Educate a child;
Give hope to the world.
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DONATETo support the great work of Empowerment International, please consider making a donation. Click here to donate through Razoo. For donations made through Razoo 100% of your donation will go to Empowerment International, with no transaction fee deducted. (And good news for those who didn't like having to make a login for Razoo - We passed on this feedback and they have now changed this.) SPONSORTo learn more about the organization and how to sponsor a child, click here. FORWARD TO A FRIENDKnow someone who may be interested? Click here to forward to a friend. SUBSCRIBEWere you forwarded this email? If you would like to subscribe to the mailing list, please click here. FACEBOOKFind us on Facebook! Receive daily updates from the staff by becoming a fan of our page. COMMENTS/QUESTIONS?Please email us.  These photos were taken by Kathy Adams. You can view more of her photos here. This newsletter was created by volunteers Jamie McCaughey and Emma Hill.  | |
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Melki grows with EI
Melki has been in the EI program for seven years, since the first grade. He is very responsible and dedicated to his studies and his home. He helps his mother to make colchones de tule (reed mats) and also helps with household chores - taking much more responsibility in the home than many kids his age in more fortunate countries. In past years, he was a very shy kid and didn't interact much with the EI staff. But last year he joined the team of teenage tutors, and because of that is more sure of himself and interacts much more with the EI team.
He has also participated much more in events in the office. He
even spoke with people in the US at the Fiesta de Esperanza over
Skype! He has participated in five photography exhibitions, some
in person in Nicaragua and some international exhibitions that included
his work. This has been the biggest success in his life. He says, "I
like photography because through it I have come to know places that I
didn't know before, and have learned more about myself and how to look
at the world differently."
Melki loves going to school and is a
very attentive and responsible student. Last year he finished primary
school and was given the award for being the best student. Because of
this honor, he got to carry the flag of the school!
His parents,
siblings and all his family are very proud of all of the successes that
he has had. He is grateful for the chance to be a part of the EI
program - "From the time I was in the first grade, (EI) has helped me
very, very much."
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Kathy Adams recognized as a "spark"
The "Spark Plug" award is given by the Boulder Flatirons Rotary Club (CO, USA) to an individual who puts service above self and provided the spark to start a program that develops goodwill and peace. This year, they presented the award to Kathy Adams, the founder and Executive Director of EI.
Kathy started the program when she was living and working in Costa Rica, where she saw children selling and working in the streets during the day. She was concerned that they were not in school and would not have many prospects for their future that an education could provide. She recalls, "I spoke to the kids at first... and they had issues, many with the parents' lack of interest in school. So it was through the kids that I learned the true needs. While there were material barriers, the larger barrier was that the parents often did not value education. Then I started working with the parents and kids via weekly home visits to help them understand the value of education, and we worked through the obstacles as they arose."
Kathy then moved the program to Granada, Nicaragua, where it has grown into a movement far larger than any one person. What remains unchanged is the central focus of the program: Regular home visits to build a relationship with the families and shift attitudes about the value of education. The material support that EI provides (school uniforms, supplies, etc.) has always been a very small part of the program; the primary focus is and has always been on encouragement leading to empowerment. Encouragement has such a tremendous impact - something that we all know and sometimes take for granted. The first thing that we might think that poor people in developing nations lack is material wealth, but much more profound is a lack of encouragement and empowerment that can lead to a sense that they can work to change their condition.
For many years, the local Nicaraguan staff has taken charge of ground operations, and increasingly, they are providing direction for the program. The parents are deeply invested in the success of their children through the program. And the most recent and exciting development is the tutoring program, through which teenagers have become more engaged in their community than ever before. Gone are the days were so many kids had to be convinced to go or stay in school. In 2009, the program had an incredible retention rate of 97.5% (in a country where 50% of the kids drop out before the end of 5th grade). In 2010, EI had 4 students request to come back to school after having dropped out, since they are seeing their peers are leading better more productive lives. One of the four started tutoring last year to demonstrate how much she wanted to come back.
The tangible and intangible impacts on the communities are not always easy to measure, but the results are easily seen on the ground. EI is growing the skills of the local Nicaraguan team (the most senior members who started as a school teacher and housekeeper are now facilitating communities all on their own) and employing local shoemakers and tailors. More importantly, it is clear to each child and each family that they all count, as individuals and as a community.
The true mark of making a difference, indeed providing a spark, is that the change no longer depends only on the dedication and efforts of one person. In that regard, Kathy's spark has ignited a great shift in the direction of two communities in Nicaragua. It is exciting to have seen it grow - and to look forward to what it is yet to become.
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