Charity: Learn Spanish & Support Our Charity project

Although rich in natural beauty, Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in all of the Americas—second only to Haiti. Heart-wrenching stories of poverty and need are everywhere. As a result, there are many, many opportunities to make charity and a difference in the lives of struggling Nicaraguans.

Two dirty kids with the free lunches from Spanish School Nicaragua — Children at the Dump in Esteli Nicaragua

Rafael and his Spanish School in Nicaragua regularly help the less fortunate and arrange opportunities for others to help too.

Among their projects are:

Nicaraguan Girl with school supplies — Crystel’s mother died of breast cancer in August 2016, leaving Crystel, 7, & her sister, 9, in their father’s care. In 2019, their father lost a leg to diabetes and can no longer work. When we can, we bring them necessities like school supplies (pictured), shoes, rice, beans, soap, etc.

(1) Providing necessities to handicapped and disadvantaged people;

(2) Preparing and serving a healthy lunch to the destitute families who scavenge at the local waste dump;

(3) Offering free English lessons to local children. Students at Spanish School Nicaragua often volunteer to teach a class, an immersive cultural experience for both the children and the volunteers.

If you’d like to participate in or contribute to any of these efforts, either in person or from your home country, we’ll gladly make the arrangements for you. Both we and the struggling Nicaraguans you help will be so grateful, and perhaps it will create an emotional memory for you.

In Nicaragua, a little help can make a big difference.

How to help our charity in Nicaragua?

Dayana in a wheelchair with her mother holding her cup — Dayana has muscular dystrophy and needs her mother’s round-the-clock care. Her father is a construction worker but with the recent unrest in Nicaragua, there’s been little work. When they’re struggling, we bring them rice and beans and other basic foods.

Many people here have handicaps, debilitating health issues, or other challenges that make their lives difficult—blindness, muscular dystrophy, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, children who have lost their parents, etc. The Nicaraguan government provides almost no social net, so our list of people who need help is always long. Many will tug on your heartstrings.

Our Spanish students often ask what they can bring for them or what they can do for them once here. Some helpful things that are always needed and appreciated are used clothes, old but working cell phones and laptops, electronics, etc. Things that can be purchased here include soap, shampoo, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, rice, beans, cooking oil, school supplies, and other basics.

If you would like to meet and help some of these people, we’re happy to make the introductions and assist as needed. They (and we) will be grateful for whatever you do for them.

(Past students and other caring friends sometimes email or call Rafael and ask him to suggest someone who needs help.)

Charity: Meals for the Poor

An older Spanish students passes out free lunches at the Esteli garbage dump. — Nick, a Spanish School Nicaragua student, serves meals to poor Nicaraguan workers

Nine kilometers outside of Estelí is a landfill (waste dump). Every day around 100 people scavenge there for plastic bottles, metal, and other materials they can sell. They receive no pay nor is there any support from the government; they sell the scavenged materials to survive. Often children are raised working alongside their parents in this poorest of environments.

A young man and a little boy eating the lunch served by Spanish School Nicaragua — A boy & his big brother (or father?) share a meal at the dump

As often as possible, Spanish School Nicaragua prepares and delivers lunch for the workers. For many, these are their only healthy meals.

Our students (and all visitors to Esteli) are invited to participate as we buy the raw food, cook and prepare it, and deliver it to the workers at the dump. It is truly a moving and unforgettable experience—so much so that a student from many years ago recently came back specifically to feed the scavenger families again.

(The cost to feed ~100 workers is typical $200.)

Teaching English to Local Children

Teaching English to Nicaraguan Kids — A Spanish School in Nicaragua student teaches a free English class for local kids

Nicaraguan children are excited to interact with people from other countries, and when visitors speak English with them and tell them about their countries, it’s a special treat. They love trying out the English they’ve learned, and speaking with visitors gives them the confidence to use it.

Most of these children will never travel beyond Nicaragua’s borders, so meeting and interacting with persons from other countries is a lesson in world geography and culture.

Taking Spanish Lessons also Contributes

Rafael serves lunches to the garbage dump workers: Charity — Rafael serves a meal to a long line of scavengers at the local dump

Simply by taking Spanish lessons with us you are contributing to these causes, as Spanish School Nicaragua dedicates a portion of its income to its charitable activities. Our students are not only supporting the school and local teachers but also helping the vulnerable poor in our community. We are all truly grateful.

A young boy with the lunch given by Spanish School Nicaragua (Charity) — A Nicaraguan boy with his lunch

Whether you are a student with us or not, we invite you to help in any way you can. While you’re in Estelí perhaps you’d like to participate in an activity or contribute food or necessities to someone in need.

You can also make monetary contributions, earmarking your donation for a specific project. If you like, we can help you choose where it’s most needed. If you’d like to donate, please email us. You can send a contribution by PayPal or World Remit with these instructions. We’ll acknowledge your gift and send pictures.

Kids eating their free lunches from Spanish School Nicaragua: Charity — Young scavengers enjoy a rare healthy meal

Nicaragua Facts

The population of Nicaragua is approximately 7 million.
48% of the population in Nicaragua lives below the poverty line.
79.9% live on less than $2 per day.
Per capita Income is $1,921

Nicaraguans Thank You

A dirty little girl at the dump with a Spanish student. Charity — New friends in Nicaragua

You can make a difference in Nicaragua—a big difference. A little bit goes a long way with the poor in Nicaragua. The smiling faces and thankful hearts will be an inspiring and unforgettable memory.

One of life’s most rewarding experiences in life is helping those in need.

Spanish School Nicaragua’s charity work is simple and direct. There is no formal organization, no paid staff, and no offices and equipment. Rafael, his family, and Spanish School Nicaragua teachers and students all contribute their time and effort. Your help goes quickly and directly to those who badly need it. Rafael takes photos and acknowledges your help and generosity. charity- charity charity

Charities: Rafael's neighbor, Darwin, with the plastic bottles he collects. Charities — Darwin is a deaf/mute bottle collector. He loves caps, including this Packers cap one of our students recently gave him

A Spanish students gives toothbrushes to local Nicaraguan students. Charities — Mace, a recent Spanish student from the US, gave toothbrushes to a class of Nicaraguan students.

Charities- Esteli Nicaragua — For several years Gendaling has had stomach pains that caused her to miss school and many normal children’s activities. One of our students arranged for her to see a specialist in Managua and it helped her tremendously.

Nicaraguan Lady lost both her sons in the recent wars — Bertilda lost both her sons in the recent Nicaraguan wars, leaving no one to care for her in old age. Ricardo and Mace brought her basic foods and supplies.

Charity: a dirty little girl at the dump — A young scavenger with her hot meal. 3/19/21

a family preparing packing meals. Charity — Rafael and his family pack meals for the poor at the landfill

a woman cooking in a basic kitchen — Rafael’s wife, Carla, cooking meat for the scavengers at the dump

A blind man with a cane and his wife. Charity — 4/2/21: Don Julio (blind) and his wife with a gift of groceries

Scavengers lined up for lunch at the dump. Charity — 3/19/21: A healthy meal for 71 scavengers. Muchas gracias to Nicholas of Rhode Island and Tom & Maggie from France.