Project Schoolhouse

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

July 2020 Newsletter

Project Update: Working Through COVID-19

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In spite of the unusual conditions COVID has placed on our work in Nicaragua, projects continue to advance. Our water system in El Aulo is nearing completion as latrines are progressing steadily and the final touches are put on the distribution system. Because the border with Costa Rica has been closed for weeks, one particular material needed for latrines was in short supply.  It has finally arrived, however, and latrine construction has begun again.  All that is left to do is to finish trenching to one final home, install the water meters on all the points of use, and complete the latrines. We hope to have this done by the end of July. 

In Malakawais things are moving along as well as could possibly be hoped for and the project is on schedule. There was one setback as the mold being used to form the concrete blocks for the latrines was damaged, so they will have to use the spare mold that is currently in use in El Aulo but will soon be able to be transferred to Malakawais. Since they are well ahead of schedule for building the blocks for the latrines, however, this won’t hamper their timeline.

We wanted to show you where the families will begin to dig trenches. Below is an image of Selina and me and if you look to the horizon you will see a mountain, the water source for the families in Malakawais.

Tab Barker
Director of Operations

Greetings from our Executive Director – “We need your help!”

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Dear Friends,
Much like the rest of the world, we are flexing our resilience muscles here at Project Schoolhouse as we navigate the operating changes needed as a result of the pandemic and scenario plan for the impact of the impending global recession. 

Tab has been working hard to keep our Nicaragua team safe. We prepaid staff wages to limit how often they needed to travel into town to do their banking. Our Project Coordinator was able to advance purchase the construction materials we needed for the two ongoing water projects, limiting community exposure to potential outside carriers of the virus. Fortunately, the work in the communities can mostly carry on as normal, being outside and socially distanced.  We are turning on in-home water service to 130 families this year, which eliminates the need for them to congregate at local water holes to collect life-sustaining water. 

Our financial capacity to fund those prepaid wages and material purchases that are helping 130 families(!) were the direct result of our fundraising efforts in the Fall of 2019.  As we kick into planning gear for our Fall 2020 annual fundraising efforts, we need your help more than ever, and we’ve listed those opportunities below for your thoughtful consideration. 

Our team and partners on the ground in Nicaragua share that this virus is spreading rapidly in the cities and smaller towns, but it hasn’t yet made its way into the remote communities with whom we collaborate. We’re proud that some of the students we sponsor had the motivation to advocate for online learning so they didn’t lose a year of schooling. The children we support know that education is the key to their future and we are grateful to all of you who invest in their futures.

With gratitude and best wishes for good health.
Selina Serna
Executive Director

Stories From The Field: A Student’s Journey Through Covid-19

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Since March, those of us who could work from home have been doing so for almost 4 months. In other places like Nicaragua, Covid-19 hasn’t reached its peak, and it’s nowhere in sight.

In Nicaragua, work continues due to the lack of safety net for most. People still need to go to work, take public transportation, and live their lives as if there isn’t a global pandemic at large. From the beginning, there were no clear guidelines provided or stay at home orders mandated, nor did schools shut down. Parents had to make tough choices to care for themselves and their families by determining whether to go to school or miss classes by sheltering in place. Fortunately, news about the danger of this virus was widespread and most parents are keeping their children home even without that government guidance being in place. They have been wearing masks, created innovative ways to wash hands, and have been able to take classes online. For one of our students, Mileydi, for whom not going back to school meant falling behind a year, and that was out of the question.  

Project Schoolhouse has seen Mileydi grow up, providing a scholarship to help her complete high school and enter her first year of college. Mileydi graduated high school with top honors and is now pursuing a degree in Business Administration at a university in Rio Blanco, which is a 2-3 hour commute by foot from her hometown of Martillo. If this routine was not demanding enough, Mileydi now has to adjust to the unfamiliar situation of taking classes online. 

I called Mileydi one morning to hear how her online schooling experience has been going and this is what she told me: 

Renata: How did you start taking classes online?

Mileydi: The students took the initiative to push the school to move classes online; we organized and provided a  list of students who could take courses online. Some can, though not a lot.

Renata: How have professors changed their method of teaching?

Mileydi: We have this app that we use for classes. We also use WhatsApp. They send attachments of tests and handouts through these apps. 

Renata: Do you have wifi? A laptop?

Mileydi: No

Renata: What do you use for school?

Mileydi: I sometimes borrow a laptop if I can, if not I can go to a cyber café or I use my phone.

Renata: How do you use your phone?

Mileydi: I look at the tests, and I can read class notes, or videos they send.

Renata: What year are you in?

Miledy: First year of Business Administration.

Unfortunately, our conversation was a short one as I learned the call was costing Mileydi phone minutes. In Nicaragua, the majority of people do not have a monthly phone plan, they have prepaid SIM cards with limited data usage. 

What I found impressive from our conversation was Mileydi standing firm in the decision she took, after much discussion with her parents, to continue going to school and finding a way to do it safely. Mileydi persisted that she would not miss any classes or exams; her recent exams have come back with high marks. It was truly so admirable to hear her explain how she was taking classes on her phone. Despite a lack of resources, such as a computer or at-home wifi, Mileydi has been able to persevere with only a smartphone at her disposal. Not even a global pandemic can stop a girl from getting an education.