July Update

Executive Director Report

The programs operating through Adelante showcase sustainability at its best. I’m very excited to report that two of our initial programs are completely self-sufficient and are now run by Nicaraguans teaching Nicaraguans. Every NGO knows that when implementing new programs it is of the utmost importance to always think about sustainability. I’m happy to say that this has been one of the most important things that I have focused on during my time in Leon. It’s so exciting to see former students teaching new students. Three of my former students who completed all their appropriate courses are now teaching children from 1st to 6th grade. It’s amazing to see them teaching and seeing things they picked up from my own classes. Also, Adelante is becoming very well known in the community as schools are now approaching me looking for teachers. Next month two of my students will hopefully gain employment at a pre-school teaching English. Additionally, the after school program has become completely financially self-sufficient.

Program Updates

Word by Word: Three students from my advanced English class have organized themselves and created their own curriculum to start teaching their own class for kids from 1st –6th grade.

English Classes: English classes are progressing very successfully. There is one class in the morning and one in the evening. Plans to add a Saturday course in a neighboring city are in the works.

College Bound: Sponsored students are finishing their first quarter and will be turning in grades in the next few weeks.

After School Program (Carita Feliz): The after school program, locally known as “Carita Feliz” (Happy Face), presently has 19 students enrolled. The tutors have brainstormed various ways they could make the program sustainable. They now sell chips and popsicles during the program to all people using the facility. 100% of the proceeds go towards school supplies and the kids’ monthly fun activities. The exciting part is that this program is now financially stable enough to run whether Mateo is present or not.

July tutor spotlight - Yesenia Isabel Cisneros Martinez

Hello my name is Yesenia Isabel Cisneros Martinez, I am 20 years old and a single mother of a beautiful 2 year old. I live with my mother Maria Dolores Martinez in the city of Leon. I work as a volunteer tutor in the Carita Feliz project and I love it because we work with children and we help them with their homework. I am a high school graduate, and am taking a computer operation course. I have faith in God that I will accomplish my goal of attending the University next year and getting a degree in Social Work. In our country there exists a lot of physical and psychological abuse towards women and children, and I would love to help these people by being a social worker. My goal is to become a professional alongside the most beautiful things I have, my mother and my daughter.

Update #14

Update #14
In this issue:
1. Directors update
2. School update
3. Other programs update
4. Current needs

Directors update:

It was a very nice 2 month holiday season for me visiting friends and family back in Seattle, but it's time to get back to the grindstone and get some work done. Unfortunately, the day I arrived back in Nicaragua I fell ill and had to go to the clinic for medical attention. But thanks to a well placed shot of penicillin I'm back to full health. Students new and old have been stopping by daily asking when classes will begin, so I am also very eager to get started on the new school season. I have been looking forward to getting back here for a while, and feel like I am hitting the ground running. I've already had many meetings with prospective students and discussed possible collaborations with universities and high schools around the area. These partnerships will provide us volunteers for the after school program. Our new director of the after school program and College Bound program has already begun work researching, recruiting and developing the programs. I'm excited for her to really make these projects her own.

School update:

As I mentioned above, students have been dropping by daily to check on the class schedule. We plan to begin classes February 2nd, which is a little later than I had originally planned, but in order to prepare the other programs for the beginning of the school year, which also falls on February 2nd , I chose to push back the date. The evening class will start with beginning level 5, while the morning class will be starting level 3.

Other programs update:

- College Bound program: (supports single mothers who desire to attend college to pursue or finish their degree). We have our first applicant who is attending the U.C.C. She starts school again in February and has already been awarded a scholarship for the school year by a very generous donor in the Seattle area. Thank you Christina White! We have another young mother of two looking to be scholarshiped right now that needs $23 dollars per month so she can pursue her law degree. There are other applicants floating around that we have yet to solidify but will keep you all informed as the applicant pool grows.

- After School program: (Supports local education for elementary and middle school children by giving them extra support in completing projects and homework in all subjects. Tutors are recruited from local universities with community service requirements for its students). Classes in León begin February 2nd so myself and Francis (the director of the after school program) are currently recruiting volunteers as well as planning presentations at local elementary and middle schools. Francis also plans to make the teaching space more "kid-friendly".

- Vecinos: (provides 3 rural elementary schools with year long school supplies at the beginning of the school year). On February 26thMyra and Polly are scheduled to arrive here in Nicaragua to help coordinate the purchasing and delivering of materials to these 3 schools. At present, I have been seeking out vendors of different school supplies and remain in contact with the schools' directors. We should be more prepared when Myra and Polly arrive to get a lot of work done!

Current Needs:

1. Adelante would like to be able to offer more school scholarships to single mothers but need pledges for monthly donations. To send someone to a private university it costs on average $40, depending on the degree program. Thus, we are looking for more people to pledge that amount of money monthly. Exact pledge amounts will vary based on the specific student that you are supporting. In the picture you can see an example of someone presently waiting to be sponsored by our program. In the picture is the mother Patricia Elizabeth Sanchez and her two daughters Ashely (9 years old) and Amanda (6 years old). For Patricia to pursue her law degree she is requesting $23 dollars a month for 11 months, which comes out to $253 dollars a year. If you are interested in sponsoring this student for a month, 6 months or even a year please contact us to set up payment details.
2. Volunteer in the tutoring program. We are currently accepting applications from young and old to volunteer as tutors with the after school program. We do require that you have conversational Spanish skills. Home stays can be set up for an additional charge with the host family. Please contact Mateo Garibaldi for more information (mateo.g@adelantenow.org)

Thanks to everyone who made the last fundraiser as it was a great success!

Mateo Garibaldi
Executive Director/Adelante founder
Mateo.g@adelantenow.org

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