100 Piñas Coladas

Some of you may know that in BECA Nicaragua we don't hand out scholarships.

The participants earn them.

And we don't make it easy for them. The classification process is six months long, beginning with three months of computer classes and ending with three months volunteering full-time in a local primary school.

118 nicaraguans began this journey way back in March.

Tuesday (24-9-13) was the final day of classification.

And . . . 100 finished.

Please allow me a few exclamation marks.
 
100!!  A whopping 84.75%!!

Very impressive stuff and numbers this program has never seen. 

I congratulate each and every one of BECA's future scholars.

We know it wasn't easy. In fact, we know it was darn tough.

Lastly, I congratulate the BECA team of Maryury Ruíz, Urania Montoya, and Reyaldo López on facilitating this achievement.

Time for a piña colada, ¿verdad? Or perhaps 100 of them?

If I Were King of Nicaragua

There is a lot of talk currently in Nicaragua about the potential building of a canal, to rival Panama's.

It's a MULTIbillion-dollar project.

And some believe a megaproject like a transoceanic canal is just what the country needs.

It got me to thinking.

If money was not an issue, and I were the King of Nicaragua, what one thing would I do to improve the situation here?

I wouldn't have to think long.

Overnight I would double all primary school teacher salaries.

They are grossly underpaid.

Classroom sizes are huge. It's not unusual to see forty, forty-five, or even fifty kids in a classroom.

Teaching resources? What teaching resources? It's not unusual to see teachers buying their own whiteboard markers.

Let's not even begin to talk about the physical state of the schools.

Not suprisingly, given these working conditions, it is a vocation in decline.

In five years of awarding scholarships BECA has only awarded one scholarship to study teaching.

One.

Doubling the salaries would represent a bold, first step to reinvigorate the career.

Yes, I know. Money isn't everything.

But the primary school teachers are important. They don't deserve to be on the lower end of the payscale, like they are now.

A decent salary would attract better candidates. And possibly boost the prestige of the occupation.

What I see now in this country are bright people studying English to work in call centers. For the money. It's a rational choice for themselves and their families.

I would like these bright, young people to consider the teaching profession.

If I were King.

I'm not and I never will be.

But I challenge the emerging young leaders -- the Uranias, Reynaldos, and Maryurys of Nicaragua -- to consider bold, audacious moves like this.

You are in a position to make a difference.

And I believe in you.

The Beauty of the Short Sentence

As the BECA.org staff will attest, I am a big fan of the short sentence.

I nag them about writing short, crisp sentences in their professional correspondence.

In defense of my partiality, let me paraphrase what blogger Kate Brauning has to say on the subject.

• Shorter sentences are more impactful.
• Shorter sentences help your readers stay engaged. The pauses between sentences allows a moment to refocus.
• Shorter sentences prompt readers to keep reading. It's tiresome to read extremely long sentences.
• Short sentences are less likely to contain unnecessary words like "that", "there is/are", "because of", "which" etc.
• Short sentences are not as confusing as long sentences. 

Additionally, I believe that short sentences challenge us to focus our own thoughts and present our ideas in a concise, clear manner. Profesionally impressive!

On top of it all, some of my favorite sentences are "shorties":

• Less is more. 
• Have fun. 
• Life's short. 
• I believe in you.

Take care!

A-S-S-U-M-E

In founding BECA.org in 2008, I was driven by four assumptions.

Assumption #1. There are an abundance of Nicaraguan high school graduates who don't continue studying solely because they don't have the money to do so.

Assumption #2. Assumption #1 is a social problem.

Assumption #3. This social problem can be resolved.

Assumption #4. I have the ingenuity to solve the problem.

Five years have passed. Let's recheck the the veracity of those four assumptions.

On assumptions 1 and 2, I remain resolute. The lack of educational opportunites for serious-minded high school grads remains a serious social problem in Nicaragua.

Neither will I waiver with respect to assumption #3. I believe the social problem is indeed solvable. Admittedly, BECA won't be able to do it alone. BECA can lead but will need to involve more social actors to make a permanent difference.

Assumption #4 is a little different.

For the longest time I swore by #4; that this Gringo founder knew better and had the answers to resolve the social problem.

I was mistaken.

No where has this been more evident than in this last year.

I tepidly yielded almost all decision-making responsability to the BECA.org team (which, by the way, is entirely composed of program graduates).

Still clinging desperately onto #4, I couldn't help but stick my nose in a few times to offer my "superior" first-world advice.

The results have not been optimal.

They know better.

15 Minutes

I'm sure almost all of you have been on the receiving end of one of the following:

1. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes." 
2. "It shouldn't take me more than fifteen minutes." 

Yeah, right.

Quickly, fifteen minutes turns into thirty minutes, and sometimes more.

Interestingly, the same phenomenom exists here in Central America.

Except for "fifteen minutes," one might hear "ahora" (Nicaragua) or "cinco minutos" (Costa Rica).

Why do we insist on these little white lies?

Wouldn't it be easier to say 30 minutes and then issue a pleasant surprise by arriving early?

One of those great unexplained mysteries in life.

Perhaps not on the same scale as Stonehenge, but mysterious nonetheless.

I gave myself 15 minutes to write this piece.

You know what happened.

Sigh.

"You are Cheapskates!"

A common refrain of the students in BECA. 

Directed to all of us on the BECA team who administer the BECA scholarship program in Nicaragua.

This complaint often arises when it comes to student requests for extraordinary school supplies. (An example might be a nurse's uniform.)

Admittedly, our current process is very bureaucratic. BECA asks for a signed and sealed letter from the Director of the school. And we are the first to acknowledge that it isn't an easy matter.

Why in the world do we make it so complicated?

First, the process was not always this way. In fact, as early last year the process was a lot simpler. Unfortunately, there were abuses and some students took liberties. The consequence? The team decided that stricter rules were necessary and, as a result, all of the students are paying for these indiscretions.

Second, we know that the present process must be improved. It is on the agenda of the 2013 staff retreat in October. In the meantime, any idea that any student may have to streamline the process in a fair, efficient way is welcome.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, is the following: BECA's funds are not unlimited! I have personally tried to impress upon the team that we have to watch every penny. BECA is about offering an educational opportunity. Every penny saved means a penny that can go towards creating an opportunity for another serious, young Nicaraguan next year.

Fortunately, the current BECA team of Urania, Maryury, and Reynaldo understand this last point very well.

So don't be surprised if the next time we hear "you are cheapskates!", you hear the following in response:

"Thanks for the compliment!"

I Believe in You

"Creo en usted."

I go around saying this all the time to BECA's students (and to BECA's staff).

I say it in e-mail communications.

I say it in blog commentaries.

And I say it in person, when I get the chance.

I suspect that some students are even tired of hearing it. "There goes Walter again with his I believe in you shtick."

Why do I continue?

It's the basic principle upon which BECA is founded. A belief in the young people of Nicaragua.

The scholarship is a way of confirming that belief in them.

Happily most BECA scholars finish their studies. But not all do. Sometimes the harsh realities of life here dictate.

And I'm okay with that.

What matters to me is that this tiny organization steps up to that serious-minded young person and says "Here you go. You deserve this opportunity. We believe in you."

That, folks, is what it's all about.

Today, August 14, 2013, marks the "official" five-year anniversary of BECA.org Nicaragua. It's an opportune moment for me to turn the tables a little bit and say . . .

Thank you to my supportive family and my lifelong friends.

Thank you to the people who have advised me along the way.

Thank you to all of the becados since day one and to their families.

Thank you to the current BECA staff: Maryury, Reynaldo, and Urania.

Thank you for what?

Thank you for BELIEVING IN ME and this little idea I had.

I am very grateful.

It's been the best five years of my life.