impressive rendition of two contemporary latin songs. After their performance, the students stayed to watch some of the first games before returning to San Isidro.
In all, the event was a true success as it helped raise awareness about Fabretto's programs to a group of young people that had not been exposed to the organization before, all the while raising much needed funds. We can't wait for Hoops for Kids II next March!
To See All the Pictures from Hoops for Kids.... |
| Taking Action Spotlight - A Night at the Embassy | |
On Friday, April 9th, we hosted a wonderful reception at the Embassy of Nicaragua in Washington DC. While Fabretto's Gabriela Arguello managed much of the logistics - the idea for the event came from Javier and Danielle Aguirre who've been supporting Fabretto for over 10 years now!
Fernando Coronel, Alex Garcia, Sergio Narvaez, Javier & Danielle Aguirre | The Aguirres were joined by Sergio Narvaez as event hosts. Altogether, more than 100 of their friends and acquaintances attended - many were new to the organization. This outreach effort, billed under our Nica Nights Events program, was a fantastic, casual and low key opportunity for Fabretto to tell its story to new people, raise awareness of its programs and the situation of young, impoverished Nicaraguans. We are extremely thankful to the staff of the Embassy, especially Alcides Montiel and Fernando Coronel, for all their support in the planning and for their presence at the reception.
This event is a perfect example, like the Hoops for Kids Basketball Tournament, of the many different ways that individuals can bring their interests, contacts and talents to benefit Fabretto in creative and fun ways. And realizing how many people are always volunteering to help organize and plan such differing activities, we are introducing this article series - Taking Action Spotlight - as a new regular feature in our e-newsletter. Not only is it a way for us to publicly thank our amazing supporters for their many efforts on our behalf, but we hope it will also inspire others to imagine how they might get further involved in our mission with new planned activities! When you think of something - just email Gabriela with your idea and we'll see what we can do to help you make it happen!
Or Consider These Easy Ways of Getting Involved!
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| Voices of Fabretto - Memoir of a Donor's Trip to Nicaragua |
 In February, my husband Bruce and I toured Fabretto projects in Nicaragua on the 2010 Friends of Fabretto trip. Before we joined the group - smaller this year due to unexpected weather and illness - we traveled to León, a city in the northwest of Nicaragua, to meet our medical scholarship student Roberta and tour the oldest medical school in the country. We happened to meet two professors, who took time out to show us their labs and discuss the curriculum and opportunities for employment after graduation. The facilities were sparse, but the teachers were impressive. We were surprised to learn, however, that only 50% of the graduating class can find work in Nicaragua - ironic, to say the least. Hopefully, by the time Roberta enters practice, the government will be better able to place their graduates.
After our brief visit to León, we returned to Managua for a reception at the Ambassador's residence, where we met Fabretto staff, volunteers, Peace Corps volunteers, USAID workers, Embassy staff, and others. It was an interesting group of people all doing good work!
The following day we toured projects in the city and a farm just outside Managua. One school located adjacent to the city dump was amazing. The dump itself reminds one of the 5th circle of Dante's Inferno. Though the Spanish government has contributed millions to close it off, people still scavenge for food or junk to use or sell. Fabretto's school is truly a refuge for kids from the filth and chaos next door. When we visited, we met a few of the children on a hot "summer" day, who were there to make jewelry. As a bonus, Fabretto sells the jewelry, so the kids earn some money and have access to a cool, clean environment at the same time.
From Managua, we visited schools in the mountain village of Cusmapa, then in Esteli. The kids were so bright and energetic. In each location they welcomed us with dances, songs, and demonstrations in English, science, math, social studies classes, and more. We also got a peek at the lunchrooms, which serve more nutritious food, including fruits and vegetables grown on-site, than we could find in many public school cafeterias in the Chicago area. I did have to laugh at one sign posted by the principal - something to the effect "Don't criticize the food. Thank God instead."
In summary, Fabretto does a fantastic job. Of course, many problems remain that fall outside Fabretto's core program, but affect the kids - among them teenage pregnancy that robs girls of the promise they had in elementary school. This was an issue group participants felt strongly about, though we certainly did not agree on how the issue should be tackled. Nevertheless, it made for some lively discussion on our bus rides between centers and in the end, we all agreed that Fabretto is indeed meeting its goal of bringing hope to kids who otherwise would have none.
Note to next year's trip participants! Bring an extra suitcase to carry home baskets, jewelry, coffee, and other products made and sold by adults in the Fabretto community. Seriously, they make gorgeous items, and Nora's coffee is the best I've ever had!
Jane Kenamore
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