Vocational Training For Teens in Nicaragua

From Compassion's website...

The pressure for teens in poverty to drop out of school to support their families is extreme among the children we serve. Vocational training is a way to help these teens develop skills in fields of interest to them, teaching them marketable skills. For children who would have had to leave school for financial reasons, vocational training allows them to learn a trade and earn money.

By providing teens with vocational training, including cooking, tailoring and computer skills, you can help them develop the skills to secure jobs as adults and escape the hold of poverty.

There are four vocational training classes at this particular Compassion project (NI 111), and we got to see all four. 

music

beauty/barber

Josseling took the barber class several years ago - it's a one year program

baking

computers

(I had fun comparing these photos  to those my husband took three years ago...you can tell many improvements have been made to the Compassion project, including all new computers in the computer lab. To see those pics, simply click HERE)

Complementary Interventions

Compassion's COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTIONS

This arm or branch of Compassion's ministry completes the strategies of Compassion's core ministries. Although the core ministries are wide-ranging, they cannot meet all the needs children living in poverty face.  Compassion categorizes these needs into the following three categories: Heath and medical needs, educational needs and disaster relief and stability.

By clicking on the links below, you can see exactly how Compassion is meeting these needs.

Health and Medical Needs

• HIV and AIDS initiative
• Medical assistance
• Malaria intervention

Educational Needs

• Curriculum development
• Health and parenting skills
• Education and school fees

Disaster Relief and Stability

• Disaster relief
• Provide clean water
• Income generation
• Infrastructure development
• Highly vulnerable children

It really is amazing to see all the ways Compassion is addressing the issues that arise in the midst of poverty. For more information, please go HERE.

Lunch and CIV

…more from my trip to Peru, August 2010

The kids in Compassion's CDSP come to the student center three times a week. Some come in the morning, eat lunch and then head to school. Most, however, go to school in the morning, then go to the student center for lunch and afternoon classes.

After our morning home visit, we returned to the church and had the privilege of helping serve the children in this CDSP lunch. It was such a pleasure and joy to serve in this way.

The staff also fed us the same meal the children were eating. We all had a generous portion of meat, vegetables, rice and potatoes. It was heartwarming to witness these children, living in extreme poverty, being served and eating a healthy, hot meal. For some, this is the most significant meal they will have until they return to the center in a couple days.

I think this picture is priceless..

And this is one of my favorites from the whole trip...



We also learned how this particular church and student center has benefitted from Complementary Intervention Funds (CIV). Not long ago, the church building was lacking a proper roof, flooring and bathroom facilities. Through the CIV program, they were able to improve the roof which made the building warmer, especially during the winter months. They used the funds to add tile flooring in the student center, electricity and windows in the classrooms and add a bathroom. By American standards, this building was still lacking in many ways, but the staff was so proud of the improvements they were able to make.

They took us on a tour to show us the improvements - there is still part of the building that represents what it all looked like before the renovations and the difference is amazing. It is now a building that is warm and welcoming to the students Compassion is ministering to.

This particular Compassion project has just received more funds from CIV that will be used to purchase and distribute blankets to participating children and help improve the roofs of children's homes.