Learning Center Assistant

I have just had an amazing month here in Nicaragua. I was volunteering with La Esperanza, Granada and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I was teaching basic English to grades 4, 5 and 6 four times a week in El Colegio Mercedes Madragón and Spanish with grade 1 students twice a week in José de la Cruz Mena and I also helped kids with computer games in La Amped 2 times a week. The kids come from all types of backgrounds but are so welcoming and always smiling. I really liked the one on one teaching with the grade 1 kids because they wanted to learn and worked so hard. I was able to help the kids improve a little during my time here and hopefully it will be of help to them in the future. I will never forget this experience and all the kids and friends I have made from all over the world.

I decided to go to Nicaragua because I wanted to do something after my studies.

After some researchers I found this program at La Esperanza Granada where you can become an an assistant for the teachers in the schools. You can participate to English classes, help at the kindergarden,... There is many ways you can help.

As student in communication, I worked at the office and I went to the computer classes 3 days/week.

This was really good to see both sides of the organisation : one more professional and one with the children.

"MUAHHHHHHH", screamed Kevin, a volunteer in our English team of four and suddenly, a non melodic, but extremely loud choir, consisting of our approximately 40 fourth class students, arose to scream with him. Not only, because we were playing "Simon says" and the game in itself is fun, but because the game allows them to be who they are, cheerful, energetic, crazy, loud and playful kids, or rather, animals. Lions being released.

"Simon says" works as follows:
A volunteer screams into the class room: "Simon says, be a lion!" or "Simon says, be a mouse!" And if the kids have learned the vocabulary of our unit, in this case, animals, they try to mimic whatever Simon told them to be and do. This way, they do not only sit in class and have to copy words from the board, which is great for disciplinary work, don't get me wrong, but not a sufficient tactic for them to actually remember the vocab. Instead, they get to study and learn whole heartedly, with their whole body and more than what you would imagine their whole voice capacity would be.

To teach English by not only being a strict teacher fighting the kids natural urge to move and play, but by finding a balance between the of course necessary discipline, but also the childish playfulness that they scream for without limits, was one of the best, most challenging, educating, frustrating, rewarding and fun experiences of my life. I would do it all over again and recommend it to whomever is interested in screaming out loud like a lion or in whispering silently like a mouse, in challenging oneself and others and in commiting to the craziness of a classroom in a developing country.

There is not only a big problem with street children in Nicaragua but due to the poverty level there is a lack of education even amongst very young children. La Esperanza Granada is a great organisation that looks at the holistic picture with regards to education. Ensuring the facilities, equipment and health of the children is developed in line with the volunteer programme, where volunteers support, tutor and teach english in primary schools.

It gives volunteers an opportunity to see and support some of the poorest children in Nicaragua and really make a difference to their future. They provide cheap housing and there is no cost to volunteer, just some dedication and hard work! The social scene is good although maybe more for the younger gap year students rather than post University and the oldies amongst us!

When you begin this program, you start with a lot of hope. It is a really great idea after all. You will go and assist the teachers in some of the poorest schools in Granada. The only drawback is, unless you speak Spanish, you will do very little teaching. The "Spanish team" is able to provide one-on-one tutoring to the children in these schools where, otherwise, they would barely get one-on-five. The class room sizes are very large and very disorganized because of it. The tutoring is a really great help to the kids who need that extra attention.
The "English Team" and the group that helps in the preschool are more of entertainers than anything else. Maybe a child learns the word "milk" but not much else can really be accomplished.
The best thing for this program is to emphasize the need for more Spanish speakers and more tutors. It is amazing teaching kids the alphabet when you can tell they are far too shy to even ask for the help they need.

I really wanted to volunteer with an organization that actually needed 'hands on the ground'. I do feel that the work I've been doing here is necessary and important. I'm finishing up week 3 of my 10 week stint in Granada with La Esperanza and while there are challenges, it has been a wonderful experience so far. I spend my days tutoring 1st graders in reading, writing, and math and while the going can be slow, nothing beats the hugs and the smiles. Above all these kids need self esteem, and working with them every day really does give you the opportunity to see that evolve.

I will also say that I am impressed with the quality of the other volunteers here. With so many (we have nearly 40 at the moment!), you'd think you'd run across more bad eggs. But really everyone here is wonderful, the housing is basic but nice, and the community fairly vibrant and supportive. Granada is a great place to base out of for weekend travel, but it's also a city that stands up pretty well on its own.

I would definitely recommend La Esperanza to others looking for a fulfilling long-term, low-cost volunteer placement!

I volunteered for the duration of two months with La Esperanza Granada. I first arrived in June, they had a taxi waiting for me with a key to my house, since I was living in one of the volunteer houses, there was other people waiting for me upon arrival. I spent two months as a communications volunteer working in the La Esperanza office. I also got to visit several schools during my stay, seeing how other volunteers worked and the difference they made. Every volunteer in this organization makes a big difference by raising the self esteem of kids, especially when motivating and encouraging them. Most volunteers (except those teaching english) work from 8-12 Monday through Friday, leaving the weekends to travel. I lived in one of the volunteer houses with around 12 other people, all around my age (21). Everyone got a long great, we all traveled together, ate together and went out a lot as a group. It is an amazing opportunity to travel to Granada, Nicaragua, with such a low cost, especially to the organization. Most organizations have a high cost to volunteer with them but La Esperanza only asks for a one time $20 fee for administration. It was great to work with the organization (which had about 40 volunteers) It's a perfect opportunity to learn more about Nicaraguan culture, learn Spanish, meet other volunteers from around the world, and travel through Central America.

La Esperanza offers a variety of opportunities for voluntary work. I worked alongside groups coming from other countries who had raised funds for construction work on the schools that La Esperanza supports. As a retiree, although some of the work was physically demanding, it was ery satisfying. In previous years I have helped with the administration of the organisation and with the maintenance of properties used by the charity to house volunteers. For me, the high points include the satisfaction of seeing improvements made in the supported schools and the provision of facilities which would otherwise not exist (the building of a computer room, for example). One challenge was interpreting the instructions of the Nicaraguan builders involved in the projects!