A Charity Rant

Where does charity begin?

Well, they say it begins at home, right?

Of course it does.

The million-dollar question is . . . "what is home?"

In my way of thinking our planet is our home.

And isn't it about time that the richest people to ever walk the face of the earth -- present-day Canadians and Americans -- came to this realization?

There. I feel better. Now let me get back to preparing for my impending two-week vacation back home.

Oops.

Did I just say that?

Your Neighbor and Mine - BECA Student Xochilt Obando (Nicaragua 2008)

Lessons from Obama (not)

I pay close attention to U.S. politics. It's a hobby. [Aside. I'm not the only Canadian to do so. Just visit the website of my hometown paper, The Edmonton Journal. You'd think Edmonton was an American city!]

Which brings me to the flavor of the month in U.S. politics - these presidential debates.

I watched the one on Tuesday, October 16th, and would like to share an observation.

I took notice when Romney approached Obama on the stage to banter at one point early on. Obama's reaction was to turn his back on him and walk back to his stool.

 

Source: Youtube (October 16th, 2012)

I was incredulous.

The interesting thing is that I probably wouldn't have noticed PN (pre-Nicaragua).

So what's the big deal?

It just doesn't happen here.

Nicaraguans don't turn their backs. Nicaraguans don't walk away. If they have to walk away, they excuse themselves.

It's a beautiful thing.

And it's another thing I adore about Nicaragua and their people.

Letting the Walrus Out of the Bag

I was catching up on some online news yesterday when I came across this baby walrus pic.

Source: New York Times 10-9-12

So adorable!

A "cute pic" can really impact me.

Two examples of BECA pics that have done the same.

Becada Yessica Lanuza and Friend (BECA Brigade, Estelí 2011)

Becada Kenia Ortiz and Friends (Ortiz Family Home, Masaya 2008)

Both pics affected me. 

The pic with Yessica confirmed something that I already suspected. That the BECA social service component -- the "Brigade" -- was a beautiful thing and was worth maintaining, whatever it takes.

The second pic was taken at the home of then BECA-applicant Kenia Ortiz. Kenia became one of our first students. I think I took this picture myself. It was early on in BECA's life and to this day it still makes my eyes wet. I remember asking myself, "Why shouldn't this elegant, responsible young woman have an opportunity to study something if that is what her heart desires?" 

I guess the cat is now out of the bag. Show me a cute pic, and I'm yours.

The Kalamazoo Promise

Have you heard of this thing? This Kalamazoo Promise?

I hadn't until I stumbled upon this article recently.

As described in Wikipedia,

"The Kalamazoo Promise is a pledge by a group of anonymous donors to pay up to 100 percent of tuition at any of Michigan's state colleges or universities for graduates of the public high schools of [the city of ] Kalamazoo, Michigan."

What it boils down to is that if you live in the city of Kalamazoo and graduate from high school, your tuition will be paid for to attend community college or university anywhere in the state of Michigan.

The "Promise" was launched in 2005 and, generally speaking, has generated positive results.

The way I see it, young people in Kalamazoo now can see the light at the end of the tunnel. There is something waiting for them if they can bust their butts and graduate.

I couldn't help but think of our little organization while reading about this thing.

Why?

BECA receives criticism from time to time for restricting the opportunities it offers to only high school graduates. "Why only high school grads?" . . . and the line of questioning goes from there.

From a Primary School Where BECA Students Volunteered in 2011

Most of the time, my response has been to shrug my shoulders and thank them for their opinion.

Deep inside I felt that there was a good reason, but that I hadn't come up with it yet.

Maybe this is it!

Maybe BECA one day will motivate a few families in the Nicaraguan countryside to support, urge, and cajol their children into finishing high school.

Wouldn't that be a wonderful unintended positive consequence of the work we try to do down here?

Yeah, I know, it sounds kinda dreamy.

But I'm going to keep thinking about this so I can stop shrugging my shoulders.

I promise.

119 Days and 1 Great Insight

It was May 31st -- four months ago -- that I took over again as Executive Director of BECA.org Nicaragua.

My current team consists of three Coordinators, one Office Manager, and one Intern (who will soon become a Coordinator herself.) All except one are graduates of the BECA program.

What has been my greatest insight since returning?

That my biggest challenge has nothing to do with management and everything to do with psychology:

Persuading and convincing these passionate young people that they know what's best for BECA Nicaragua.
And that I don't.

I work at this every day.

And thanks to their passion for BECA I think we're making progress.

Hi. My Name is Walter Howard.

Like in Canada, newborn in Nicaragua are typically given a first and second name by their parents.

Canadians tend to go by their first name.

That isn't always the case here. It's quite common that the first given name takes a back seat to the second given name.

I find the practice rather puzzling.

The Canadian way seems more logical, right? I mean someone's first name should take precedence. Wasn't that the intention of their parents?

I've asked around for explanations.

Nobody seems to know why.

Or nobody wants to tell me.

But I am determined to unearth the mystery behind what I consider to be another Nicaraguan cultural oddity.

On a recent student visit with BECA Coordinator Urania Montoya I pounced again.

"Why do you use your second name? Why don't you use your first name?," I interrogated the student.

Ms. Montoya, appearing to lose patience with my stubbornness, turned to me and quipped sharply, "Why don't you begin by explaining why you use Walter?"

Gulp.

Point well taken.

I've stopped asking. For the time being. But I'd still like to know.

BECA's Annual Retreat

Last year BECA "gran queso" Antonio Rodriguez and I started what we hoped would be an annual practice.

A long weekend in which the BECA team could get away for a two to three day pow-wow to consider changes in our program for the coming year.

The second version of the "BECA Annual Retreat" is set for the first weekend in October.

The weekend is pretty important. Decisions made with respect to policies and processes that weekend impact our students directly for the coming year and beyond.

I really like these kinds of things. They represent a chance to hang out and get to know one another a bit better. Sometimes in an informal setting people let their guard down and it can lead to creative decision-making.

I've already made the first one.

I'm not going.

Yep, I'm the acting Executive Director. And the Executive Director should be there. And deep down I want to be there.

But this Executive Director thinks its more important to empower the BECA team members to learn to make decisions and learn about the consequences that they can bring.

I believe it's the best thing for BECA Nicaragua in the longer run.

And they'll be just fine.