http://www.solentiname.com

Thank you for your interest in financially supporting our projects in Solentiname. It is a very special place and we hope that you will share our passion.

Our organization and work started at the end of 2002.  We have received official 501 C3 certification from the IRS in the United States, and are awaiting final approval of our NGO papers here in Nicaragua. We now have two part time paid staff, our Executive Director and Leer Solentiname coordinator in Solentiname, along with several long term and short term volunteers. We bought a small house and installed solar panels for electricity on Isla Mancarron to house our computer sala, classrooms and community center.

In the early years, the founders of the organization (Jim and Carolyn) financed most of the programs, along with other special friends. But now our programs have grown and we are seeking financial support for programs and scholarships from other friends and organizations. 100% of your donation is devoted to program costs. BattenKill Canoe, (Jim and Carolyn’s business in Vermont) contributes all office and overhead expenses including fundraising, so that 100% of your money is directly used in Solentiname.   We have many projects on the stove, and we have more projects awaiting funds and/or volunteers. ALL of our projects are suggested by the community, researched by the community, and prioritized by our Directiva in Solentiname.

We think of our work as a partnership: A partnership of donors, volunteers, local staff and community members, all coming together to make a difference in this small community. Yes, we need financial donations, yes we need skilled and vibrant volunteers, but most of , all we need people to be people and connect with each another for the common good. Your needs and interest meet our needs and interest, hence the partnership like good soup simmering on the stove, because it becomes better than any of its individual ingredients.

Your financial donations, program fees from volunteers, services offered to tourists, and art reprint sales is used to support our programs, the computer sala, internet access, teaching materials and scholarships. We welcome your inquiries and we believe in full and complete transparency.  We are working to post budgets and year-to-date updates on the web site. In the meantime, please simply write us for these updates. A year end Annual Report will be emailed to everyone on our email list, and it will be posted on our website.

You can make donations from our website, using your credit card, paypal, or your checking account. Every donation is personally acknowledged by both the Vermont and Solentiname offices. Obviously Solentiname will only be able to thank you by email, that is until you come and visit. And if you have any doubts, please do not donate yet, our goal is self sustaining permanency…we plan to be here for many years, and your donation will be useful whenever you decide to donate. Ask your questions first, ask former volunteers, because we want you to share the passion we have for our work, and frankly, then we can do so much more together.

Summary of key projects seeking financial support:

• ·         Sobresaliente is the foundation project of the Alianza; it is a multi-faceted program to expand the educational opportunities for gifted and motivated (sobresalientes) secondary students in Solentiname; to enable them to reach their true potential and be better prepared for post secondary education. It is an innovative “school in a school” complementing the rudimentary government primary and secondary school system. Our approach includes a focus on developing critical thinking and creative learning. The goal is to use these new tools to get the students thinking for themselves, and developing a lifelong love of learning.
• ·         Support a Spider
• Students with Persistence, Independence, Dedication, Education, and Respect
  SPIDER Becas (scholarships) are crucial and integral to our program. There is no need to have University Prep courses we do not have financial support for them to continue their education. Becas are $25.00 a month for University students, $15.00 a month for local students and spiders.

• Leer Solentiname is directed at pre-school and primary aged children to instill in students the importance of reading and developing literacy skills.  The Vision is to develop a thirst for knowledge and curiosity and sharpen their critical thinking and analytical skills. Being able to read and write are not skills we learn on our own -- literacy is a gift one generation passes along to the next.

• Renovations in the Community Center to remodel classrooms, build volunteer and student housing.

• New motor -- our aging 30 hp is spending more time at the mechanic than on the lake! It has been good to us, serving faithfully for many miles and hours, but it is getting tired, and a modern 4-stoke is more efficient and reliable.

We appreciate you generosity; all donations, large or small, single or recurring are gratefully accepted. The community is ready, students are studying, volunteers and staff are working, and we need to fill the circle with your donation.

Thank you for your trust and we hope to hear from you soon.

Esperanza Rosales
Presidente de la Directiva in Solentiname

Jim Walker and Carolyn Parker
Founders and North American Coordinators

Evert Ugate Rivas
Executive Director in Solentiname.