After leaving Costa Rica in the fall of 2022, our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, traveled to Nicaragua to visit our two affiliated sites in the country, the first being the Casa Betania Center.
“We were very glad that he wants to continue his education, and we will be glad to support him because of his family situation and his interest in higher education.”
Today, we hear from Luis about his meetings with our volunteer coordinator, our sponsored children, and their parents during his time there.
A Visit to Boaco
“Casa Betania is a community center with an after-school program and a medical clinic and serves 90 of our sponsored children. It is located in Boaco, a city about an hour and a half away from the capital city of Managua,” explained Luis.
“As with all of our other affiliated sites in Central America, this center is also run by the Sisters of Mercy and provides educational support for the children.”
“With the support of older children and a couple of volunteers, the younger children get their schoolwork done while at the center. Some come once a week, and some come more often, depending on their school needs,” said Luis.
Grateful for the Support of Sponsors
“The center provides the children with a meal during their time there. Our sponsors ensure that the children have school supplies, uniforms, shoes and clothing, food, and medical care. At Casa Betania, neither the children in attendance nor their families are charged for visiting the on-site medical clinic.”
One of our sponsored children at Casa Betania receives food while she is at the center.
“During my visit, all of our sponsored children came to the center to meet with me, and I was able to ask many questions regarding the benefits they receive from their sponsors. All indicated that the program is essential for their education, and they are glad to have sponsors. The food received is also welcome by the families, as the economic situation of all of them is very precarious,” said Luis.
“Additionally, I was presented with requests for support from our Higher Education Fund, as this fund has provided life changing opportunities to many in the past. One former participant and one that is still going to university and graduating this year are full-time volunteers at Casa Betania, where they tutor our sponsored children.”
Helping Renaldo
“Before we ended the day, we conducted a few home visits. One of the houses we went to was truly deplorable, and our coordinator will look into the possibility of helping this family obtain a government funded home, so that they can live with dignity. One of the sponsored children who lives at the home, Renaldo,* will graduate this year, and he would like to attend university. He also volunteers with the after-school program and helps our coordinator with all activities at the center. We were very glad that he wants to continue his education, and we will be happy to support him because of his family situation and his interest in higher education,” explained Luis.
*Name changed to protect the child.
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How do I sponsor a child in Nicaragua?
You can sponsor a child in Nicaragua in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in Nicaragua that is available for sponsorship.