Anielka did not have to brave her tremendous odds to stay with Empowerment International’s program for six years. Like so many children in the community where she grew up, Anielka could have dropped out of school and continued the life of dependency and poverty. 

But she did not give up. She worked with EI through all her life’s ups and downs. The result is a confident young girl sure of her life plans and dreams.

Anielka recently did EI, her parents, her community and herself proud by graduating from her High School. She will now attend University where she plans to study Business Administration.

In fact, not only is she building her own future but also helping many other children with theirs. She is a tutor in EI’s after-school tutoring program where she helps her neighborhood children with their studies. And she also wins biking races as her pastime.

In his beautiful video for Empowerment International (EI), Brad Allgood, shows how a girl who considered herself “timid” is now the president of EI’s mountain biking club and the first member in her family to graduate. Anielka never expected herself to finish school, let alone dream of college. But she is well on her way.

Like she says in the video, “We do not always have solutions ourselves.” Anielka took EI’s help and is now spreading the message. As you see her confidently teaching other children and speaking about her hopes, you realize that Anielka has found her new world – one where she is a confident, expressive and without fear.

EI is proud to have a kid like her.

As we close this year on this happy note, we at Empowerment International hope that you stay with us through our journey with many such kids who fight similar or, often, worse odds to continue their education.

For the last three years Empowerment International has proudly maintained more than a 92% school retention rate. Many of our students are now in University, balancing family’s monetary burden while handling their demanding schedule in college. In fact, we are now looking forward to our first University graduate.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a New Year full of dreams and successes!

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In Nicaragua 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never finish 5th grade. It is our goal to make this percentage drop significantly.

$30/month is what it takes us at Empowerment International to put a child in school. If you would like to help a child stay in school and get better life, please click on the link below or contact us -

Filed under: 2011 program, barrio, education, empowerment, Graduation, Nicaragua Program ]]> http://empowermentinternational.org/2011/12/15/year-of-dreams-and-successes/feed/ 0 KathyAAdams 385162_10150454092654344_42357679343_8406431_1915043370_n Facebook:Share del.icio.us:Year of Dreams and Successes Digg it:Year of Dreams and Successes reddit:Year of Dreams and Successes Stumble it:Year of Dreams and Successes furl:Year of Dreams and Successes Bookmark and Share Donate at Change.org http://empowermentinternational.org/2010/10/05/melki-grows-with-ei/ http://empowermentinternational.org/2010/10/05/melki-grows-with-ei/#comments Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:43:46 +0000 kathyei http://empowermentinternational.org/?p=1244 ]]> 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.”

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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In Nicaragua 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never finish 5th grade. It is our goal to make this percentage drop significantly.

$30/month is what it takes us at Empowerment International to put a child in school. If you would like to help a child stay in school and get better life, please click on the link below or contact us -

This is what parents of Empowerment International kids feel now.

Proud that their children are working so hard, studying so well and achieving several firsts (in education) in their families.

Happy to see their kids happy in their new hobbies like photography and baseball that inculcate creativity and discipline in them.

Content knowing that their children will unquestionably have easier lives than themselves with better education and higher self-esteems thus giving them independence. 

One mother states that she is happy every time she sees her son behave in a more loving and obedient manner. She credits EI’s programs like the photography program for these positive changes. For most parents, the fact that their kids are not roaming about aimlessly on streets or getting into destructive fights or habits is itself a source of contentment.

Another source of great pride for parents is to see their older children give tutorial classes to the younger kids. This fosters independence and a helping attitude, certain to give them strong leverage in adulthood.

The 97% retention rate that EI’s program boasted in 2009 speaks of the high level of commitment from not only the kids but also their parents who do everything in their power to keep the children in school.To further show their commitment, this year, all the EI kids and parents signed a contract pledging to work together with EI to build a better future for the community.

Now, the community itself is ready to  take ownership and manage the process. The parents always turn out in huge numbers to volunteer for any program or activity, especially the beginning of the school year preparations when uniforms , books and other supplies need to be packed for more than 200 students!

Excited. Hopeful. Honored.

This is what we at EI feel when parents respond with cheer for our program. As one parent put it, “I never thought my child would ever have such opportunities in life”.

We, in turn, are excited that change is finally taking place, hopeful that this positive momentum will continue unabated and honored that the community has accepted us with such understanding and support.

- Neha Singh

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In Nicaragua 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never finish 5th grade. It is our goal to make this percentage drop significantly.

$30/month is what it takes us at Empowerment International to put a child in school. If you would like to help a child stay in school and get better life, please click on the link below or contact us -

So he yelled.

At his friends, at his school and at his mom.

His relationship with everyone including his family members worsened with every tantrum of his. Only 11, he was already showing signs of strong rebellion.

And then he got a camera.

His life changed.

He took his camera and went out in the streets. He took pictures – scores of them - and marvelled at his shots. He loved the colors of the photos and the way everyday life got captured for posterity. He did not want to be disruptive anymore. He had a tool for creation and he was loving it.

His camera took him to places he always had hoped to go – Managua ( the capital city , 50 km from Granada), the mall, San Juna del Sur ( a beach town) and the Isletas ( little volcanic islands in the lake Nicaragua).  

His camera brought cheer in his harassed mom’s heart. He had stopped yelling. He listened more and tried to help her at home. He stopped fighting with his classmates and attended school regularly.

For Empowerment International, he is one of the most dramatic success stories.

Alexander became a part of EI’s photography program in 2007 and has never looked back since. He could borrow one of EI’s camera whenever he wanted. While in the program, he joined the photography teacher and the other students to several photography trips where he learned the importance of patience and focus. He has become empathetic, understanding and calm now.

He has learned how to take a good photo,  what are the different positions for a photo, how to use the different camera functions like zoom, long sort and how to take a close up short. He even knows how to critique a photo.

In his words, ‘Now I am better  behaved with my brothers and my mother. I help my mom by going to the market for her!’

His family, friends and EI staff are proud of him. But even more importantly, he is proud of himself. 

- Neha Singh ( Contributions by Deepa and Anielka)

Below is the slideshow of photos Alexander has taken over the years. Several of his photos have been featured and sold in exhibitions.

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In Nicaragua 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never finish 5th grade. It is our goal to make this percentage drop significantly.

$30/month is what it takes us at Empowerment International to put a child in school. If you would like to help a child stay in school and get better life, please click on the link below or contact us -

The Need –

Although, Santa Ana lies only 10 Km from EI’s office, it is a world apart.  The standard of living is markedly lower in this community.  Most of the children  here do not have shoes, despite needing to cross over farm lands and giant puddles to reach school and work in the fields.

Most of the parents are illiterate and without a method of transportation.  They work as subsistence farmers, using horses to cultivate the fields, or in other manual-labor positions.  The community is serviced only by a 4WD dirt road, with no public transportation, and is frequently impassable in the rainy season. There are approximately 80 primary-school-aged children living in the Santa Ana Community. The community has a government-provided small primary school and two teachers, but does not have the financial or mentoring resources necessary to keep children in school.
The senior elementary school teacher there approached EI when he noticed a decrease in the numbers of students attending school as well as declining performance from those who did attend.  Upon visiting the community, the staff immediately recognized a great need.

The Solution -
In accordance with the generous 2008 Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation grant, EI identified, hired,  trained local Nicaraguan staff and arranged transportation to the village. Now our novel hands-on approach of daily home visits, training for the parents, and emphasis on long-term value of education is being implemented successfully.
We had two measurable goals for 2009, of which the first one has been met, as all the primary school-aged children in the community are now in school. We intend in the next year to continue to work with these children (and any children that are new to the community or ready to start school).

We have also identified a number of children whose families were able to support them so they could graduate from the local primary school and are now eligible to attend the more-distant high school, but are unable to manage transportation. Further, the closest high school is closing and the only one available will be almost 16 km away.

Being able to attend secondary school is a rare event in this community and we believe enabling these children to continue their education would be extremely beneficial to them and to the community.

Ultimately EI aims to foster a strong community value for education so that the community becomes self-sufficient and breaks its cycle of poverty.

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In Nicaragua 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never finish 5th grade. It is our goal to make this percentage drop significantly.

$30/month is what it takes us at Empowerment International to put a child in school. If you would like to help a child stay in school and get better life, please click on the link below or contact us -

Timothy, whose travel blog has been selected as one of the 10 best travel photo blogs recently, visited Nicaragua on behalf of Empowerment International last November as a photography trip.

He was enchanted by the stunning bio-diversity of the country and became acutely aware of the “inexorable link between poverty and the loss of biodiversity”. In the tour he explored some of the humanitarian organizations waging war against poverty in Latin America’s poorest country. In spite of having travelled 6 continents and 85 countries, his wizened soul was shocked at the depths of poverty that the slum dwellers in Nicaragua are mired in.

Empowerment International was the host for him in this tour. He says in his blog about EI, “Empowerment International helps to break the repeating cycle of poverty by working with parents to keep their children in school and by providing children in high risk areas with the physical and emotional support needed to stay in school. Empowerment International also understands the complex intersection of poverty and conservation and knows that protecting the biodiversity of Nicaragua is intrinsically linked to the human well-being of the community and to celebration of place.

To that end, (Kathy) Adams’ photography program, Mi Camera – Mi Mundo, which puts a camera in the hands of many of her impoverished students is nothing short of brilliant. It not only provides students with a creative and artistic outlet but, through the lens, also engenders an overwhelming connection to place and an awareness and appreciation for the natural beauty of Nicaragua.”

Timothy’s first photography exhibition is in the third largest art market in the United States from July 10 to 29 and he is presenting the photographs he took in the tour to Nicaragua. He mentions further in his blog, “I know most of you can’t make the gallery opening in Santa Fe this Friday. But I encourage you to follow the links to Empowerment International and see first-hand the amazing work of Kathy Adams and her team. And come meet these special people from the barrios whose enduring human spirit rises from this once voiceless, powerless place – carved out of obscene oppression and the abysmal failures of democracy and politics.

And while there, maybe drop a few coins in the bucket. The little funds Adams mines out of that bucket have already gone a long way to foster the continued self-empowerment of several rural and urban communities in Nicaragua.”
You can read more of Timothy’s travels and see his amazing photos on his blog – “From the Faraway, Nearby”

- Neha Singh

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In Nicaragua 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never finish  5th grade. It is our goal to make this percentage drop significantly.

$30/month is what it takes us at Empowerment International to put a child in school. If you would like to help a child stay in school and get better life, please click on the link below or contact us -

Along with torrential rainfall, the situation can get even worse during hurricane season. In the last ten years this country that straddles the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean has been hit by three hurricanes and 25 tropical storms. The most recent hurricane, Felix, left 220,000 people homeless in 2007.

As in most natural disasters, the poor are the hardest hit. Along with losing their homes they can also easily lose their means of making a living, especially if they are self-employed, selling food they grow or products they make. U.N. resident representative Alfredo Missair warns that the vulnerability of people in the areas hit hardest by the natural disasters would increase the already wide gap between rich and poor, according to Inter Press Service.

“When it is raining a lot almost all the families in the barrio suffer,” according to Anielka Gutierrez, Nicaragua Program Director at Empowerment International. She works with the students and their families and sees firsthand how the storms affect them.

For many of EI’s kids, dealing with flooding during these seasons is a way of life. Even after the waters recede, already vulnerable families have to rebuild their houses and lives from scratch. In the barrio where EI works, houses are made from scrap materials or black plastic, usually with dirt floors. There is no escape from the rain, which can easily turn the floors into mud or destroy the fragile structures completely.

With every new rainy season that comes along, not only are the families’ livelihoods threatened, but the children also have more obstacles to getting to school every day. Even if roads are passable they can turn completely to mud, making it harder and more dangerous than usual to get there and back.

Which is why we need an organization like Empowerment International. EI helps make school and education a priority for these children and their families. It provides the support for the kids to get to school every day, and reminds them through tough times the value of education. EI gives them hope for improving their lives, so that maybe one day they’ll live in a house that can better withstand the rains.

- Francesca Dalleo

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In Nicaragua 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never finish  5th grade. It is our goal to make this percentage drop significantly.

$30/month is what it takes us at Empowerment International to put a child in school. If you would like to help a child stay in school and get better life, please click on the link below or contact us -

The survey of over 900 nonprofits found that only 12 percent of the organizations expect to operate above break-even, compared with 40 percent reported last year. Just 16 percent anticipate being able to cover their operating expenses in both 2009 and 2010. Obviously, nonprofits are experiencing huge challenges due to the economic crisis.

With corporations and foundations facing losses from the stock market plunge, many are cutting back or halting their usual charitable giving. And with considerable job losses around the nation, individual giving forecasts are unclear. In an end of the year survey covered in The NonProfit Times, more than 40 percent of organizations said that they’re seeing smaller gifts and fewer individual donors. At a time when needs are greater and resources are less, the economic downturn has affected nonprofits in a range of ways.

As a repercussion of the reduced giving due to the slower economy, many nonprofits are forced to make budget and program cuts. Many are also freezing hiring or laying off staff members, in some cases with workforce-reduction percentages in the double digits. In an end of the year survey reported in The NonProfit Times, 40 percent of organizations said they did worse in 2008 compared to the year before, and 41 percent said about the same. Less than twenty percent said they did better in 2008 than 2007.

But even with all of these discouraging economic reports, there is some hopeful news as well.

A Chronicle of Philanthropy survey in March revealed that a majority of Americans who give to charity still plan to donate as much this year as they have in the past. Fifty-two percent of donors said their gifts would be the same as 2008. Only 17.5 percent said they’d give less, and with 30 percent undecided, there is room for people to recognize the importance of giving in hard times.

Many people struggling in this economic crisis themselves are realizing that there are plenty of others out there who need help now more than ever. Of those who planned to give at least as much in 2009, 50 percent said they were willing to make compromises in other areas of their life to do so.

Nonprofits can also benefit from people who aren’t able to contribute financially right now, but perhaps instead could volunteer their time and skills. On March 15 the New York Times covered “the growing army of the newly unemployed that have been marching into the offices of nonprofit organizations since the recession hit, looking to do some good, and maybe network a little.”

For those who have already experienced job losses due to the economic crisis, volunteering can help them make contacts that could lead to a new job, as well as fill the hours they used to be at the office. And for professionals worried about job security, it’s a great way to stay involved and brush up your skills while benefiting your community.

- Francesca Dalleo

In Nicaragua 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never finish  5th grade. It is our goal to make this percentage drop significantly.

$30/month is what it takes us at Empowerment International to put a child in school. If you would like to help a child stay in school and get better life, please click on the link below or contact us -

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“We visited Granada recently and were moved by touring the barrio and meeting the children and their families. The city changes slowly, bit by bit, as you walk out from the center toward the edge.

On the surface, colonial buildings give way to more modern but good concrete homes; then solid wood and metal homes; then salvaged wood and scrap metal homes; and finally homes made of the most basic materials.  By the time we reached the edge of town, we watched a beautiful sunset in a field behind a house made of sticks and plastic sheets.

Despite the decreasing material wealth the farther we went, our feelings were not of sorrow or despair but of hope and promise.  The spirit of the people and the sense of community were moving and powerful.  We spoke with a young boy who, with raw sewage flowing down the street alongside his bare feet, told us that his favorite class was math and that he wanted to be an engineer.  We met a father of a child in the program who, as he was telling us his very insightful ideas for keeping teenagers engaged in school, carefully tied the shoelaces of his young daughter’s Mickey Mouse doll to her delight.  We met teenaged girls who were engaged in school and had grown from that commitment who hoped to help others stay engaged as well.

The parents care deeply for the children and the community cares deeply that the children attend and succeed in school.  It was clear to us that the community-based approach of Empowerment International was building success with success; as more children went to school, more people placed more value on schooling.  We met people who were empowered, who had a sense of hope grounded in confidence in their own self-worth and in their own abilities to improve their situation, and who worked in the present while looking to the future.  All of this has been achieved not with a top-down injection of masses of money but by a bottom-up approach that helps people find in themselves the ability to make things better.  We left the barrio feeling young.”

– Jamie McCaughey and Emma Hill

In Nicaragua 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never finish  5th grade. It is our goal to make this percentage drop significantly.

$30/month is what it takes us at Empowerment International to put a child in school. If you would like to help a child stay in school and get better life, please click on the link below or contact us -

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A typical home setting in the barrio

Most of the families EI works with have an income of less than $250/month. Lack of adequate funding is a major issue for education of the kids and EI helps these families overcome this barrier by providing books, school supplies, uniforms, and shoes to children to allow them to attend pre-existing schools.

This helps children who have never been able to afford school to attend.

Because of their low income, families often can’t afford medical care.  This prevents children from attending school, as they are out sick more regularly than other children.

EI helps families break down this barrier by working with a local clinic to provide free medical vouchers to the families in the barrio.  Also, since EI is about empowering people, we have a parent from the barrio run this program and decide who should get the vouchers when.

Most of the parents in the communities we work with cannot read.  This makes it difficult for them to help the children with their homework.  Many of the children struggle with school and have repeated the same grade multiple times, despite their consistent attendance and hard work.  This is because they have no one to help them, and the schools are so crowded that the students do not get much personal attention.  The staff at EI recently began a tutoring program to help those students who need help.  Currently, they are working with the students who cannot read, but the hope is to be able to tutor all of those in need of extra assistance.

Older students can’t afford to attend college and are expected to contribute to the family income.  EI provides tuition for these children to attend college as well as a small salary stipend in exchange for interning in our office.  We have had two students work with us through this program, and we expect two more soon.

In an effort to find better jobs, some of the parents from the barrios work in Managua (the capital city of Nicaragua) or Costa Rica.  This means the children are left with other family members.  Also, many of the children live in single-parent households with several siblings.  Most of the time the single parent has to work to bring in an income for the family, which means the children are often left to care for each other and fed for themselves. Through the home visit program, EI works to ensure these students and all children in the program receive the encouragement and support they need to succeed.

Many of the kids do not have role models because many times nobody in their family has graduated from high school.  Because of this, many children do not realize how their life could be different with a good education.  EI works to help students graduate from high school, and then asks them to return to the community to conduct home visits and

EI student with his camera!

mentor the younger students.  This is also true in other EI programs.

EI also offers a photography class, and for much of this class, the older students are responsible for teaching the younger students. It is EI’s aim to ensure that parents participate in their children’s education regularly so that ultimately the whole family is empowered to work towards a better tomorrow.

- Neha Singh

In Nicaragua 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never finish  5th grade. It is our goal to make this percentage drop significantly.

$30/month is what it takes us at Empowerment International to put a child in school. If you would like to help a child stay in school and get better life, please click on the link below or contact us -