December Newsletter

The Christmas shopping season is in full swing and that means many people are searching for ways to give meaningful gifts to others.
If you want to give gifts this year that have true meaning, and can actually make a small difference in the world, consider giving donations to Proyecto Laguna as Christmas gifts.
Donations of any size can make a big difference in the lives of the children in Diriá. Here are some examples of what your gift donation could do:

$10-enough clean water for the 250 students at Anne Frank School for a week -They currently have no local water source.

$25-Printing costs for school exams which children now have to pay and often cannot afford.

$50- Shoes, uniform, backpack, and school supplies for one student

$100-Sponsorship of one child for a year-including school supplies, medical care, and supporting their school

$200-Shovels, hoes, seeds, and all the other supplies needed to start a school garden that will help add fruits and vegetables to the children’s diet

$500-650 pounds of rice and 330 pounds of beans to provide a school lunch

$720-one year salary for the school nurse

$1000- four month supply of prescription and non-prescription medication for students in all three schools

$5000-construction of a school kitchen to assist in the preparation of school meals

When you make a gift donation you will be provided with a letter addressed to the gift recipient describing our project and showing that you made a donation in their name.
We hope that you will consider giving charitable donations to Proyecto Laguna as Christmas gifts this year.


A Special Thank You
We would like to thank Stephanie Lerner, who asked people to donate to us for her birthday this year. Due to Stephanie’s generosity we received a $5000 donation! This is our single largest donation to date and we are very appreciative. As a result of this donation we are well on our way to providing shoes to the children of Diriá and are also hoping to be able to repair and improve the kindergarten classroom at the Anne Frank school. Thank you Stephanie, you have made a difference in the lives of many in Diriá.

Graduation
The school year in Nicaragua has now ended and the children are on vacation until the start of February.
In the past week we have attended the graduations for the kindergarteners and the 6th graders at the three schools we work in.
The Ruiz Castillo school dedicated their graduation to Proyecto Laguna, which was quite an honor. Tracy Finch (co-founder) and Jennifer Schwinn (Director of Community Development) were invited to sit on stage during the graduation ceremony. As each child graduated they shook hands with Tracy and Jennifer before they left the stage. It was a wonderful experience to watch the children, standing with their parents, proudly receive their diplomas.
The director of Ruiz Castillo told us that they dedicated the graduation to Proyecto Laguna to show their appreciation of all of the work we are doing to help their school. This, once again, is a reminder that even though we feel there is so much left to do, what we have already done is greatly appreciated.
We would also like to thank everyone who sponsored a child and those who donated money this month. Thank you for supporting the work we are doing. Your donations make a difference.

Year in Review
As the end of the year nears we have been reflecting on our accomplishments. It has been a year of learning and challenges, also of joy and accomplishment. We have been able to establish many positive relationships in the community of Diriá and have been able to make a small difference in the lives of the children. We have been greatly impressed with this community; their warmth, their friendship, and their willingness to work hard to improve the lives of their children.
We would like to thank all of you for your support this, our first, year. Thank you for your donations of money, goods, and services. Thank you for spreading the word about our project. We have high hopes for next year and many years into the future. We hope to continue to work with all of you.

Thank you

We would like to thank everyone who sponsored a child and those who donated money this month. Thank you for supporting the work we are doing and helping the children in Diria succeed in school and in life.How you can helpTo make a donation now connect to our website http://www.proyectolaguna.com/For questions or comments feel free to contact us at mailto:contact@proyectolaguna.comctolaguna.comThis newsletter will be sent out monthly and keep you informed of our news and the projects we are currently working on.

November Newsletter

Update

The last few months in Nicaragua have been difficult. Hurricane Felix wiped out the north part of the Atlantic coast and recent rains have caused major flood damage in the north. Many people have died; many more are sick, homeless, and/or dealing with a variety of issues caused by these disasters.
Though our area has had record rain this year we have been spared any major physical damages. Due to the heavy rains most farmers nationwide have lost the crops they sowed just before the rains hit. As a result, prices are going up and many poor families cannot even afford to buy beans. Many of the families Proyecto Laguna works with live off of subsistence farming. These families will struggle this year with providing their families adequate nutrition.
The Nicaraguan school year ends on November 23rd and the schools are busy giving finals and preparing for graduation celebrations. Proyecto Laguna is helping the schools pay for part of the graduation festivities. Proud kindergarteners, sixth graders, and high school students will soon be receiving their diplomas.
This is a time of a lot of work for us. We are gearing up for the start of the new school year in February. It is our goal to provide backpacks, school supplies, uniforms, and shoes to over 600 students whose families cannot afford these things. We have already had the backpacks made by local seamstresses and we are able to buy the school supplies. We don’t have enough funding for the shoes and uniforms. Shoes are of the utmost importance as children will not attend school if they don’t have shoes. If they have to, a child can wear a uniform that is stained and patched, a little too small, or a little too big, but when a pair of shoes is worn through a new pair is necessary. A pair of sturdy shoes made a local cobbler costs $6. Your donation of $100 will buy 16 pairs of shoes and provide a job for a cobbler. Please take the time to make a donation now and help these children go to school next year.

To make a donation click here-http://www.proyectolaguna.com/donate/index.htm

Give Child Sponsorships for the Holidays
Charitable donations make wonderful holiday gifts. This year, give the people on your list something that will make a difference. We will provide you with information on the child, a picture of the child and letter from them for you to provide to the recipient. If you want to make a monetary donation in another person’s name we can provide you with a letter from us thanking them for the donation and explaining our project and what their donation will do to help the children of Diria.
Last year, Tracy, our co-founder, gave her grandmother a child sponsorship for her 94th birthday. Tracy’s grandmother says that she has the child’s picture on her refrigerator and she is happy every time she looks into his smiling face. She likes knowing that she is helping him go to school.
Every year we worry about buying people gifts and often give people things they don’t really need. This year give the people on your list something that can help a child succeed in school and in life.

To make a donation click here-http://www.proyectolaguna.com/donate/index.htm

Water Projects
Proyecto Laguna is working with the Living Earth Institute (livingearth.org). The mission of Living Earth Institute is to empower communities to protect their health and environment through the sustainable use of water resources.
Living Earth and Proyecto Laguna are working together to build/repair latrines at our three schools and to put in roof gutters that will collect rainwater and provide a source of water in the rainy season.
Two of our schools, Anne Frank and La Nicarao, have no local water source. Collecting rainwater will help them during the rainy season. Our other school, Ruiz Castillo, has water from the municipal source but this source is often turned off. We plan on installing a tank to store municipal water for use when this source is turned off. Also, we hope to put in a rainwater collection system at this school as a back-up water source.
Currently Living Earth and Proyecto Laguna are working together searching for funding for these projects. In the coming months we hope to have an engineer from Living Earth visit us to assess the needs at the three schools and finalize technical designs. We hope to be constructing at all three schools next year.
Proyecto Laguna is also working with the American Nicaraguan Foundation in the hopes that wells can be drilled at both Anne Frank and La Nicaroa. The vision of the American Nicaraguan foundation is to foster increased opportunity, self sufficiency and dignity for the poor in Nicaragua. Proyecto Laguna is currently working with them to complete an application for funding for these wells.
Due to the depth of groundwater in the areas of these two schools, estimated to be between 650 to 750 feet, the cost of well drilling is very high. It is our hope that if we are able to assist 2 or three large organizations, such as the American Nicaraguan Foundation, in working together they will be more able to serve these communities.

To make a donation click here-http://www.proyectolaguna.com/donate/index.htm


School Gardens
Proyecto Laguna, working in concert with the Ministry of Education, is going to help Ruiz Castillo start a school garden. The Ministry of Education has a school garden program which teams up with local foundations to help schools improve education and nutrition through the implementation of school gardens. The Ministry of Education is responsible for training, Proyecto Laguna is responsible for providing the day to day support needed to keep the project going, and the school staff, students, and parents are responsible for keeping the garden healthy and productive. The goal is for the garden to not only increase the nutritional value of the school lunch by adding in needed fresh vegetables, but also for the children to learn about responsibility and natural sciences. We look forward to working on this project.

To make a donation click here-http://www.proyectolaguna.com/donate/index.htm

Thank you
We would like to thank everyone who sponsored a child and those who donated money this month. Thank you for supporting the work we are doing and helping the children in Diria succeed in school and in life.

How you can help
To make a donation now connect to our website http://www.proyectolaguna.com/
For questions or comments feel free to contact us at contact@proyectolaguna.com
This newsletter will be sent out monthly and keep you informed of our news and the projects we are currently working on.

July/August Newsletter

Update
We are in need of sponsorships and donations in order to provide children with school supplies, uniforms, and shoes for the next school year. Please help us ensure that every child in Diria has the opportunity to attend school next year. The children in this picture are unsponsored and are writing letters to thier future sponsors.
In the last two months we have been working on several things. Our seamstresses and tailors have been busily making backpacks for the next school year, we had a second movie night, we handed out packets of school supplies to over 600 children, and more.
We are enjoying our work in Diria and are developing warm, positive relationships with the community. We hope you can help us continue doing this work by making a donation or sponsoring a child. Remember, 100% of donations go directly to our programs; nothing is taken out for overhead.
You can make a donation by linking to our website at -http://proyectolaguna.com/donate/index.htm

We need your help!
We have had a nice response from a few people who are now sponsoring children. Unfortunately, there are still over 600 children who don’t have sponsors. The new school year in Nicaragua starts in January, and though that seems far away, we need to start working now to get uniforms and shoes made. It will cost $18 per child just to provide them with a backpack, a skirt or pants, two shirts, and a pair of shoes. This doesn’t include the cost of notebooks, pencils, etc.
As it is currently, unless we are able to raise a significant amount of money, we will be unable to provide uniforms and shoes to the children next year.
Please take the time to sponsor a child. For $100 a year your child will receive shoes, a uniform, backpack, and school supplies at the start of the year, a suplemental packet of school supplies mid year, as well as year round basic medical care. The child’s school will also receive support for classroom and office supplies as well as larger project such as installing water tanks or repairing buildings.

If you do not wish to sponsor a child but want to make a donation toward providing uniforms and supplies for next year, that is also welcome.
We also would like to invite people to challenge their work, school, church, or other organization to raise money for these children. We are able to provide information including brochures, a slide shows, and ideas on how to structure a challenge.
You can make a donation by linking to our website at -http://proyectolaguna.com/donate/index.htm

For more information on how to fundraise or create a challenge you can contact us at jen@proyectolaguna.com

Seamstresses
Our group of seamstresses has been working overtime to make 700 backpacks that will be distributed to the children in January. We started early to give them time to make the uniforms also.

The seamstresses assisted us purchasing the correct materials and then divided it amongst themselves. Since then they have been hard at work sewing when electicity is available, some of them even using old fashioned foot pedal machines when the electricity is off.

We look forward to receiving the bags and hope to have enough donations and sponsorships to get started to on the uniform shirts in the next few weeks.

How Two Teenagers Made a Difference
We would like to send out a special thank you to Stephanie Huddleston and Jordan Willis in Woodinville, WA. Stephanie and Jordan are both 13 years olds, who together did odd jobs around their neighborhood during their summer vacation. They chose to use the money they earned to sponsor a child. Stephanie and Jordan are good examples of people with good hearts who are willing to work hard to help others. We are impressed by their example and hope they are proud of themselves. Hopefully they will enjoy their sponsorship of 8 year old Escarleth.

You can make a donation by linking to our website at -http://proyectolaguna.com/donate/index.htm

Supply Distribution
In early July we distributed packets of school supplies to over 600 students at our 3 schools. Each child received 4 notebooks with paper, 3 pencils, 2 pens, a pencil sharpener, an eraser, crayons or colored pencils, a coloring book for the younger children, and a set of geometry tools for the older children. The children were very happy with their new supplies. We were also able to provide every teacher with paper, pens, pencils, glue, whiteboard markers, scissors and masking tape.

Second Movie Night
Our second movie night was a roaring success. Standing room only with many chairs supporting two children. The parent group raised close to $100 they hope to use to help build new latrines and a water tank at their school.
The children are constantly asking when the next movie night will be and our other two schools are starting to plan a movie night to fundraise for themselves.

In the News
The word about Proyecto Laguna is getting out! The media came to movie night and interviewed us about our project. To link to the article in Nuevo Diario click here- http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2007/08/28/departamentales/57398
We are very excited that we are getting local recognition.

Thank You
We would like to thank Brianna Robeson and her class at the Charyl Stockwell Academy in Hartland, Michigan. This 1st and 2nd grade class collected school supplies and sent them down to us. They are going to do a fall collection of school supplies also. The children and teachers of Diria were delighted with the supplies. What a great example Brianna and her class are.

We would also like to thank Carol Caldwell and the women of Gray’s Lake, Illinois Jazzercise studio. They donated medical supplies which Carol Caldwell brought down in her recent visit to Nicaragua. Our school nurse appreciated the supplies and the children will also.

We would also like to thank everyone who sponsored a child and those who donated money this month. Thank you for supporting the work we are doing and helping the children in Diria succeed in school and in life.

You can make a donation by linking to our website at -http://proyectolaguna.com/donate/index.htm


How you can help
To make a donation now connect to our website http://www.proyectolaguna.com/For questions or comments feel free to contact us at contact@proyectolaguna.com
This newsletter will be sent out monthly and keep you informed of our news and the projects we are currently working on.
If you wish to stop receiving this newsletter send an e-mail to: contact@proyectolaguna.com

June Newsletter

Update
These last couple months have been busy, as usual. We have been working to get sponsors for all of the children registered with us. We have had a wonderful response and we are very thankful, but we still have over 500 children in need of sponsors. Please take the time to sponsor a child today. $100 will supply your child with school supplies, medical care, and support their school for a year.
Sponsor a child now-http://www.proyectolaguna.com/sponsorachild/index.html
We are gearing up to give a mid year packet of school supplies to all of our registered children. The school year in Nicaragua is from January to December and July is the mid year point. We have been assembling packets of school supplies so that each registered child will receive pencils, pens, crayons or colored pencils, notebooks, pencil sharpeners, erasers, and for the older children a packet of supplies for studying geometry.

We have been meeting with a group of tailors and seamstresses who are going to make school bags and uniforms for all of our registered kids. We are getting started now, budgeting, buying fabric, etc. so that we are ready when the new school year begins in January. We are working with people in the community so that the money we spend to help the children stays within the community.

Diria celebrated "Children's Day" with big parties in the schools. The teachers put on performances for the kids, there were pinatas and a lot of food to eat.

It has been a full month and we have really enjoyed it.

Surprise Party
June 19th was Tracy Finch’s (co-founder of Proyecto Laguna) birthday. In celebration Ruiz Castillo school threw her a surprise birthday party. As Tracy entered the school for a fictional meeting she found all of the morning children (about 300) lined up in the plaza singing her happy birthday. They had two piñatas, which the children enjoyed immensely, and served a delicious lunch to us and all the teachers. Each child presented Tracy with a birthday card and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Each birthday card had a special note to Tracy thanking her for providing shoes and school supplies to them and their school, thanking her for her big heart, and wishing her many more birthdays in the future.
It was a touching gesture by the school which made us realize that though we feel we are just getting started, what we have already done is very much appreciated by the community.

Child Sponorship-Berta's Story
Please take the time today to help a child in Diria succeed in school and in life.
This month we would like to feature Berta. Berta is 11 years old and has two brothers and one sister. She is a very smart girl and gets good grades, but may not pass the 6th grade because she has so many absences. Berta’s mother, Margarita, is a single mother who takes in washing and struggles to make enough money to feed her family. So, to help support her family, Berta works a few days a week in Granada selling ceramic whistles to tourists. Though school is important, and Berta realizes this, she has to make the choice between getting an education for her future and eating today. It is no mystery why she chooses to miss school in order to work and make money.
Berta reports that her mother hopes someday to buy them a mattress so that they won’t have to keep sleeping on the floor with just rice sacks for cushion and warmth. A thin foam mattress costs $11. For Margarita, who makes about $40 a month, that is a fortune.
Sponsoring Berta would take the stress off her family for buying her school supplies and paying for her medical care.
We hope that as our funds grow we will have enough to hire women such as Margarita to work cooking school lunch or cleaning the school and pay them a fair wage so that their children are free to attend school.
There are over 500 children with stories similar to Berta’s who need to be sponsored.
Please take the time today to sponsor a child in Diria. Help us empower the community through education.

Sponsor a child now-http://www.proyectolaguna.com/sponsorachild/index.html

Movie Night
On June 15th we had our first movie night at the Ruiz Castillo School. We have been working to help the parents learn how to raise money so that they can take an active and empowered roll in helping their children’s school. So, we decided to have a movie night. Proyecto Laguna provided the movie and the projector, the school provided the place, and the parents brought snacks and drinks to sell and helped to set everything up.
Movie night was a great success. One Hundred and seventy people came and watched Madagascar (in Spanish of course) on the big screen. The kids loved it. They were laughing and clapping and cheering. None of the kids had ever been to a movie theater so this was their first time seeing a movie on a big screen. We don’t have a final figure but the parents raised about $100 and are excited to do it again sometime soon.
The parents group, on their own, have opened a bank account and are in charge of all the money they raise. They have chosen a president, treasurer, secretary, etc. Through raffles and the movie night they have raised over $200 in 3 months. For a place were most people make under $100 a month that is a lot of money. They are very happy about their success and hope to continue making money so they can help pay to build latrines in their school.

Thank you
We would like to thank Nicholls State University, school of nursing, for donating $500 dollars to pay for two girls, Dayanira and Elizabeth, to receive medical care for seizure disorders. With this money Dayanira and Elizabeth will be able to get long overdue brain scans and we will be able to pay for a few months of the mediations they need to manage their disorders. Thank you Nicholls State University!
We would also like to thank everyone who sponsored a child and those who donated money this month. We have received more donations this month than any previous month! Thank you for supporting the work we are doing and helping the children in Diria succeed in school and in life.

How you can help

To make a donation now connect to our website http://www.proyectolaguna.com/For questions or comments feel free to contact us at contact@proyectolaguna.com

This newsletter will be sent out monthly and keep you informed of our news and the projects we are currently working on.

If you wish to stop receiving this newsletter send an e-mail to: contact@proyectolaguna.com

Sponsor a Child Today

There are over 500 children who need sponsors.

Help a child succeed in school and in life.

Proyecto Laguna hopes to provide all of our enrolled children with a packet of mid-year school supplies in July, provide shoes to the children who still don't have them, and keep providing free basic medical care to all.

We need your help to make this happen. Please take the time to sponsor a child today.

http://proyectolaguna.com/sponsorachild/index.html

For $100 a year you can supply a child in Diria with school supplies, basic medical care, and support their school. You will receive a picture of your child and letter from him or her. You will also receive information on your child‘s family and your child’s goals for the school year. All children available for sponsorship have completed a contract with Proyecto Laguna. They have set goals for the school year and have agreed to attend school regularly and to put forth their best effort. The parents have agreed to support their child in attending school and completing their schoolwork. The parents have also agreed to participate in the school; attend parent meetings, assisting the teacher as needed, etc. All children who are sponsored will receive school supplies at the beginning of the school year in January; including uniforms, shoes and backpacks. A supplemental supply of school supplies will be provided in July (pencils, notebooks etc.). Sponsorship money will also be used to meet the child’s basic medical needs and to support their school.If you would like to help a child in Diria succeed in school and life, sponsor a child now. If you are interested in sponsoring more than one child we can assist in finding a sibling group so you can sponsor children from one family. If you would like to challenge your place of business, church, or other group to sponsor a large number of children please contact us and we can provide you with information on how to do this, contact@proyectolaguna.com

Click below to sponsor a child now: http://proyectolaguna.com/sponsorachild/index.html

April/May Newsletter

Update
The last two months have been busy for Proyecto Laguna. We have been moving forward with our plans as well as gearing up for our child sponsorship program. We have registered over 500 children between 3 schools who need sponsors to help pay for their school supplies, medical care, and support their school.
Also, we have started working with the parents at Ruiz Castillo to set goals and fundraise for larger projects.
We met with a local shoemaker in Diriá and put in an order for over 270 pairs of shoes! Buying directly from a shoemaker helps increase the quality and durability of the shoes. It also provide a job within the community. So far, he has delivered half of the order and the shoes are high quality. The children and their families are very happy with them.
We also decided to start helping a third school.


Nicarao School
The headmasters of Anne Frank are also headmasters of the Nicaroa school in the rural community of La Zopilota. They approached Proyecto Laguna and asked us to work with this school. They explained that this community is very poor and needs help. The Nicaroa school serves just over 50 children in 2 multi-age classrooms. The nearest water source for this school is 6 kilometers away. Many children are unable to go to school because they are busy transporting water during the day. This is a rural community and many children work in the fields to help support their families. The children at Nicarao were a beautiful and polite group. As we entered the classroom they all stood and said "Buenos Dias", at recess time many of the children stopped to chat with us. We at Proyecto Laguna feel that this school deserves whatever assistance we can lend.

Child Sponsorship
For $100 a year you can supply a child in Diria with school supplies, basic medical care, and support their school. You will receive a picture of your child and letter from him or her. You also will receive information on the family of your child and the child’s goals for the school year. All sponsored children and their families have completed a contract with Proyecto Laguna. They have set goals for the school year. The children have agreed to attend school regularly and to put forth their best effort. The parents have agreed to support their child in attending school and completing their schoolwork. The parents have also agreed to participate in the school; attend parent meetings, assisting the teacher as needed, etc. We have completed registration at all three schools and have over 500 children in need of sponsors.
If you would like to help a child in Diria succeed in school and in life, sponsor a child now. If you are interested in sponsoring more than one child we can assist in finding a sibling group so you can sponsor children from one family.

To sponsor a child see our website- http://proyectolaguna.com/sponsorachild/index.html

Here are some examples of children who need sponsors:


Naydelin Nohemy Roderiguez, Pre-School
Naydelin is 4 years old and in pre-school. She has an older brother who also goes to Ruiz Castillo. Naydelin’s father works as a money taker on a public bus and makes $2.25 a day.
Naydelin’s favorite animals are bunnies and her favorite color is red. She likes to eat beans and rice and hopes to be a teacher when she grows up.


Jonny Pedro Franco Gómez, 3rd grade
Jonny is 10 years old and in the third grade. He lives in a large extended family with 13 children and 6 adults in the home. His mother makes and sells tortillas and brings home approximatley $10 a week.
Jonny’s goals for this school year are to study, attend class daily, and to pass his grade. He likes to play basketball and his favortie animals are dogs. Jonny hopes to be a police officer when he grows up.

Berta Adilia Gutierrez Mercado, 6th grade
Berta is 11 years old and has a brother, Francisco, who is also in 6th grade. Berta lives with extended family, there are 3 adults in her home, and 4 children. Her mother, Margarita, works cleaning and ironing clothes. Margarita makes $40 a month to support her family. Berta works before school and on weekends selling clay whistles to toursists, in nearby Granada, to help support her family.
Berta reports that this school year she wants to graduate from primary school and improve her reading skills. She hopes someday to have a career with computers.


Parent Meeting
Proyecto Laguna held the first parent meeting at Ruiz Castillo. There was an impressive turn out of 26 parents who were all motivated to improve their children’s present and future. In this meeting we explained to the parents the model we are using of community involvement and investment. We explained that our position is to help the community learn how to set goals, plan, fund, implement, and support projects. We will assist in facilitating this process and in funding, but that the community would be responsible for raising money to make a symbolic donation toward the project. The parents were excited and motivated and had many ideas on how to proceed.
The parents, and school administration, set the goals of building new latrines and setting up a water tank (this would be back up water as the municipal water system is often off). The parents have started fundraising and in their first raffle raised 1000 cordoba (about $55 dollars)! The parents were very excited about their success and plan on having regular raffles as well as setting up a monthly movie night at the school to raise more money.
Proyecto Laguna is working with engineers in the states on latrine design and implementation.
If you are interested in donating towards the building of a latrine and/or a water tank please visit www.proyectolaguna.com to make a donation.

Clean Water
Proyecto Laguna has also been busy contacting organizations who specialize in installing wells to see if they may be able to help in this area. There are three small villages in this area, without access to water; Palo Quemado, Los Jirones, and La Zopilota. We are hoping to join with a well building organization who can help these villages. If any of you could help link us to organizations who build wells please contact us at contact@proyectolaguna.com.

Fundraising
If you are interested in fundraising for Proyecto Laguna there are many options. You can put out a challenge to your business, church, professional group, or extended family to raise money or to sponsor a large number of children. You can start a penpal/fundraising relationship with a classroom in Diria. You can have a fundraising event in your community. Proyecto Laguna can provide you with fundraising information, including a slideshow explaining our project, the community, and the needs of the community.
For more information on fundraising, e-mail us at jen@proyectolaguna.com.

Donations
Thank you to all of you who made donations in March, your donation is appreciated and has made a difference in the lives of the children in Diria.
A special thank you to Hazel, Raul, and Ramon who helped greatly registering the children for sponsorship, and to the Nicholls State University in Louisiana's nursing program for thier donation, we look forward to working with you in the future.

How you can help - To make a donation now connect to our website www.proyectolaguna.com
For questions or comments feel free to contact us at contact@proyectolaguna.com

This newsletter will be sent out monthly and keep you informed of our news and the projects we are currently working on. If you wish to stop receiving this newsletter send an e-mail to: contact@proyectolaguna.com

March Newsletter

Update
February was an interesting and busy month. We met with the parent administrations at both schools and with the Ministry of Education. We are hoping to form a committee of parents at both schools who will work more closely with us and assist us in our work. We feel that community involvement in the project is integral in long term sustainability and hope to assist the community in learning how to plan, complete, and sustain necessary projects. We also hope that working closely with the community will help us identify the issues and projects that the community values and will be motivated to participate in and sustain. One of our big tasks in the coming months will be forming this committee of community members and starting to identify and work on projects with them.

Penpals
We completed out first round of penpal letters with the pre-school at Anne Frank. The children answered a variety of questions such as their favorite foods, activities, etc. These were sent off to the states to respond to letters from a class in Virginia. We look forward to receiving more letters from the class in Virginia.
If you know of a class that would be interested in fundraising for Proyecto Laguna and having a pen pal relationship with a class in Nicaragua, send an e-mail to jen@proyectolaguna.com.

Casino Night Success
On February 10th we had a Casino Night benefit at Euro Café. It was a great night and we raised over $850. Over 30 people attended and we had a nice evening of chatting, gaming, and telling people about the work we are doing. Thank you to Euro Café, the local businesses who donated to our silent auction, and to everyone who attended, your support is appreciated.

Medical Exams
In the third week of February, two volunteers, Robin Kirschbaum and Staci Morgan, assisted the school nurse in performing physical exams on the majority of the children in both schools. We plan on completing exams on the children who were absent in the coming weeks. Children were weighed, measured, and checked for a variety of illnesses. Children with medical issues were provided with vouchers to go to the medical clinic in Granada. Many children were found to have parasites, lice, and suffer from malnutrition. We now are going to provide treatment for the lice and parasites and work on implementing vitamin treatments. Thank you to Robin and Staci for their hard work and thank you to everyone who donated money to assist us in paying for the necessary medications and medical care.

Donations
Thank you to all of you who made donations in February, your donation is appreciated and has made a difference in the lives of the children in Diria.

A special thanks to the people of Turf Valley Country Club and to the friends of Robin Kirschbaum. Each group sent down a suitcase stuffed with much needed medical supplies. Your donations are appreciated and will be put to good use.

How you can help
To make a donation now connect to our website www.proyectolaguna.com
If you are interested in doing a fundraiser at your place of business, church, or other organization send an e-mail to jen@proyectolaguna.com. We will assist you with information and materials to use for fundraising.

For questions or comments feel free to contact us at contact@proyectolaguna.com

This newsletter will be sent out monthly and keep you informed of our news and the projects we are currently working on.

If you wish to stop receiving this newsletter send an e-mail to: contact@proyectolaguna.com

February Newsletter

Start of School
January was an exciting month for us as we geared up for the start of the new school year. We were able to use out initial donations to provide school supplies to the neediest children and some basic supplies to the schools.

The first day of school was January 29th and once again the school yards are filled with children. We installed wall mounted pencil sharpeners at both Anne Frank and Ruiz Castillo. The children had never seen wall mounted pencil sharpeners before and lined up as soon as they were installed to use them. We also provided pencils, erasers, and paper to both schools. These supplies will be given out throughout the school year to the neediest students. We also provided shoes to many students who were not attending school because they had none. The smiles on the faces of these children as they proudly wore their new shoes were wonderful. Both schools received donations of jump ropes, basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, baseballs, and baseball bats for use at recess and in physical education classes. We are off to a good start and hope to be able to continue to provide much needed supplies to these schools.

Casino Night Benefit
Proyecto Laguna is having a casino night and silent auction at Euro Café on Saturday, February 10th, at 6:30pm. Euro Café is on the northwest corner of the central park in Granada, Nicaragua. Entrance is 200 córdobas and includes gambling chips, a free drink, and a free dessert. All proceeds will go directly to Proyecto Laguna. We are looking forward to this opportunity to raise funds and spread awareness of the work we are doing. We hope to see you and your friends on Saturday.

Pen Pals
Proyecto Laguna has started a pen pal program with classrooms in the United States. We are starting with a pre-school class in Virginia that is fundraising for us. They have sent us introduction letters and pictures and the pre-school children at Anne Frank have drawn pictures and been helped to write letters to be sent back. If you know of a class that would be interested in fundraising for Proyecto Laguna and having a pen pal relationship with a class in Nicaragua, send an e-mail to jen@proyectolaguna.com.

Children's Medical Care
Our school nurse, Dina Morales Alemán, started working with the start of the new school year. She is working at each of our schools one day a week. Dina is able to provide basic medical care to the students; wound care, medicines for minor illnesses, etc. In just the first days of school Dina has been approached by a girl in need of eye surgery, a boy who, due to a fall, was unconscious for 30 minutes-his parents couldn’t afford to take him to a doctor, a girl with a serious skin condition, and many others.

Children who require medical care beyond what Dina can provide need assistance paying for that care. We are able to refer these children to the Alabama Clinic in Granada, where, for $1.70, they are able to receive all of their medical care throughout the course of their illness or disease.

We are planning on conducting physical examinations on all of the children at both schools in March. We hope to see each child and assess physical health and refer children on for further medical, dental, or eye care, as needed. After conducting the medical exams we are planning on treating the children for parasites and lice and providing vitamins. We hope to conducts these examinations and treatments every 6 months.

To this end, we are requesting donations to assist in treating these children with much needed medical care. The cost will be a total of $3 per child; 50 cents for parasite treatment, 1 dollar for lice treatment, and 1.50 for vitamins. With a total of 750 to 800 children being served we need to raise $2,400 dollars. If we are able to raise extra money we will be able to provide this service to other children in the community.

At a cost of $3 per child for basic parasite, lice, and vitamin treatment and $1.70 for medical treatment for serious illness, how many children can you afford to help?
Please connect to our website to make a donation today http://www.proyectolaguna.com/.

If you are interested in doing a fundraiser at your place of business, church, or other organization send an e-mail to jen@proyectolaguna.com. We will assist you with information and materials to use for fundraising.

Donations
Thank you to all of you who made donations in January, your donation is appreciated and has made a difference in the lives of the children in Diria.




To make a donation now connect to our website www.proyectolaguna.com
For questions or comments feel free to contact us at contact@proyectolaguna.com

This newsletter will be sent out monthly and keep you informed of our news and the projects we are currently working on.

If you wish to stop receiving this newsletter send an e-mail to: contact@proyectolaguna.com

Newsletter January 2007

Getting Started
Proyecto Laguna is getting started as is the new school year in Nicaragua. School starts on January 29th and there will be approximately 750 students in the two schools we are currently working with.

We have been meeting with the headmasters and the mayor’s office to get things off the ground and are meeting with all the teachers next week to introduce them to our project.

It is an exciting time for us and we are getting off to a good start. We have just hired a school nurse to work part time, and are gathering school supplies for the start of the school year; notebooks, pencils, etc.

Next week, Rodney Robeson and his family are coming to Diria and are going to install 15 wall mounted pencil sharpeners in the schools. This is going to help a lot as most of the children can not afford to buy pencil sharpeners and are often out of class trying to find a student or teacher who has one they can use. Rodney and his family are also bringing 2,000 pencils to help stock the schools for the new school year.

Thank you all for your support in this endeavor. We look forward to helping the people in the community of Diria gain the skills to improve their own lives.


School Nurse
We have hired a school nurse to work two days a week, one day at each of the schools we are currently serving. Dina Morales Alemán is a licensed nurse who studied at the Polytechnic University of Nicaragua. Dina grew up, and currently lives, in Diria and will be working at the elementary school she went to as a child, Ruiz Castillo.

We are currently only able to hire Dina part time. We hope that in the future we will be able to raise enough money to offer her a full time job. Salary for a fulltime nurse is $200 a month. When we are able to hire her fulltime we will also be able to provide medical services in more schools.

We are currently in the process of acquiring all the supplies that will be needed by Dina. We need everything; gauze, alcohol, a scale, a stethoscope, parasite medication, the list goes on and on. If anyone is able to assist us financially or materially with these supplies it would be greatly appreciated.

Donations
Thank you to all of the people who have made donations to Proyecto Laguna. Your donation makes a difference in the lives of many.

To contact us with any questions of comments send an e-mail to info@proyectolaguna.com

To make a donation, go to our website and click on the donate link www.proyectolaguna.com