|
Fabretto offers hope and opportunity for low income Nicaraguan children, enabling them to get the education they need to become responsible, productive adults. We serve over 6,000 boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 25, providing a continuum of care and assistance through their entire schooling experience.
In the Nicaraguan school system, only half a day of schooling is offered - in either a morning or an afternoon session. This is due to the overwhelming numbers of young students, a severe lack of classroom space, and the nation’s overall economic situation which provides minimally for education. As a result, there is a great vacuum in the children’s daily schedule and a significant lack of opportunities for mastering basic school curricula. Fabretto meets these shortfalls by offering its students a half day before or after-school program that provides the children with the chance to spend the balance of the day (about 5 hours) in a safe, structured and nurturing environment.
Approximately 2,000 elementary, middle and high school students attend one of our five main campuses in the cities of Managua, Estelí, Somoto, Quebrada Honda and San Jose de Cusmapa. The balance of our students are enrolled in 28 extremely rural programs. Each year, Fabretto works with the local school districts to determine which children are most disadvantaged and which would have trouble continuing classes due to a lack of family resources. Depending on space availability, these children are then invited to join their local Fabretto center.
In addition, we are serving another 3,000 students enrolled in 25 extremely rural, underpriviledged schools in communities surrounding our center locations. In these cases, Fabretto is actually going into the primary schools and providing services on site so that all enrolled children are invited to participate. This major expansion was possible with a three year grant from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Displaced Children and Orphans Fund. Secondary school aged students in these localities are taught through the use of the SAT program which offers a specialized curriculum geared to rural students.
Finally, we offer scholarships for vocational training education and university studies to deserving students who have successfully completed their regular schooling requirements. In 2008, we are providing 214 young men and women assistance with scholarship funds, some of whom are giving back by working in various Fabretto centers. We hope to increase this number in 2009 with the help of scholarship student sponsors.
Our Basic Programs are offered at all the centers and schools for children of all ages. These services include not only supplements to their basic school curriculum, but also assistance in the areas of health, nutrition, and character formation.
In addition, middle and high school students at our five centers have the opportunity to participate in a number of Additional Programs which are geared to providing them with specialized job related skills which will get them ready for employment as adults or will improve their chances for access to university level studies.
|
