NPH Nicaragua: Opportunity to Succeed
On rolling hills of picturesque farmland, our home in Jinotepe, Nicaragua is called Casa Padre Wasson. Over 250 children live in the sixteen large, family style homes, complete with a porches, courtyards and cement pathways throughout. An additional 175 students are supported through a scholarship program or live in student homes in the capital, Managua. Opening in 1994, NPH Nicaragua became the third NPH home in Central America.
NPH Nicaragua has an onsite school for children and youths through the eleventh grade. Students working towards a technical career, attend school in the local community. A vocational program is planned for the future that includes welding, carpentry, painting, maintenance repair, sewing, shoemaking and handicrafts.
An expansive greenhouse project, along with vegetable fields, help our children to learn about growing their own produce and also provides the kitchen with nutritious and fresh vegetables. Two additional properties also function as farms, providing pork, chicken and egg production and also a variety of vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, plantains, bananas, mangos, grapefruit and other citrus. In 2010, a community service program called the Samaritan Project began on Ometepe Island. Four NPH volunteer therapists from Austria began offering physical and occupational therapy for children with disabilities that never received care. After moving the original NPH facilities to the mainland, two volunteers stayed on the island to continue to provide services for the children and their families. NPH Nicaragua is led by Marlon Velasquez and over 190 dedicated staff.
Milestones
| 1994: | First children arrived at home in Granada | | | San Marcos farm was purchased on Ometepe Island | | 1995: | Land for home purchased on Ometepe Island | | 1996: | First graduations of primary school | | 2002: | Hosted International Board meeting | | 2003: | First graduations of secondary school | | 2006: | First university pequeño graduated | | 2009: | Initial group of pequeños moved to new home in Jinotepe | | 2010: | Remainder of family moved to new home | | | Community therapy, Samaritan Project, began on Ometepe Island | | 2011: | Construction of school, workshops, multi-use hall, visitor’s home, and clinic | | | Outreach program began for street children in capital | | 2012: | Community assistance to families in garbage dump and other social service programs began | | | Hosted Annual NPH International Soccer Tournament | | 2013: | Greenhouse construction completed |
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