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.