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2008 Projects

Thanks to our generous benefactors!
The Internet comes to Santa Helenita
Trash Project
Field Trip Program

Thanks to our generous benefactors!

A BIG, BIG thank you to the parents and students of Browns Valley Elementary School in Napa for their generous donation of books and school supplies to the students of Nena Maria Quezada primary school in Empalme de Boaco. Thanks go to Lenore Hirsch, our scholarship coordinator and former principal of Browns Valley for facilitating this gift!

We are grateful to Price Charities and Pricesmart in Managua, Nicaragua for their generous donation of school supplies and cleaning supplies to Nena Maria Quezada primary school in Empalme de Boaco. A special thanks to Jennifer Barron from Price Charities and Edwin Nunez at Pricesmart for their assistance during the grant application process.

The Internet comes to Santa Helenita

The Empalme de Boaco is an area that in general has remained technologically isolated, but Fundacion Santa Helena is trying to change that. Through the introduction of fibre optic internet service we are stimulating a transcendental change for Empalme, one which we hope will change it forever. Free Internet service is being provided through fibre optic cable to secondary school Laura Lee Scheideman and primary school Nena Maria Quezada. A total of over 500 students and 20 teachers are soon to benefit from this service, a number that is sure to increase next year due to increased enrollment at the new secondary school. All of these students, who before only had a notion of what internet was, will now be able to use it during classtime. “Its cool”, says Edwin, a second grade student, “because now we will be able to use internet to work, to do the research we need to for class”. 

Edwin talks about having internet in Empalme de Boaco.

Since permanent funding for internet service projects is non-existent, it became clear that to make this project sustainable, some form of profit model had to be included. This turned out to be an internet cafe that will, at least in part, help confront the cost of internet service to these educational centers. Yet this same internet cafe will, through its service, increase computer and internet literacy (through classes as well as use), and help the great number of users (students, professionals, etc.), from Empalme and surrounding areas be able to complete their work without having to travel. Coincidentally, due to the Empalme de Boaco’s central location, we will be able to provide service to many travelling professionals, those travelling to the Atlantic Coast, to Managua, and to the central part of the country.

Obuet Torres and Michael Hidalgo check out their photos from “trash days” on the Santa Helena Website

Our two future internet cafe employees are both Fundacion Santa Helena scholorship students; Mariela Marenco and Franklyn Narvaez. Mariela is about to graduate in her career in Systems Engineering (August, 2008), while Franklyn is in his third year of studies. They are both very excited to be able to work in their own careers in the ciber-cafe. “Many students are unable to find work in what they studied, so I am so happy. Without the Foundation I would not have been able to study, and now thanks to you I am able to work in my career”, says Mariela with a smile. Overall Internet in Empalme continues to be an amazing thing. People generally have the attitude of “Ill believe it when I see it”, but even when they see it, they can’t believe it. “There is internet? Right now? You can use it? Really, right now?”, is a common question these days. It will be asked less and less once the ciber is opened and fully functioning, as Empalmenos will more and more be able to use it to study, do research, read the news, and communicate with friends and loved ones. More and more both adults and youth will be able to access anything, use computers and the internet comfortably, and feel good doing so. “Its a good thing”, says Wilder, a six-year old first grade student, and he is right.

Mariela Marenco, one of the Fundacion’s scholorship students in Computer Engineering who will work in the cibercafe.

Trash Project

Two times per month residents of Villa Santa Helenita get together to clean the community. Under the guidance of Ramon Hidalgo (“Moncho”), who is president of the recycling committee, and Freddy Rodriguez (“Cachon”), many of the neighborhoods younger residents set an example of how to enjoy doing work to benefit your entire community without expecting anything in return except for a cleaner environment and, of course, a good time (see photos).

When this program was inagurated months ago, two jumbo sacks of plastic bottles were collected, later to be recycled with proceeds going to further trash clean-up. Since then our recycling committee has began to help clean the entire Empalme de Boaco with our scholorship students, and has been involved in starting up trash clean-up in the nearby city of Teustepe.

Moncho (far right), with his son Edwin (front), Obuet (far left), Beyker (left), and curious onolokers.

Obuet Torrez (front), leads the way after dumping a load of trash. On trash days it is the youth, above all, that answers the call to help the community, and sets an example which the adults can folow.

From left to right: Freddy Rodriguez, Vice-President of the Recycling Committee, with, Michal Hidalgo, Darwin Hidalgo,Moncho (President), Edwin Hidalgo, and Beyker Gomez.

Field Trip Program

In June 4th and 5th grade students from primary school Nena Maria Quezada went on a field-trip to visit a recycling plant named La Pita, located between Boaco and Empalme de Boaco. Francisco Perez, the person in charge of the center, was kind enough to take it upon himself to share his knowledge with the visiting students.

In Nicaragua field trips are very rare, and many students go through secondary school without having a chance to go on one. For this reason not only students, but teachers as well, were grateful for the opportunity

“Sometimes it is difficult for us to teach a particular topic, for example flora and fauna, when what the children see around them is something different, and when we have no means to show them”, explained teacher Gervin Orozco. “This field trip allowed us to link the theory with practical education, and reinforce the students ability to learn. We really hope that another opportunity like this will come again soon”.

“We have a new desire to seperate our own trash, to recycle what we can, and to make fertilizer with what we can’t, so that we can plant a nice plant there afterwards”, said one student. “Not for money, but to make our community a cleaner place and to learn more about recycling”.

Francisco Perez, head of La Pita recycling, showed student how a particular worm, “La Californiana”, is used to make organic fertilizer, which is valuable in the production of agricultural products, especially coffee.

Francisco Perez and two local workers explain to students (and professor Gervin Orozco, red hat), how trash is seperated at the center, what is recycled and what is not, and how the students can do this in their own homes.

Students came duly prepared with workbooks. Since in Nicaragua field-trips are rare, teachers made an excellent effort to show students that this was an opprortunity to put what they were learning into context, and not just “a day off”

Students standing proudly in La Pita’s garbage fill. They not only learned about recycling, but Francisco also explained how they dispose of unrecyclable trash.

Santa Helenita Final Phase

The final phase of construction of Villa Santa Helenita was completed this June. 21 new families received their new homes and became a part of the 42 families that already called the community home.

With the new constructions complete 63 families now live here.

Marisol Lazo, a single mother, working on her new house. Despite working two jobs, she would have never earned enough to be able to get a house for he and her children on her own.