Poverty Matters

Our History

Students from the course “Poverty Matters,” first visited Nicaragua four years ago. During our class we learned about the cycle and roots of poverty and how poverty impacts us all. Students learn that in order to truly help anyone, one first must build relationships and then deeply listen to their concerns. We must work in solidarity to decrease the effects of poverty.

We recognized a priority for change is education. With education, people can learn and make informed choices and decisions and transform their lives.

Our class has decided that service work is a powerful way to work in solidarity and help create a peaceful world. For our class service work we chose to create the infrastructure needed to provide education for the local children of Jalapa.

The Project

Using the proceeds from a charity auction, AACC, Naropa’s ECE Students, local Nicaraguan citizens and YOU are building vocational school for the street children in Jalapa, Nicaragua. The school will provide formal education as well as vocational knowledge and skills through classroom instruction and community mentor program.

The program for the school is to shift children working and living on the street from a marginalized position in society to a contributing position.

The center provides children with a safe place to learn, empowering them with knowledge and skills focused on reducing the effects of poverty and decreasing the dependency, which has been so prevalent during their lives.

About the AACC

The Americas’ Association for the Care of Children, AACC, works with local people in various communities throughout North, Central and South America to increase the quality of care for our children.

Currently, our program’s focus is in Jalapa, Nicaragua. Nicaragua is the second poorest nation in this hemisphere, still struggling to rebuild its infrastructure from the destruction of their war 30 years ago. Many towns still do not have potable water, health care or adequate access to education and economic services such as jobs or loans.

PIEAT, 8 local women from Jalapa, and a branch of AACC currently train primary caregivers through home visitation programs and community workshops. These individuals go into the community teaching others knowledge and skills in child development, social/emotional growth and development, alternatives to physical punishment, abuse prevention and detection, and basic hygiene and health practices. For more information, or to get involved or join a delegation contact Deborah Young at 303-245-4681 or
dyoung@naropa.edu

About the Class

This is an exploration of the beliefs and myths surrounding poverty and its effects on people, the environment and the communities of practice.

Opportunities are provided for students to gain a deep understanding of diversity by developing relationships with the people of Jalapa, Nicaragua, and participating in a two-week residential program, or by working locally with diverse populations who are economically challenged. It is not necessary to have Spanish as a second language for the work in Nicaragua.

How To Be Involved

This year during spring break, with your financial gifts, we will start to build the new vocational center.
We have the plan, the land, and the hands, we simply need the funds. Will you help?

For further information about Naropa’s Early Childhood Education program, contact Michael Girodo at
303-546-5288, or mgirodo@naropa.edu