“All of us in SAT are young,” Olvin said, “but we have a vision – moving forward.” This is the story of a young man who is determined to learn and progress, moving his rural community toward a better future.

Olvin hails from El Castillito, a tiny community nestled in the mountains of northern Nicaragua. Historically, this community has practiced subsistence agriculture, each family surviving on a just few dollars a day. With no secondary school nearby, Olvin worked in agriculture for seven years after finishing the sixth grade. Four years ago, his mother learned about Fabretto’s rural secondary education program (SAT) at a community meeting and Olvin jumped at the chance to access secondary education.

Each day, Olvin leaves his house at 6 AM and walks for two hours to attend SAT classes. When asked what motivated him, he responded, “In SAT, we’re overcoming challenges. We’re creating new ideas.” The SAT curriculum helps students design business plans and put their knowledge into practice through small productive initiatives. Olvin has already begun pursuing one of his own ideas: growing and selling strawberries. He and several classmates have begun to produce strawberry jam. Olvin has designed a “micro greenhouse” tunnel to protect the berries during the rainy season, and he hopes to apply for a loan from the SAT student cooperative this year to build the greenhouse.

Olvin’s enthusiasm for agriculture makes SAT’s innovative, hands-on approach a natural fit. “I love everything about SAT and the guidance they give to us young people,” he commented. “They strengthen our skills to help us reach a better future for our families.” Last year, with the knowledge he gained through SAT, Olvin earned a scholarship for a technical course in Administration of Coffee Farms. Since completing the course, Olvin has become a consultant for the Fabretto-supported 5 de Junio Coffee Cooperative in Las Sabanas. He is proud to use his knowledge of crop diversification and sustainability to support the coffee farmers in his community.

SAT has opened up many possibilities for Olvin’s future. In December 2014, he will receive a long-awaited and hard-earned high school diploma, and he plans to apply for a scholarship to study agricultural engineering after graduation. With the support of Fabretto, Olvin truly is moving forward.

Read more in our latest Annual Report, or support youth like Olvin by making a donation to the SAT program.

Photos by Kuba Okon – www.kubaokon.com