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!