ADELANTE today: Update #4

4/10/08

Update #4

In this issue

Directors update from Nicaragua

Class Progress

Construction Update

Volunteer Opportunities

Current Needs

Directors Update: Hola desde Nicaragua! Very recently I became fully aware of how truly hot it is here. I spilled a cup of water in my room the other day. I soaked a lot of it up with a spare dish towel I had laying around. I went into the kitchen and rung the towel out a few times and tried to clean the towel, and when I came back into the room, the water had already dried up… completely. Yes. It is hot here! Apart from that, the people are wonderfully nice as expected, the weather is hot and the cold showers are a welcome break from the day. I have begun the transition recently from purifying my water and buying bottled water to just throwing caution to the wind and drinking the tap water. Mistake or adventure? Well, if it’s an adventure I’ll be sure to write about it in the next update, if it’s a mistake I’m sure you all know what the consequences will be and I’ll spare you the gory details and refrain from telling you all about it. I’m optimistic though as I’ve gone about 3 days so far on tap water and have not noticed any unusual “activity”. I’m spending my days here developing the curriculum for the classes, filling my house with yummy goodies and furniture, and riding my host families bicycle around town. It’s taken a bit to get used to those o-so-comfy bike seats… ah yeah they’re not comfy, though I’ve mastered what I’ve called the “side-ride”, I’ll let you figure out what that means.

Class Progress: Our inaugural test class of friends and family shall begin this Monday in the classrooms that the pre-school across the street has graciously given us the use of during the evenings. In return for the use of the classrooms I’ll be teaching pre-schoolers for 1 hour a day, 4 days a week. This should be both challenging and exciting at the same time. I’ve not thought too much about teaching without using reading or writing, and as I was recently reminded they cannot read or write…ha ha. So I’ve had to drastically change the curriculum that I’ve been planning on using for the adults. Anyway I’m happy for the practice and experience that this is sure to provide me. For this first class there will be no charge to the small class of students as it will be a test run for me to get feedback from the students and plan more for when I open it up to the public. This will also be a shorter class running approximately 3-4 weeks, for 4 days a week.

Construction update: Construction thus far has not begun yet, but is still planned to happen pending more fundraising. Many vital materials needed for building have pretty much doubled since we last priced them a year ago. Plus, we would rather not spend all our budget on constructing the classrooms right now, but wait a little while longer. Thus, giving ourselves a small financial cushion and taking advantage of the generosity of the school that is across the street from us.

Volunteer Opportunities: In the near future I would like to offer volunteer opportunities here in the school. This should be of particular interest to those that would like to either improve or start learning Spanish. Volunteering through Adelante will provide you with not only a valuable teaching experience in Latin America, but also with one-on-one Spanish tutoring and a homestay with a Nicaragua family. Spaces are available upon request and advance notice. There is a nominal fee which pays for Spanish lessons as well as food and lodging with the family¹. A minimum of a two weeks stay is suggested.

¹Price subject to specifics desired and length of stay

Current Adelante Needs: As classes begin we will be in need of more and more school supplies for students. The following items will be very helpful for teachers as well as students:

3x5 Note Cards

Dry Erase Markers

Spiral Notebooks

Stickers for pre-schoolers

Pencils

Sharpies and markers

These items can preferably be mailed directly to Nicaragua:

Mateo Garibaldi

De La Iglesia San Pedro Sutiava, 1 al sur, ½ arriba

León, Nicaragua

Central America

If international shipping is too pricey you may also send it to Adelante at: