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

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News From the Field

Bilampi Schoolhouse Project Update:

October 9, 2023 By Renata

This year we started constructing a new school for the community of Bilampi. Community members have finished the foundation of the school, they continue to build the frame of the structure and work continues amid the rain.

We hope to have this school completed by the end of the year. We’re excited to report that thanks to the new facilities, 3 new grades will be added to the curriculum! Students 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 sending them to the neighboring community to continue their studies was unsafe.

We would like to thank The Kathryn B. McQuade Foundation for their support in building this school.

School Frame
Handwashing station at school

Filed Under: Community Engagement, News From the Field, People Driven Development Tagged With: October 2023 Newsletter

Greetings From Our Executive Director

October 9, 2023 By Selina

Dear friends, 
I’ve just returned from a whirlwind listening tour in Nicaragua. 

Last week, our team visited the communities next up in our pipeline of prospective projects – 10 community meetings representing 5 thousand people. In 3 very long days, traveling in off-road vehicles to the beautiful countryside surrounding Rio Blanco, Matagalpa, we were welcomed with kindness, warmth, and hope for help with the same challenges expressed by all – the desperate need for safe water and functional schools.

We heard from parents who described how weather patterns are changing, dry spells are lasting longer, and water holes they have traditionally relied upon for water to drink, cook, and bathe are dry, forcing them and their children to walk further to find water.

We heard from children who showed us the water bottles they carry to school and talked about how they have to ration the water so it will last through the school day.

We heard from one impressively confident and articulate young boy (pictured below) who shared how challenging it is to focus in school when he is thirsty after the long walk to school. He has a small bottle he fills in a stream on his walk to school each day, but it doesn’t last the full day. He shared he doesn’t like drinking it because it tastes bad, and the water is particularly mucky in the rainy season, but it’s all he has.

We heard from teachers who showed us where the water pours into their classrooms when it rains, who spoke of how hard it is to keep the school clean when the floor turns to mud, and who showed us the holes in the ceiling tiles where the bats live.

We have been working in this region for 16 years, and while that progress has been life-changing for the 18 communities with completed projects, it was humbling to hear how many more are patiently waiting for help. We have 1 fundraiser a year to raise the funds to pay for projects next year. I write today to invite you to join us at ‘Cien Amigos 2023’, an inspiring evening where you can invite family and friends to join you in investing in these projects. Event details follow below, and I hope to see you there.

This work is only possible with your support. We are so grateful.

Community Meeting
Team Touring Communities
Students showing us their water bottles

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

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!

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

Greetings from Executive Director

August 3, 2023 By Selina

Dear friends,

We wanted to let you know about important milestones we’ve reached and update you on current projects.

We’ve successfully navigated the new government requirements to continue to operate in Nicaragua. I am grateful to our team in Rio Blanco for their persistence in working through those challenges over the past months. We’re happy to be working. The current school project in Bilampi is going faster than planned, with high levels of community engagement.

We are excited to be planning ‘Cien Amigos 2023’ in a new venue for us, The Austin Winery! It is our only fundraiser of the year, and we hope you will join the fun! More details here.

We wanted to share this video of our After-School and Programs Coordinators, Cristian and Norma. As they mention, we plan to build two new schools this year in the communities of Bilampi and Rosario Las Vegas. The two schools will complete our work in those communities where we finished fully distributed water systems in 2022. I get a little teary when I hear from them how much these projects mean. I hope you enjoy meeting them. They are an inspiration to the young girls who study in schools we’ve helped build.

With gratitude,

Selina Serna 
Executive Director

Filed Under: Clean Water, Education, News From the Field 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

Greetings from Executive Director

December 22, 2022 By Selina

Bilampi, Bocana de Paiwas: We completed a water and latrine project in Bilampi, which began in 2021. This was one of the most extensive, fully-distributed water projects in our history, including 22 km of hand-dug trench to lay the water distribution lines to reach every home, plus two churches and three schools. It’s really a beautiful part of the country, further east than we’ve ever worked, in the region of Bocana de Paiwas. We’re grateful to Rotary International and several Austin-area Rotary Clubs who supported this project.

  Children in the community of Fatima, Bilampi, with clean water at their school!
Community member, Bilampi, Nicaragua, with safe water in her home. 

Rosario Las Vegas: In July we broke ground in the community of Rosario Las Vegas on a fully-distributed water and latrine project. We’re grateful to The Burdine Johnson Foundation for their support of this project. We expect to turn on safe, clean water in homes by Christmas! 

Image: Community members trenching for the main conduction line in Rosario Las Vegas, Rio Blanco.

San Isidro, Rio Blanco: Lastly, in partnership with UT Austin Enactus and Localized Water, we installed our first rainwater catchment system at the school in the community of San Isidro. This project was a pilot to test out a solution that gets safe water to schools in a quick, low-cost way while we work our way through the multi-year pipeline of communities waiting for the fully-distributed system we typically install.

Left to right: Community members in San Isidro with the UT Students, UT Team working on Rain Water Project. 

We are particularly proud to have completed all of these projects while navigating the ever-changing complexity of the local government laws and regulations. We are optimistic that we’re through the highest of these hurdles, allowing us to refocus on the projects and programs that are so crucial to the communities with whom we partner. Huge thank you to our local team who has worked tirelessly through these hurdles and uncertainties with persistence and tenacity. I wanted to share a couple of photos of our team at work. The treks into these communities are long and arduous; these projects would not be possible without their dedication. 

Left to right: Our head builder Manuel, with his trusty T-square. Maria Ines, Cristian, and Norma escorted by a community member.

Looking ahead to 2023:

I had the opportunity to travel extensively in Nicaragua this summer, my first trips since covid lockdowns, and I can say the need has never been greater. We plan to partner on new schoolhouses in Rosario and Bilampi and in a third community, a fully distributed water project.  Your support makes these projects possible – thank you. For any questions or a more detailed update, you can always reach me at selina@projectschoolhouse.org.

With gratitude and best wishes in the New Year!

Selina Serna 
Executive Director

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Filed Under: Clean Water, December 2022 Newletter, Education, News From the Field Tagged With: December 2022 Newletter

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

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