Education

A year of education will change a child, a generation of education will change a country!

Over 850.000 elementary-age children in Nicaragua will never set foot in a school and so never learn to read or write. Of those who are lucky enough to attend primary school, only 10% make it to the final year. The others are forced to drop out along the way because their parents can’t pay the school fees or their families need them to provide financial support just to survive.

Objective

The goal of the Education program is to ensure all children leave school with a qualification that will enable them to get a job and build a better future for themselves and for their children.

Mpowering people offers three instructional programs:

1. Primary and early secondary education
2. Vocational training
3. Homework support

We also cover the costs of the children’s school fees, uniforms and basic study materials and provide intensive, ongoing personal mentor-coaching.

Primary and lower secondary education

Our aim is to enable as many street children as possible to attend school. We guarantee all our children the opportunity to finish primary and lower secondary school and to continue on to vocational education.

Vocational training

Students who successfully complete three years of lower secondary school may choose to participate in a three year vocational training programme at a carrera técnica. There, they learn job-skills such as bookkeeping, nursing or auto mechanics, while at the same time studying to obtain their secondary school certificate.

Homework support

Compulsory homework classes are organised by Mpowering People on a daily basis together with local community leaders and eight schools. These special classes:

• Ensure a higher study success rate
• Offer an important tool in confidence-building

Each year, we top up our student group with some of the city's 90 most motivated children. The children are chosen in consultation with schools and the urban local authority.