Support School Lunch - Escuela Santa Marta 2019
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Support School Lunch - Merienda Escolar 2019, Escuela Santa Marta, Nicaragua
Help us to fund our ongoing school meal project at the local elementary school by donating to our campaign. Funds will be used to pay for food, the cook's salary, kitchen equipment and construction, and plantain production.
Check out what we have already accomplished!
As the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, and now facing intense adversity in the midst of political unrest, Nicaragua is a tough place to grow up. Hunger and poor nutrition are widespread, opportunities are hard to come by, and hope for a better future is a dream often forgotten. Nonetheless, education is free and, without a doubt, is one of the best ways to overcome the challenges of poverty faced by so many Nicaraguans.
Kids in Nicaragua are required to go to primary school, but the harsh reality is that attendance is not a priority. That is why we want to do whatever we can to keep kids in school by keeping them well fed while they are in class.
The government provides each school with a very limited supply of basic ingredients - rice, beans, oil, cereal mix, and dried corn kernels. However, most schools do not have kitchens, so it is up to the parents to take home the ingredients and return the next day with something prepared for the children to eat. This is a good compromise, but not ideal. Hence, we have been working on developing a school meal program that aims to alleviate these difficulties and provide the children with a consistent hot meal every day.
Our project began in 2016 with the construction of an outdoor cooking stove. This was further developed in 2017 with a roof to provide shelter from the elements and the purchase of large cooking equipment (pots and pans) and dishes for the children (bowls, cups, and silverware). This year we were finally able to hire a cook, Doña Elida, to complete our project goals by coming daily to prepare the meals for the children.
Unfortunately Nicaragua is facing some of its hardest times as the country pushes through a particularly tumultuous phase of politics. Help us to keep our kids in school and well fed by keeping our cook employed.
With gracious donations thus far, we have been able to pay our cook for the entire 2018 school year, in addition to purchasing additional food when supplies ran out due to a national shortage. We have also been blessed with a generous donation to lay a cement floor so that our cook was no longer standing in the mud.
Please help us to continue this project by keeping our cook paid and employed. Our goal is to raise enough funds to provide for our upcoming school year that begins in February 2019.
Our financial priorities in order of importance are:
1. Cook's salary - $1500
2. Supplemental food supplies - $5000
3. Brick walls for the kitchen - $2000
4. Plantain production* - $1500
*The plantain (chaguite) production plan is to create an additional job opportunity for an unemployed member of the community while providing sustainable supplemental food. Plantains are part of the traditional Nicaraguan diet and provide additional nutrients. They are easy to grow, but require daily irrigation due to our dry conditions. By growing them in a garden at school, we will supplement our meals with fresh plantains; provide part-time employment for an additional community member; and - most excitingly - set the platform for experiential education in sustainability and food security.
Here is a report of how our project has been going so far. We are so grateful and proud of all of our accomplishments! Thank you everyone who has made this possible in 2018.
Check out what we did in 2018!
Help us to fund our ongoing school meal project at the local elementary school by donating to our campaign. Funds will be used to pay for food, the cook's salary, kitchen equipment and construction, and plantain production.
Check out what we have already accomplished!
As the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, and now facing intense adversity in the midst of political unrest, Nicaragua is a tough place to grow up. Hunger and poor nutrition are widespread, opportunities are hard to come by, and hope for a better future is a dream often forgotten. Nonetheless, education is free and, without a doubt, is one of the best ways to overcome the challenges of poverty faced by so many Nicaraguans.
Kids in Nicaragua are required to go to primary school, but the harsh reality is that attendance is not a priority. That is why we want to do whatever we can to keep kids in school by keeping them well fed while they are in class.
The government provides each school with a very limited supply of basic ingredients - rice, beans, oil, cereal mix, and dried corn kernels. However, most schools do not have kitchens, so it is up to the parents to take home the ingredients and return the next day with something prepared for the children to eat. This is a good compromise, but not ideal. Hence, we have been working on developing a school meal program that aims to alleviate these difficulties and provide the children with a consistent hot meal every day.
Our project began in 2016 with the construction of an outdoor cooking stove. This was further developed in 2017 with a roof to provide shelter from the elements and the purchase of large cooking equipment (pots and pans) and dishes for the children (bowls, cups, and silverware). This year we were finally able to hire a cook, Doña Elida, to complete our project goals by coming daily to prepare the meals for the children.
Unfortunately Nicaragua is facing some of its hardest times as the country pushes through a particularly tumultuous phase of politics. Help us to keep our kids in school and well fed by keeping our cook employed.
With gracious donations thus far, we have been able to pay our cook for the entire 2018 school year, in addition to purchasing additional food when supplies ran out due to a national shortage. We have also been blessed with a generous donation to lay a cement floor so that our cook was no longer standing in the mud.
Please help us to continue this project by keeping our cook paid and employed. Our goal is to raise enough funds to provide for our upcoming school year that begins in February 2019.
Our financial priorities in order of importance are:
1. Cook's salary - $1500
2. Supplemental food supplies - $5000
3. Brick walls for the kitchen - $2000
4. Plantain production* - $1500
*The plantain (chaguite) production plan is to create an additional job opportunity for an unemployed member of the community while providing sustainable supplemental food. Plantains are part of the traditional Nicaraguan diet and provide additional nutrients. They are easy to grow, but require daily irrigation due to our dry conditions. By growing them in a garden at school, we will supplement our meals with fresh plantains; provide part-time employment for an additional community member; and - most excitingly - set the platform for experiential education in sustainability and food security.
Here is a report of how our project has been going so far. We are so grateful and proud of all of our accomplishments! Thank you everyone who has made this possible in 2018.
Check out what we did in 2018!
Organizer
Katherine Wiebke
Organizer
Charlotte, NC