Nicaragua
Amid Central America lies Nicaragua, one of the poorest countries in Latin America despite its rich gold deposits. About half of the population lives in poverty and must get by on less than one US dollar a day. This particularly affects the rural population, women, and young people. Education is supposed to help people escape the poverty trap. But this is where the country's school system fails.
Children can pass through classes without learning anything. Motivation drops, so does the level, and the chance of acquiring good professional skills or a degree is gone. Young people remain stuck in poverty, neglect and crime are frequent consequences.
Our two schools form a great contrast to the above. Over 1100 mostly poor children attend our schools in Santa Teresa and Masatepe. Both schools have often received awards. The cleanliness and design of the classrooms as well as the knowledge of the students are appreciated. In final exams, their grades are far above the national average, which allows 80 to 90 % of the graduates to go on to college (the national average here is about 3 to 7 %). One of the reasons for this is a learning environment characterized by caring and competent teachers. Another is the class size of 30 students instead of the usual 40 to 70. An agricultural project and a tailor's workshop serve to supply the schools and create jobs for adults.
School children not only receive a thorough school education, but together with their families also receive impulses for a spiritual reorientation of their lives. A Christian congregation has grown up around our school and now has 500 members. We support them financially.
