Esperanza de Granada Free volunteering organisation

See below for costs and information

High School for San Ignacio: We are currently building a high school in the barrio of San Ignacio. We have built the fence, and made a start on the walls of the first building of three classrooms, and the latrines. We have some funds to continue, and will need a total of close to $40,000 to complete the whole school. (We only need about $15,000 to finish the first three classrooms and open the school.)
Computers: We are taking computers out to six schools at the moment, giving the children in grade one and two These children get one 45 minute lesson per week using the computers as a learning tool to help them with reading and with math. The benefits are tremendous, and we really want to extend this program. Transporting the computers out to the school each day means that we can secure them (and recharge them) in our office when not in use, but costs nearly $60 per week, when we extend the program that will go up to about $100 per week. We use local taxis to take the computers out to the schools.
Teachers Salaries The schools are badly understaffed, sometimes four grades or 50 plus children in one classroom. One teacher, one year: $2100 .
Kindergarten Assistants A local person to assist in overcrowded kindergartens $350 per year.
Salary for a school psychologist/pedagogue So many of the children have problems resulting from extreme poverty, broken families, malnutrition and learning difficulties. We need $3000 to pay this salary for one year.

University Scholarships with stipends We first started this program in 2008 – a young person can attend university (which many in Nicaragua do on weekends only) and during the week they assist in the schools alongside our volunteers, and receive a stipend of $80 per month. For an amount of $1360 per year for five years it gives the opportunity to a young man or young woman to continue with a higher education, and contribute to their families needs in the same way that they would be able to if they held an unskilled job. The added benefit is that they are spending their time gaining valuable experience in education, administration, accepting responsibility in the workplace, and at the same time being a wonderful role model giving hope to all the other young children in.

Secondary School Sponsorships The children attending the schools we work in come from families who do not have the resources to send them on to high school once they have completed primary school. In Nicaragua only 35% of children complete primary school. One reason is they know they cannot continue their education. We have organized a program of sponsorship for children who complete primary school to attend a Secondary College in Granada. Cost per student $260 per year for five years, this includes school fees, books, uniforms etc. Expect a small rise each year.

Dental visits for the schoolchildren: We have access to an excellent dental clinic provided by Keep Dentistry Alive a group from New Orleans in U.S.A. When we take children to this clinic we only have to pay to cover materials etc. and the prices are very reasonable. We also pay busfares and our volunteers take six children each afternoon from different schools where we work. We spend $2000 plus per year on dental visits.

Eye Examinations and Glasses We take all children who need to following school eye tests, to the optician for eye tests. Of these children many have needed eyeglasses, others needed to see an Ophthalmologist and were found to have parasite infections of the eye. These children have been saved from permanent damage to their eyes. It is imperative that we can continue with this program. Average cost per child $32

Games, Puzzles and Toys We need toys for kindergarten/preschool that help develop hand/eye coordination – none of the children here have lego, building blocks, or any educational toys in their homes – they play pretending to be riding a horse with a stick and a string. Most have never held a crayon or seen a book until they start school. Simple jig saw puzzles, numbers games, domino’s are other useful items. It doesn’t matter if these things are ‘pre loved’, they will definitely be appreciated here. Cost depending on postage/purchase etc. –there is a limited selection of this type of toy available here for us to buy if you prefer to send money.

Art and Craft Supplies. The government supplies very little in the way of art supplies to the schools, and the parents are not able to purchase anything to help with this. Art and craft classes not only stimulate the imaginations of the young children it also helps development of manual dexterity which is vital to their handwriting skills. Colored paper, paints, glue, scissors etc. are all very low priced here. In addition to purchased materials, we try to make use of recycled products, newspaper, plastic bags etc. plus take advantage of the many different seeds and wildflowers that abound here. $10 per month would be enough to cover the costs for an average sized class.

School Excursions For several years now we have been able to take children from the schools on a once a year excursion. We take children from grades 2, 4 and 6. The aim is so that they can see something outside their village, so that they have an exciting day to look forward to, and that progression upward through the grades of school bring some reward. Averaging $3 per child, all contributions are welcome.
One of the most repeated suggestions from volunteers who complete an exit form is to take children on more field trips and excursions – most of these children living in poverty know nothing whatever of the world outside their villages.