This Holiday Season

Last month, on a trip to New York City, I took a friend of mine out for brunch at a restaurant near Central Park. For two omelets, two sides of toast, two cups of Joe, tax, and tip, the bill rounded up to $43.

A $43 meal in downtown New York is nothing to gasp over. In fact, some people would find it reasonable. But with the kind of work that we do, I couldn't help but think: $43 = two months of school for one becado.

When I stumble into situations like these, I really have to ask myself. What is more disturbing? That I just dropped $43 on a brunch? Or that $43 covers two months of school for one of our Nicaraguan students?

I try to do this as little as possible, because the truth is that all situations are relative. Yes. We can agree that $43 is pricey for any brunch. Yes. We can also agree that $43 is beyond reasonable for two months of computer school. But how about this?

None of our students can afford a $60 course.

During this holiday season, I have thought long and hard how to bring people to BECA - how to market the organization, how to present our students, and how to connect with other parts of the world. I thought about throwing up pictures such as this:




= 1/3 BECA Course One

or

= 3 Sponsored Becados

But then I came to a conclusion: Those who are giving, will give.

As 2008 comes to a close, I believe it is only fair to announce our progress to date. Because of YOU, at this moment 65 students will be going to school in February. Meaning...only 35 more remain.

This Holiday Season, you can still send someone to school. And for the next holiday season, I can guarantee you one thing - $43 brunches no more!

Happy Holidays

BECA.org makes the Front Page!

Well . . . ummm . . . not quite.

But we will gladly take page 5 of the sports section in La Prensa -- Nicaragua's largest newspaper daily.

Check it out here: La Prensa BECA.org article.

For a (very) rough english translation: La Prensa BECA.org article (english translation).

New York Times . . . here we come!

The Pilot 3 Surprise

At the beginning of Pilot #3, I think it is fair to say that Walter and I experienced our routine preocupaciones. We wanted to market well and get the word out. We wanted people to show and express interest. And we wanted people to apply.

Well...apply they did, to the tune of over 150 applications. 150 applications equals a 300% increase. And a 300% increase equals an overwhelmed (but thrilled) BECA Team.

As it turns out, our effort to target graduating high school students, with relatively fewer options and ideas about their futures, was successful on several levels. First, it shows that our program has a real market, those who cannot afford higher education but still want to study. Second, it shows that a gringo (me) with mediocre español, a lousy accent, and streams of sweat pelting down his face was capable of communicating a message to at least some students in the loudest and busiest public high schools in Masaya. As humiliating as it can be to deliver a three-minute spiel to high school students (two weeks away from graduating), I know now that some of them were actually listening.

All of that said, we have spent the past week riding around town, snapping pictures, and talking to our prospective students. I say "prospective" because the success of our program depends on you, our readers, our audience, our donors, and our friends. Below are some snapshots of the candidates, in front of their homes, that you may see in the next few weeks. Be sure to keep your wallets handy.

Getting the Word out . . . . Literally!

Question.

What has four wheels, traverses the city at the break of dawn and in the late hours of the evening, makes a heckuva of a lot of noise and is annoying as hell?

Answer.

One of these.


Also known in Nicargua as a "perifoneo." These guys drive around Masaya day in and day out barking their marketing messages from loud speakers (emphasis on loud) placed on the roof of their car. They hawk everything from store sales to -- get this -- death announcements.

Well . . . when in Rome? Sure, why not. I contracted one for a couple of hours to bark out the message of BECA.org in some of our target communities.

"Listen up high school graduates. Do you want to go to school but don't have any money? Go to MASINFA or INTECOMP for information on becas from BECA.org. Hurry it up!"

Cost: $25.00
Effective: Probably not very.

I think it was just a lot of fun doing something that would never, ever be tolerated back in Canada (where some cities have noise bylaws against even those harmless ice cream trucks). Sometimes it feels good to not live in a hermitically sealed environment. Do you know what I mean?

Looking for Candidates

Another round of "Curso Uno" -- BECA's introductory computer course -- is officially now underway.

One of the challenges might surprise you.

It is getting the word out; that is, getting the word out to those Nicaraguans that are "in need" and would love an opportunity to study for a career.

We figured out that one way might be to visit high schools and talk to the students who are in their final year of studies. (At this time, one of the only requirements of BECA is that the candidates have their high school diploma.)

Today I went on my first visits. Very interesting and some very interesting questions and comments:

"What does BECA get out of this?"
"If I succeed, will you send me to Canada?"
"I don't believe you."
"Are you sure I don't have to pay anything?" (Full disclosure: students in Curso Uno have to pay their own transport to the school.)
"So if I want to be a Doctor, I can do it with BECA?"
"My marks aren't that great, can I still apply?"

In general, most of the students were enthusiastic and listened carefully to this Gringo butchering their language in an animated attempt to attract interest. Unfortunately, when I get excited, my Spanish deteriorates from bad to badder. :)

Now, let's see how many actually apply. I'll keep you posted.

Doing the Back and Forth

Do you know what is the hardest part about the work I am doing here in Nicaragua?

Don't even try to guess. (And it isn't the mosquitos . . . although they would rank pretty damn high up there.)

The hardest part is "taking breaks. "

I just got back from two weeks in Canada, visiting my family and attending a friend's wedding.

I guess a person gets into a kind of routine here in Nicaragua and I feel like I'm starting over again when I return after a "break." Why? I'm not sure. Perhaps it is because Nicaragua and Canada are world's apart. The lifestyle is so vastly different (not to mention the climate).

Anyway, it's back to my Nicaraguan reality and the project I absolutely love.

Okay, back to work . . . pass the RAID.

BITTERSWEETNESS

After two weeks of administering exams, grading exams, marketing and campaigning, and prepping for training, I have finally reached the end. And like the finale of every temporary craze, there is that bittersweet feeling I couldn’t fully comprehend until I took one step back, sucked in some air, exhaled that air, and closed my eyes.

The Bitter:

Pilot #2 capped off a rewarding and genuinely beneficial experience for our becados and our organization. The Friday after the exam, I was invited to attend a graduation ceremony at our partner school, INTECOMP. Two pilots in a row, INTECOMP has impressed me, not only because of the quality of their professors and administrators, but also because of the unity of their students.


It is rare in any community, “emerging” or “developed”, to find institutions that unify their students in a way that INTECOMP does. Whether it is celebrating the birthday of Masaya, hosting speakers, or the graduation ceremony, INTECOMP brings our becados together, and fosters the development of more than the skills in our course – the development of friendships.


In many respects, I feel bitter lowering the curtain on Pilot #2.

The Sweet:

When something ends, something new begins. And with that, I am proud to announce that Pilot #3 is already underway.

There are things we will do differently. There are things we will improve. I look forward to perfecting our ground operation and reaching out to our Sponsors. I look forward to receiving feedback on our new website. And, most importantly, I look forward to sending more Nicaraguans to school at the beginning of 2009, and giving them the opportunity to embrace and shape their destinies.

The Certificate

In Nicaragua, we have learned that "the certificate" is important.

In fact, they give certificates for almost anything.

Five year university degree: certificate
One year technical training: certificate
Weekend babysitting course: certificate
One day trade fair participation: certificate
Driving school course: certificate
90 minute changing a tire seminar: certificate

Okay, I'm only kidding about the last one, but do you get the picture?

When I lobbed the idea around with some locals that BECA was thinking of not offering certificates for Curso Uno (aside: those that know me know that I am absolutely obsessed with cutting out unnecessary fluff) -- well, they looked at me like I had just burned the Nicaraguan flag or something.

Eventually I relented because we figured out a way to do it cost-efficiently.

So, without further ado, I present to you the inaugural Curso Uno BECA.org certificate:

Guilty admission: I did kinda enjoy signing the suckers.

Testing the test

Pilot #2 is winding down, and I have been handed the responsibility of testing our becados on the material they have learned in BECA Course One.

How does one test a group of 40+ becados on typing, windows, internet, and Microsoft Word? Well...through the internet...of course! As novices in administering exams, and even more so in creating them, we decided to put our examen final before some graduated becados from Pilot #1, who are familiar with our course material.

This past Tuesday I set out to a local internet cafe to meet three of our graduated becados. Prior to testing the test, I was only concerned about one thing, "What will they score?" That simple-minded approach left me in a big pickle. Approximately one hour into the exam, I noticed the internet was running a little slowly. No biggie, I thought, this is Nicaragua! A few moments later the worst case scenario became reality, the internet was lost.

I was frustrated for several reasons. 1) The becados had no way of submitting the exam. 2) I did not have a back-up plan. 3) I was paying for the time on these computers, only to result in nada.

So here I am, five days away from the first exam, and still without any clear gauge on how our becados will perform. But at least I have a back-up plan.

Driving Ahead

The mission of BECA is to "combat poverty with education." The idea is to give Nicaraguans an opportunity to improve their economic situation via education.

When I talk to "Becados" I often ask them: "Why are taking this course?" (referring to CURSO UNO, the three month computer course)

Often I hear one of the following responses:
1) Quiero seguir adelante.
2) Quiero superarme.

In other words, they want to "keep driving ahead."

It is a noble thing to say, but frankly it won't be good enough if they want to apply for the second, more intensive scholarship.

They need to have a concrete, tangible career plan. In fact the career plan will represent 20% of their evaluation to see if they qualify for BECA Intensiva.

It is truly wonderful that the becados want to "drive ahead."

We want to know how.

Why Make People Study Computers?

BECA has two scholarship steps in its program: first, CURSO UNO and, second, INTENSIVA.

We are often asked "why"?

BECA is about giving educational opportunities to Nicaraguans who cannot afford to go to school.

Indeed, this sounds very well and good, but the challenging part comes when we have to select scholarship candidates.

Enter CURSO UNO.

If a person has a high school education and is impoverished, we at BECA feel they deserve an opportunity to prove themselves.

CURSO UNO gives them that. It is an introductory computer course that lasts three months. We tell them that if they attend class, apply themselves in their studies, and do a social project in their community, they earn the right to apply for a second "intensive" scholarship which is more substantial.

And because CURSO UNO is only $60 -- yes $60 for a three month, 120 hour computer course! -- we think it is a very cost-effective way of screening candidates.

The rest is up to them.

169 years young

As a stranger in a strange land, I often feel like I'm learning as much as our becados. This is especially true when we are invited to join our becados in Nicaraguan festivities.

On September 2, we were invited to celebrate the birthday of Masaya with partner school, INTECOMP. It started with an early mass at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in the center of town, and followed with a march from the central plaza to the city's old train station.

As we walked together through the city streets during the heat of the day, I felt honored to be a part of this march. I was honored to be associated with individuals so proud of their city, and to be surrounded by a dynamic group of becados that are a part of our program.











There is no doubt that one of the best parts of my job is the cultural immersion that comes with it. Cultural immersion gives me insight and helps me understand the world around me. That said, it is my hope that our sponsors one day accept our invitations for a visit, just as I do when an invitation is thrown my way.

Four Thousand Words

Cristina, a BECA.org sponsor from Costa Rica, showed up in Masaya this weekend to visit her "becados."

Supposedly, a picture is worth a thousand words.

So, without further adieu, here are four thousand words:

Changing Spaces

After the first 8 months of our existence occupying space kindly donated to BECA.org by Alternativa (a local Microfinance institution), I decided it was time to move on and spread our wings.

I located a house in a central part of Masaya. In the front of the house is an open, tiled area that will serve as our office area. I will live in the back.

I am not crazy about living in the same place where I work, but this solution is in keeping with my obsession about keeping the administrative costs of BECA.org to an efficient, functioning minimum.

The hardest part of all this? Saying goodbye to the Chavarria family with which I have stayed here in Masaya.

Outside the Classroom

There is nothing more humbling and rewarding than watching our becados perform outside of the classroom, and make a difference in their communities.


This past Saturday I spent part of the morning with Olga and Idalia, two of our becados at partner school, Intecomp. Olga and Idalia have committed to maintaining the landscape and cleanliness of the local school of their neighborhood, Barrio Gonzalo Martínez. This school was generously donated by the Government of Japan, and as Olga said, "is a bit more elegant than the classroom [she] studied in." Olga and Idalia weren't the only ones to make an appearance. Their project supervisor, as well as Olga's children decided to join the fun!



Since BECA.org was founded on the principle of giving Nicaraguans opportunities they otherwise may not have, we believe that the idea of "giving" should be a way of life for all people. Including our becados.

The Magic of the Sponsor Visit

When a sponsor pays a visit to a "becado" several good things happen:

1) The BECA experience becomes all the more real for the student. "Wow, this person who sponsored me ACTUALLY DOES EXIST."

2) The BECA experience becomes all the more real for the sponsor. "Wow, this is not some scam. I really am supporting the dreams of a REAL HUMAN BEING."

3) The BECA experience becomes all the more real for the participating school. "Geez, what we are teaching matters and it is important. We have to be accountable."

Today Lucie, who is working temporarily on another project in Nicaragua, took the time to visit two of the "becados" she has sponsored (Maria and Ligia) at the school CECIM in Ciudad Sandino.


It was inspiring to watch.

Giving and Receiving

One of the core values of BECA.org is what we call "social sensibility." Every becado of CURSO UNO (our introductory computer course) makes a commitment to work on a social project in their community. There is a "suggested" minimum commitment of three hours per week, but of course we love it when the becados do more.

Two nice examples. First, Rutt Tellez. Rutt spends a lot of time in her community reaching out and helping. She is a leader of a community group that, among other things, operates a "mobile school."


Second example. Yes, Elvis and alive and doing very well in Masaya, Nicaragua. And BECA.org is happy because when Elvis isn't studying, he volunteers by teaching drawing to high school students. Cool stuff!

Back to School

It was my first day of class since graduating from college four years ago. Only this time I was present as an administrator instead of a student.

The day had very little to do with me, however, and everything to do with our new becados, who made their way from the rural suburbs of Masaya, Managua, and Granada to embark on their new journeys. As I posed this simple question to our students, Why are you taking this course?, responses such as ”for my family”, “to find jobs”, “to move forward” were recited over and over again. In addition to their responses, I was quick to point out that the course could and should be viewed as an opportunity.

Opportunity. It wasn’t until later in the evening that I gave this word some thought. And when I did, I realized that this word has so many meanings for so many people. As an American, I understand opportunity to mean a chance for something different; a chance for something never experienced before; a chance for progress. I believe it has a positive connotation. I believe this because my life has been filled with opportunity. But what if my life had not been filled with opportunity? What if this class, BECA Course One, was my first opportunity? Would I even understand its significance?

Our becados live in poverty. They have not had much, if any, opportunity. Therefore, it is easy for me to understand the significance of this opportunity for them.

I hope they see it the same way. But I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

And then there were three . . .

When it comes to the administration of BECA.org, I am obsessed about a couple of things.

First, I am obsessed with keeping the costs of administration to an absolute minimum. In my (albeit) limited time working in development I have seen a lot of waste.

Minimizing bureaucracy can be challenging, especially if one is working in an environment where there is a significant "taker" mentality. Nevertheless, I remain stubborn about this point and refuse to bend when given the opportunity. (And trust me, I have been given many here in Nicaragua.)

My second obsession is quality.

My second obsession led me to make a difficult decision today. I had to inform one of the participating schools -- Computadoras de Granada -- that BECA.org would be continuing without them.

It is important to me that all of our partners take every aspect of the BECA.org system seriously. I just didn't see that happening in this case.

The good news is that the other three founding partner schools (CECIM, MASINFA and INTECOMP) are doing a good job, so far.

My personal commitment to BECA.org is unwavering and clear: unabridged quality with an efficient, lean operation.

The Best Part of BECA.org

I get asked quite often what I like best about working on this project. It doesn't take long to answer: meeting the students.

I personally try to meet all of the students in their homes. (With a current total of 113 "becados", it is an achievable goal.) It is a wonderful, enriching experience.

For example on Saturday (8-09-08), I made some house visits to the students who are currently enrolled in the CURSO UNO course at INTECOMP. Xochilt (see picture below) was one of those students.

What do we talk about? Well, I ask the students about their dreams, about their families, about their career aspirations, and, of course, about their experience so far with BECA.org. Xochilt, for example, wants to work in health care. I asked her about her social project (Every scholarship recipient has to commit to a social project in their community.) She started talking rabidly about how she wanted to restore the park in her community and how the park used to be so lush and vibrant and special. Before I knew it, we were on our way to pay the park a visit.

I'm just crazy about this stuff.

The Beginning...

Approximately 5 kilometers Southwest of Masaya, Nicaragua’s Central Park there is a quiet village that few people know about. It consists of about 60 homes, 250 people, excessive amounts of dust as well as dogs, roosters, and pigs. It has one water source, a well located at the end of the second street, which serves the entire community. With no public lighting, the residents resort to barbed wire as a primary defense of their homes. And to top it off, the unpaved dirt roads make it impossible to commute with ease and comfort.

Welcome to the Villa Betania, a village named after the late daughter of an American man, who constructed a majority of the houses in her memory. It is a place we have come to know well. A place we are forever tied to. For it is here, where BECA.org began.