A Path to Learning: Los Frutos del Café's 2003 Education Project
Municipality of Las Sabanas, Madriz, Nicaragua
The community of Las Sabanas had its first high school inaugurated in January 2000. Prior to that time, the options for a higher education were not readily available.
An extremely low percentage of children in the community even finished the elementary grades; and furthermore the idea of a post-secondary education was seen as impossible. So instead children were encouraged to enter the workforce early.
Most parents with large families also found the financial burden of school supplies and uniforms unbearable.
Having three, four or even more school-aged children represented an investment in education that they simply couldn't meet with their poverty level incomes.
Los Frutos del Café's main purpose is to encourage the education of children. Our organization believes that only through education can the chains of poverty be broken and true sustainable development be achieved.
If supplying the tools and scholarship funds can encourage even one student to pursue an education, our organization will have met its objective.
Our education project this year is called: Beans, Books & Bytes: A Path to Learning. This path will consist of setting up the first computers available to the elementary and secondary schools in Las Sabanas, Nicaragua.
The Fairmont Hotels donated 24 computers that will introduce, for the first time ever, the tools that these students will eventually need to use if they decide to pursue a post-secondary education.
This project will once again incorporate the distribution of school supplies (notebooks, pencils, backpacks,etc.) and this year we are rewarding students with an attendance record of 80% and higher for the 2002 school year, with new school uniforms and shoes.
For children it's a great mark of pride to wear a new and beautiful uniform to school. What better way to reward their efforts!!
The "BEANS" in the name comes from those members of the coffee industry who are helping us build this path. Aroma Nica (an importer of coffee from the Las Sabanas community) has cultivated partnerships with coffee roasters & retailers to raise funds for Los Frutos del Café's education projects.
The funds raised will cover the costs of transportation and set-up of computers, as well as the purchase of school supplies, uniforms & shoes.
The delivery of the computers, school supplies, toys and clothing is scheduled to take place in early February, with the goods leaving Canada by the first days of 2003.