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.