Imagine living under a repressive regime that is indifferent to COVID-19, then, super impose upon this pandemic the devastation of Eta and Iota, two category 4 hurricanes, that came ashore within ten days of each other. This is not a hypothetical exercise or simulation: this is exactly the sequence of activities that the inhabitants of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua are living through.
Dear Friends,
Emelia, the young mother in the photo, is a graduate of a technical course FADCANIC offers to at-risk youth living in one of the poorest areas in the Autonomous Caribbean Region of Nicaragua. Because of economic and financial hardship, Emelia was not able to attend high school, and as a young single mother she lacked the skills needed to fulfill her desire of a better life for herself and her child. That is, until Emilia enrolled in FADCANIC’s Education for Success cellular phone repair vocational course. After completing the cellular phone repair course, Emelia opened her cell phone repair business, a service that was badly needed in her native community of Waspam. However, disassembling the phones requires very small screwdrivers with a variety of tips, which Emilia did not have, so she devised an ingenious solution by fabricating the tools she needed from the spokes of discarded bicycle wheels. Emelia also found out that spokes had enough zinc she could heat to solder components during repair. Thanks to you, Emilia has a thriving business and is experiencing an improved sense of wellbeing because she is able to provide for herself, her young son, and extended family, while providing a valuable service in her community.
Victor Manuel, the young boy in the photo, sold baked goods as a street vendor to help support his mother and seven siblings. Victor was struggling as a fifth grader until he entered FADCANIC’s Education for Success Program. Victor’s scholarship meant he would be provided with lodging, meals, school uniform, and transportation back to see his family twice a year. Victor successfully completed the three-year program and went on to enroll in high school. During the Education for Success Program, Victor discovered his passion for drawing houses, which he is eager to show to anyone who is interested. These drawings are kept safely in his home. “My dream is to become an engineer and design houses. I want to be able to build houses for people like my family, who never owned a home.” Victor found his passion, thanks to you and your generosity. One day very soon, Victor will become another ardent advocate of the transformational power of education. Victor’s success was also made possible because of your generosity.
Parents of students enrolled in the Education for Success Program also benefit from the program’s “Good Parenting” sessions. These sessions help parents understand their teenage children and provide them with strategies to improve the quality of communication between family members and the impact poor decisions have on the family as a whole.
There are many more success stories of students and young adults who were able to choose a path to a more fruitful and meaningful life. Having optional pathways did not happen by accident or wishful thinking; they are a direct result of your financial commitment to making a difference in the lives of our students. Your financial support is enabling young children to receive an education they otherwise may not have had. Upon completion of a vocational technical training program many graduates are finding employment because they now have the qualifications necessary to successfully perform the job. Others, like Emelia, are discovering pathways to self-employment by applying the technical skills learned from the entrepreneurship and technical courses offered. Your financial support continues to play a significant role in alleviating poverty in the short-term, and we believe your sustained financial commitment to supporting our education program will also play a meaningful role in the long-term reduction of poverty. Yes, education is the most reliable “visa” to exit poverty!
Today I am asking you to join me in a collective effort to financially help our students, their families and other members of their communities who are suffering from the devastation left in the wake of hurricanes Eta and Iota.
Families living in communities that were heavily impacted by the hurricanes lost homes, grain crops, tubers, perennial trees, and small livestock that provide families with income and limited insurance against food insecurity. These losses are extremely significant because these resources provide poor families with a degree of self-sufficiency in their effort to overcome the grinding poverty that is characteristic of their daily lives.
We have three months to get ready for the new academic year (Jan/Feb 2021); during this period of time we must replace two buildings that were lost to the storms, repair roofs and replace solar panels on other buildings that were damaged, provide direct assistance to students and families impacted by the storm and fund a micro loan program to provide small loans to business owners like Emelia to get back to operating conditions that existed prior to the storms.
Disrupting the cycle of poverty and its consequences is hard work; it requires a long-term vision and a sustained effort to slow the rate of growth in poverty through the adoption and implementation of various programs. Some programs are designed to meet the educational needs and aspirations of students like Victor Manuel, other programs equip learners with marketable skills they can immediately use to secure employment or start their own businesses.
To thrive in this environment of political uncertainty and environmental risk requires the cultivation of resilient individuals, resilient families, and resilient communities. Education and awareness of the various pathways are laying the foundations upon which resiliency is being built.
Your financial contribution has enabled FADCANIC to focus on positive values embedded in the culture, the drive, and the quality of the people and their desire to not see themselves as “helpless victims” of difficult circumstances, but more like agents of change. We look forward to your continued financial support.
Please make your financial contributions payable to: FADCANIC USA. The mailing addressing is provided below:
FADCANIC USA, Inc.
3019 South 35th Avenue
Omaha, Nebraska 68105
Website: www.fadcanicusa.org
Thank you very much,
Redmond Humphrey, President
FADCANIC USA, Inc.
Fadcanicusa.org
FADCANIC USA, Inc. 