Saying NO to Drugs and Violence
As a shy and quiet young man, 19 year old Rafael usually keeps to himself. He speaks only when spoken to and entering his mind is not easy.
So, unless a little background of him is considered, it will be tough to imagine why even at 19, he has not finished 10th grade.
Or why school proved difficult for him at times.
Or 
why he was rebellious and disrespectful towards his parents.
Rafael comes from a very large family – 10 members in total. Out of 7 of his siblings, 2 of the oldest are addicts. One brother is addicted to drugs and the other to alcohol. His family is very poor with his father is the only earning member.
Life, as expected, is hard. It is particularly hard for young Rafael who has easy access to the wrong crowd to hang out with and violent brothers to contend with on a daily basis. With so much stress and abuse in family, it would be easy for him to fall into his older brothers’ ways.
But, Rafael is holding his own. He has committed to not resorting to drugs for escape. He, along with 3 of his younger siblings is in the EI program. But, school was not easy for him either. His reticent behavior made it difficult for him to fit into school life. The first year of high school was very difficult.
He says “I was in the same grade as my younger sister and that year I was very defiant and rebellious. She passed the year and I did not!” Read more…
We are super excited about kids from our photography program getting their work published in Chatelaine – Canada’s largest woman’s magazine! 
We are proud of our kids who not only are learning so quickly but are becoming incredibly sensitive photographers in a very short time. Here are a few more of their super shots!
You can buy some of last year’s photos from our online gallery and support our budding photography program. We are also about to have our 2nd annual photography exhibition in Toronto on November 14th. Our last Toronto exhibition was a 100% success 
The details of this exhibition (called MiCameraMiMundo) are as follows:
Address: Edward Day Gallery Toronto (952 Queen St. West Suite 200)
Time: 7 PM – 9:30 PM
Date: November 14th Read more…
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.” Read more…
Experiencing the Smiles and the Woes
Benjamin McCormick from US is a recent university graduate who has been volunteering with EI, teaching Maths and Physics to secondary school students. Here is what he has to say about his experience -
Upon arrival to Nicaragua, I knew at once that I was in for more than I bargained, for better or worse. I quickly realized how poor my Spanish was, and was 
adjusting to the constant heat and humidity when a powerful storm knocked out the power and water for the better part of three days. This native West Virginian, accustomed to mild weather and constant water and electricity, was quickly finding how different Nicaragua is from the US.
Despite my misgivings, the first time I set foot in the EI office, I knew it was going to be a great experience. The children were warm, friendly, and greeted me with “Buenas dias!” and a smile. I started giving classes in math, physics and English to the teens in secondary school, and was excited to see how fast they picked up new concepts. Read more…
Learning while Teaching – Experiences of 2 Volunteers in EI
Sara Lichter, a photography producer, and Robert Caruso, an editorial photographer, visited Empowerment International this June. Sara and Robert are from Toronto and they volunteered to teach our photography kids.
Here they share their experiences while in Nicaragua with us – 
“Nicaragua is like no other country we have ever visited; the people are warm and the landscape is beautiful, but the challenges are many.
The first thing that hit us as we drove through heavy downpour from Managua to Granada on the night of our arrival in Nicaragua, was that this was neither going to be an ordinary nor an easy experience.
Of course, as two English speaking climate and culture-shocked Canadians, we were nervous the first day as we walked to the Empowerment International office to meet the 10 children who had signed up to take a week long photography course with us.
