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Improving Nicaraguan lives by building new, community water systems, and improving sanitation.

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Project Schoolhouse

A Journey of Hope

October 9, 2023 By Project Schoolhouse

Transforming Rural Nicaragua with Project Schoolhouse

Hi y’all! I’m Sara, and I have the privilege of serving as the organization’s President of the Board of Directors. I’ve been a longtime supporter of Project Schoolhouse, and formally joined as a board member in 2019.  I had the chance to visit rural Nicaragua for the first time in September, and wanted to share my perspective from the recent trip!

Stepping off the plane, I was greeted with warm smiles and open arms by the passionate members of Project Schoolhouse’s Nicaragua team and our Austin-based Executive Director. The team’s dedication to the cause was palpable, and it was clear from the outset that this was a group of individuals committed to making a tangible difference in the lives of those they served.

Over the course of our trip, we visited about ten pipeline communities in the Rio Blanco region, each with its own unique story and set of challenges. These were places where clean water, proper sanitation, and quality education were not just luxuries, but pressing necessities for survival and prosperity.

We ventured from the town of Rio Blanco by truck to each of the rural communities over the course of three days. This included an overnight stay in Bilami, where a family of an active project graciously housed and fed our 6 person travel team on their large “finca” (farm, in Spanish). 

In these communities, I had the privilege of meeting families who had spent generations without access to clean water, relying on contaminated sources that jeopardized their health and well-being. The children’s bright eyes and hopeful smiles, juxtaposed against the backdrop of their dilapidated schools, served as a powerful reminder of the urgent need for change.

In each of the communities, our team arrived with the promise to listen to voiced needs from the group of community representatives. Each representative’s pitch was individual, and they spoke of daily challenges unique to their local best-alternatives to clean water. While each conversation called out the challenges of the school and water infrastructure specific to that location, the themes and underlying root causes were 100% consistent: lack of access to clean water, sanitation systems, and suitable learning environments for the community’s children.

Over three intense days, our team navigated through the rugged terrain in off-road vehicles, weaving our way through the breathtaking landscapes. We were met with open arms and warm hearts, welcomed by a community united in their desire for a better future. In the faces of the thousands we met, we saw hope, and we understood the weight of the challenges they faced.

Project Schoolhouse, driven by a vision of empowerment and sustainable development, has already made significant strides in similar communities since it was first founded 16 years ago. In this trip I was able to witness that when the Nica team first meets with community leaders, team members such as Maria Inés (Project Coordinator), Manuel (Construction Manager), and Norma (Programs Coordinator), they take the time to accurately set expectations about what’s required of the beneficiaries. For example, while Project Schoolhouse brings the project management, materials, and construction expertise, the labor is donated by the community members. And in order for projects to be successful, community leaders are responsible for standing up a board to lead their neighbors through each step of the journey, and post-delivery. We have found that this level of ownership is critical to a successful project, and ensures the right level of knowledge and ownership of schools and water system maintenance long term. 

Through this work, the Project Schoolhouse team and many supporters have seen firsthand the impact of clean water systems, providing families with a newfound sense of security and health. Sanitation systems had been implemented, transforming lives by preventing waterborne diseases and improving overall quality of life.

The schools, once mere shells of educational institutions, are now vibrant centers of learning. Renovated classrooms, equipped with necessities such as watertight roofing, flooring, and access to potable water for children throughout the day, promised a brighter future for the children who would one day lead these communities forward.

As our trip concluded, I couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of purpose and determination. The annual fundraiser, Cien Amigos which translates to “100 Friends” in Spanish, loomed on the horizon, and I knew that the success of this event would be instrumental in continuing the momentum we had built.

In 2024, Project Schoolhouse aims to fund 2-3 projects that will further transform the lives of communities in rural Nicaragua. These projects will not only provide the basic necessities of clean water, sanitation, and education, but they will also pave the way for sustainable growth and self-reliance.

My journey with Project Schoolhouse in rural Nicaragua was a testament to the boundless potential of human compassion and dedication. Through concerted efforts and unwavering belief in the possibility of change, we can create a world where every individual has access to the most fundamental human rights: clean water, sanitation, and quality education.

As the date of Cien Amigos approaches, I invite you to join us in this noble endeavor. Together, we can be the driving force behind transformation, ensuring that more communities in Nicaragua and beyond have the opportunity to thrive.

For more details, go to the Cien Amigos Event Page!

Sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter here!

Filed Under: Clean Water, Community Engagement, Education, Meet Stories, News From the Field, People Driven Development, Water Tagged With: October 2023 Newsletter

After-School Program – Project Update

August 3, 2023 By Project Schoolhouse

Our after-school club in the community of El Aulo has been running successfully, with students of all grade levels participating in different activities. Pictured here are the 5th-grade students practicing their computer skills and receiving much-needed homework help from our dedicated teacher volunteers. We hope to expand this program to two more communities later this year.

Filed Under: Community Engagement, Education, People Driven Development Tagged With: August 2023 Newsletter

Project Update – Bilampi School 2023

August 3, 2023 By Project Schoolhouse

In 2022, we partnered with the community of Bilampi to build a fully distributed water system that brought water to every home. Children and their families no longer need to walk for water at home or at a school. This year we plan to finish building a new school for this community. Community members are eager and excited to finish the schoolhouse they have been dreaming of for years. We would like thank The Kathryn B. McQuade Foundation for their support in building this school. We’ve also just learned that, thanks to the new facilities, 3 new grades will be added to the curriculum, so that children in the community can now study through the 3rd year of secondary school. This expanded opportunity is huge, particularly for young girls whose parents thought it unsafe to send them to the neighboring community to continue their studies.

Filed Under: Clean Water, Community Engagement, News From the Field, Water Tagged With: August 2023 Newsletter, Project Update

Project Update – Rosario Las Vegas September 2022

September 30, 2022 By Project Schoolhouse

We broke ground on this new water project in April 2022. The community mobilized quickly and has already finished the fresh-water spring capture, the main conduction line to the water tank, building the tank, and most of the trenching to the homes, community church, and school. The team on the ground is currently building metal structures for the water meters and painting the tank the traditional Nicaragua blue. They will then move on to dig the final 3 kilometers of trench for the distribution system, install water meters and build latrines. Weather permitting, they should finish the water and latrine installation by the very beginning of 2023. We are so grateful to The Burdine Johnson Foundation for their sustaining support of clean water for these rural communities.

Current Water Source in Rosario Las Vegas
Material being moved in by horses
Main conduction Line

Next up is a school for this community.

Filed Under: Clean Water, Community Engagement, News From the Field, Water Tagged With: Project Update, September 2022 Newsletter

Greetings from the Executive Director

September 30, 2022 By Project Schoolhouse

It was so energizing to be able to travel back to Nicaragua for the first time since 2020, and we covered a lot of ground this summer! Our in-country team was proud to show all of the project’s progress since we were last there.

Thanks to financial support from the West Austin Rotary Club and Rotary International, we have finished a water and latrine project in the community of Bilampi. The little boy in this photo lives in that community and he no longer has to carry water from the local river in that container on his horse – he has clean running water at his school. This community is so spread out that most children get to school by horseback. The teacher meets those who travel longer distances each morning and rides with them to school. The far distances between homes meant that the community hand-dug 22 kilometers of trench to lay the distribution system – they worked for almost a year, and now all have water in their homes. We always say that, through their volunteer labor, the families are the biggest donors to these projects, and this project was the perfect example. 

This community of Bilampi is featured in 2 new short films we produced over the summer, with some amazing Nicaraguan filmmakers with whom we are fortunate to collaborate. We’re excited to premiere these short films at Cien Amigos 2022 on October 27th, in person in Austin, Tx and live streaming everywhere! Cien Amigos (‘100 Friends’) is a chance for those who care about this work, like you, to invite others who might be interested in learning more. Free to attend, enjoy a delicious Nicaraguan dinner and watch short films that beautifully demonstrate the importance of these projects. This is our only fundraiser of the year, and the success determines the scope of work in 2023. We hope you can join us and bring new amigos!   

Gratefully,
Selina Serna

Filed Under: Clean Water, News From the Field, People Driven Development, Water Tagged With: September 2022 Newsletter

People and Persistence: 15 years of Push

December 17, 2021 By Project Schoolhouse

Project Schoolhouse Team surveying the Bilampi Water Project

“Endurance must master every fortune.”   This is the advice that motivated Eneis to leave Sicily and cross the last tiny bit of water between him and Italy, the object of his long search.  I remember reading this passage in the Java Moon coffee shop years ago in Sheridan, Wyoming.   It became a mantra I would carry with me through the years since.   Perhaps it felt familiar because it echoed what I’ve witnessed throughout my life in that small town and in many people and places beyond there.  

I’ve been blessed with excellent role models.  My mother once commented about my father that he ‘had a lot of push.’   If you ever had the chance to stack sod with us in the snow in December on our small Wyoming farm, you’d know that she has just as much.  I recognize it in the communities where we work in Nicaragua as well. It’s a big part of why I’ve always felt so comfortable there.   That familiarity is an important factor in how we do our work.

It’s been fifteen years since Project Schoolhouse broke ground on our first school project in a very remote part of Nicaragua.  We’ve been persistent in the years since then and have steadily continued building schools and water systems in that region.  What’s notable is that we are doing it still today with the same Nicaraguan team we started with in 2007.  The most important part is the people and without them and their determination and dedication, the difficult work we do would be impossible.  

Directing a small nonprofit organization is draining and can exact a heavy financial, personal, and social cost. Ask anyone who has done it.  At the same time, it is a beautiful life experience that I always recognized brought far more fulfillment and value into my life than it took.  

In 2018, after 12 years of running Project Schoolhouse, I finally hit a wall and knew that something had to change.  In a moment of total clarity, while driving to San Antonio for a job installing desks in a university building, I realized that it was time to step down and hand the leadership of Project Schoolhouse over to long-time board member Selina Serna.   

In January of 2019, Selina took the reins of Project Schoolhouse as its new Executive Director and I became our Director of Operations.  While her impact has been extensive and important, what I most admire is her tenacity, persistence, and obvious passion for the project.  

This year, Selina and I received a humanitarian award from the Austin chapter of the United Nations for our work with Project Schoolhouse.  I think it really is a recognition of the endurance that so many people have exhibited throughout these years to keep this project going.  It takes endurance for Nicaraguan farmers to spend an entire year digging twenty miles of trench by hand to bring water to their families.   It takes endurance for our team on the ground to figure out, year after year, how to move hundreds of tons of materials into projects accessible only by foot and by horse.  And it is endurance that keeps our ever-growing team in the US working to raise the funds we need to pay for those projects.

I’m proud of this project and the people that make it go.  I’m proud of my part in it and grateful for the dedicated people that lead it now.   Project Schoolhouse is fifteen years old and is better positioned than ever to keep fulfilling our mission of delivering education and water projects to communities who are ready to step up and partner with us.

Gratefully,

Tab Barker

Filed Under: People Driven Development

Project Update – December 2021

December 17, 2021 By Project Schoolhouse

In 2021, for the first year ever, we worked in three communities, two water projects, in the communities of Mancera Central and Bilampi, and one School project in the community of Malakawas. We also initiated a pilot After-School Club in the community of El Aulo! The projects will bring clean water and education to over 650 people!

Mancera Central Water Project: Benefiting 50 families
Currently completing the final suspension bridge, which will complete the water distribution system. The next item would be to build the latrines in each household! 

Malakawas – School: Benefiting 60 families
School is complete except for hanging the classroom divider which is already constructed. We will be handing the keys to this new school in the next few days! 
 
Bilampi – Water Project: Benefiting  a community with 43 families, 2 schools, and a church

Spring Capture & Tank 100% are complete! The distribution system is 70% complete. There is 6.5 km more pipe to get into the ground. This will take two months to complete at this pace (100-150 meters per day).  We estimate the water portion can be completed by early February and the latrines finished by March 2022.

  • Kids Turning on Water in Bilampi
  • Community Members in Manceras Central
  • Almost Finished School in Malakawas

Filed Under: Clean Water, Community Engagement, News From the Field, Water

A New After-School Program in El Aulo

July 12, 2021 By Project Schoolhouse

While we build school buildings, the Ministry of Education employs and pays the salary for the teachers and sets all curriculum requirements.  Typically, one teacher tries to teach 40 children, grades 1-6, in the same classroom.  Schools are under-resourced with inadequate materials, overcrowding, and no extra-curricular activities to keep students motivated and engaged. Widespread poverty, low levels of adult literacy and lack of economic activity necessitating an education are demotivating to school attendance.

We are currently piloting after-school programs to provide children with opportunities that encourage them to stay in school. The goal is to create healthy, dynamic, and stimulating environments that respond to students’ interests (i.e. sports, arts, academics, leadership and service, science, and technology) and develop core life skills to help them succeed in school and beyond. These programs are led by university student volunteers, providing role models for the younger children, strengthening the social fabric by mobilizing students, teachers, parents, and volunteers, as partners in development. The longer-term goals are to see increased school attendance, higher promotion rates and an increase in adult community engagement in the schools. We are particularly focused on providing female university student volunteers to lead the Clubs, providing female role models and encouragement to stay in school. Sequenced after a water system and school project, the Club has the opportunity to tutor the children who have fallen behind, helping them catch up in their studies and on a path towards educational success. The Club is so well received by the parents, teachers and children.  Here is an update of the first session, from Norma, our Programs Coordinator extraordinaire!  

“We start the opening of the club at 1 in the afternoon. Giving thanks to God for allowing us to be in the community together with the boys and girls, and to be able to start this new program with the aim of reducing school dropouts, also helping these children in their classes where they have more difficulty through these clubs.As we began, a moment of joy was shared with the little ones. You could see the happiness, playing and dancing among them. Having the presence of 35 boys and girls, from first grade to sixth grade, we divided them into two groups, Jasmina and Josseling working with the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders as they worked on the reinforcement of mathematics. In the beginning, a review was made of History, Spanish and Mathematics to see the level of knowledge they have and it was then that we realized that these children have difficulty in division and multiplication.

Something very important was in realizing that they do not know the multiplication tables, which would make the mathematical exercises easier. So, we began practicing the tables by making a flipchart to have in the section for practice. Cristian and I work with preschool, 2nd and 3rd grade school children who cannot read.

These children have great difficulty in writing and have not yet learned to read. The preschool and 1st-grade children were grouped together and enjoyed stories being read to them, with the books in the new storybook library.

I worked with the second and 3rd grade children. They have difficulty, they do not know all the letters, it is difficult for them to form words, I made cutouts of the letters of the alphabet on colored sheets so that the colorful letters catch their attention. They also have difficulty in Math, not everyone knows the numbers or multiplication tables. There was a moment when we were also playing with dynamic songs.

There is much to do with these children, and we hope we can achieve our goal to help them overcome the struggles that lead them to stop coming to school. You can see the difficulty the children have. I think it is because of the teacher’s time, she works with six grades together, so she does not have time to teach each grade individually.

These two days the participation and dedication of the children was excellent. They are enthusiastic and happy. You can see that they are interested in learning and practicing and excited about this opportunity. “

Le queremos agredecer a nuestra coordinadora, Norma Valdez por su trabajo con este proyecto.

Filed Under: Education, News From the Field Tagged With: July 2021 Newsletter

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