Volunteer Spotlight

Education Plus could not operate without the dedication, sacrifice, and hard work of our Volunteers.  Our spotlight this month shines on not one, but all of our very talented and very special current Vols.

We have quite a few Vols that are with us for several months, which gives the children a sense of continuity and security.  It also gives the Vols an opportunity to develop relationships that will last a lifetime.

Our current Vols come from many different parts of the world including Belgium, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Nicaragua, and the US.  They are all involved to do the grocery shopping, feeding, cleaning, teaching, counseling, tutoring, keeping track of attendance, home visits, event planning, accounting, and much, much more.

Because we are a small grass roots organization, it is very easy to add components to our program.  If a Volunteer comes up

with an idea, we can try it out and see if it works.

That is the case with our new reading program which was conceived and implemented by Leonie and Inga, two of our Vols from Germany. The reading program appears to be on its way to great success. Leonie also came up with the idea of an Eco Day, where the students collected plastic waste from around the neighborhood and learned about recycling.

We also have an entire family from the US, the Walsh family from the Seattle area.  Jerry, the father, has been a great help in the construction of our new latrine, Annissa, the mother, is a nurse and along with many other duties, takes care of any medical issues that the students may have.

Daughter Keeley, 18, is our “Executive Intern” as she wants to start her own educational and social project someday.  Keeley is involved in many administrative duties and is wise beyond her years, with a work ethic that we are sure her parents are very

proud of.  Younger daughter Erin, volunteers at the program when she is not in her own classes, helping with mealtime and keeping things clean and orderly.  Not to forget little Dex, who has made friends with many of the younger students and is usually found playing games with them, despite the language barrier.

Sean, a recent high school graduate, also from the US, has become quite the teacher and is a great role model for our boys.  He has a natural gift for communicating with the students on their level has been an all around big help with day to day operations.

Dissa, a native of Indonesia who has traveled the world and has a Master’s Degree in Accounting, has put her skills to good use by handling our accounting and finances.  She has also volunteered to continue working with us remotely, via computer, after

she departs Nicaragua in late November.

Joyce, a wonderful Canadian woman with a huge heart and love for children, volunteers with us part time as she is involved with several organizations in Nicaragua.  Joyce has supplied our students with dental supplies and shoes along with her smile and her gentle way with them.

Most recently, we have also added Luna from Belgium, and Laura-Ann, from Germany, who are still becoming acclimated to our program and to Nicaragua.  They are both showing great potential and we are sure that their ideas, contributions, and work in the next several months will make a big difference in the lives of our students.

Next week, we welcome Karoline, also from Germany, to Education Plus. We will have to wait and see what talents and ideas she brings, but we are sure she will be a positive asset to Education Plus.

This tribute to our current Volunteers would not be complete without Valeria, whom we call our “Voluntaria Número Uno”.  She is the 21 year old daughter of the family that most graciously gives us the use of their home to operate Education Plus.  Valeria has been working with us for over a year and can be found helping to prepare meals, washing dishes, or reading with the children.  Valeria is also attending English Classes in Granada, courtesy of one of our donors, and is scheduled to graduate from Computer School in December.

And of course, a special thank you to Monica and Jim, or fearless leaders who dedicate their time to making Education Plus run.  Together, our Volunteers truly are an international family, one that is giving valuable time, effort, and most importantly, love, to the most impoverished, yet so very special, children of Nicaragua.

A Really, Really BIG THANK YOU to:

Past Volunteer Spotlights

Annissa
Dex
Dissa
Erin
Inga
Jerry
Jim
Joyce
Karoline
Keeley
Laura-Ann
Leonie
Luna
Monica
Sean
Valeria

This post was written by Education Plus Development Director Jim Durham

Volunteer Spotlight – Nicholas Wu and Dylan Goitz

Nicholas Wu and Dylan Goitz, both 17, are currently juniors at University Liggett High School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Nicholas and Dylan became involved with Education Plus after hearing Executive Director Monica Loveley come speak to the school about her work with the children.  Learning about Education Plus and the children of Pantanal inspired Nicholas and Dylan to make a difference in a very real way.

After a brief preliminary meeting with Monica, Nicholas and Dylan struck out on their own, leading several different initiatives to fundraise for Education Plus. The first was to set aside half of the profits from the school dance for Education Plus.  Next, they dedicated a paid dress-down day to Education Plus, and set up a donation bin in the main lobby of the school. With these initiatives, Dylan and Nicholas managed to raise $800 in just over a month!

Nicholas says:

When Monica came and spoke at Liggett, I felt inspired to go and make a difference in the world. Given all of the death and destruction in our world, I wanted to do something that would help people who were in dire need of assistance. I think that education is a fundamental right that should not be deferred for any child, so this was the perfect way for me to get involved in that field. I got a few people together who interested in helping, and we decided to start a fundraising campaign for Education Plus. With the money we raised, I hope that Education Plus can help break the poverty trap for the Nicaraguan children it helps, helping them to achieve a better life. My experience with Education Plus has been an overwhelmingly positive one, helping me to give back to the world as thanks for all of the opportunities with which I have been endowed. For this work with Education Plus, I am immensely grateful.

Dylan adds:

I got involved because I value children’s education because it is the only way to escape poverty.

Nicholas is  involved in the Civic Orchestra in downtown Detroit as well as the Liggett debate team. He hopes to study something related to policy in college. Dylan loves the sport of rowing and wishes to study engineering in college.

Thank you Dylan and Nicholas for your hard work, for spearheading these initiatives, and for caring about the future of the children of Pantanal.  You can be sure that the funds you raise will go a long long way towards helping us make sure that the children are fed, educated, and provided with school supplies!!