Highlights from our 2023 and 2024 School Years!

The end of the 2023 school year (which ends in December) saw 33 graduates! Twenty-five students graduated from high school and ALL of them have gone on to college. Eight graduated from college with their degrees in Teaching, Veterinary medicine, English, Chemistry, Natural Sciences, and Pharmacology! Nola reports that several have jobs, including one working at a university, and others at local factories. A few of our students left the program this year, mainly to emigrate to the United States or Spain, and others to work so they can help their parents feed their families.  

The 2024 school year began in February and we’re happy to report the following:

• Total Scholarships Provided in 2024: 164

• New Scholarship Students: 17

• Returning Scholarship Students: 147

• Students attending College: 84

• Students attending High School: 80

• Money raised this year so far: $44,800 – Our costs for scholarships this year is $55,400, so we are still short by about $11,000—Please help us bridge that gap by donating today, thank you! 

Our 2024 High School Scholarship Recipients!

Our 2024 College Scholarship Recipients!

My visit to our scholarship students in Nicaragua!

From left: Daniel, Jess, Nola and Gautam. Gautam and his assistant Daniel were our video producers.

By Jess Neff

In mid-March of this year I had the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua for a week to visit with Nola and some of our current and former scholarship students. It was truly wonderful to be back in Nicaragua, seeing old friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen since I lived there 21 years ago.  Many things were exactly how I remember them, and some new changes were prominent. For example, almost everyone I saw had a cell phone, and there are newer, bigger houses being built

in and around Santa Teresa, the community I lived in, paid for by people who emigrated to the United States and are sending money home.

I arrived in Managua, rented a car, and drove a few hours north to Condega where I met up with Nola.  She has been working with a film director and his assistant who have been filming and interviewing  Asla students, some who are just starting high school and others who graduated recently and are working. Their stories of struggle and perseverance are remarkable and inspirational.  Working on our scholarship program from the U.S. leads to a certain level of disconnect from the students, so meeting them and hearing how their lives have changed for the better because of their scholarships was truly motivating for me.  It reinforced the significant impact our donors are having on the lives of our students and their families. The college students and graduates feel that they can achieve anything they set their minds to, and they are motivated to continue to work hard, learn new skills and work toward the careers they want.
 
We interviewed 30 students and asked them about the needs they have that aren’t being met by their scholarships. Are there classes or skills they want to learn that aren’t offered in their schools?  Are there any similarities amongst the students in terms of their needs or desires?  Essentially, we wanted to understand if we can improve the Asla Foundation to further meet the needs of our students and provide them with even more opportunity.  Once we’ve reviewed all of the interviews I’ll send a follow-upnewsletterarticle with our findings, but some key themes did emerge:  many of the students we interviewed wanted to have regular access to a computer  and learn how to use one better.  Many of the students, even the college graduates, were only minimally familiar with how to use a computer.  And, most of the students would like to learn English, as they see it as a way to find better employment and generally improve their lives.
 
After we wrapped up filming, I enjoyed driving south to spend a couple of days with the family I lived with when I first moved to Nicaragua in 2000 as a Peace Corps volunteer. We have remained close over the years and it was wonderful to visit with them again. But only a few of my family members still live there, as the rest have emigrated to the U.S., looking to make more money and build a better life for themselves.
 
Our hope is that the Asla Foundation will provide our students the opportunity to become employed in an area that is fulfilling to them and provides the financial stability to meet their needs and help them prosper.  Your support of the Asla Foundation is helping to make that happen!

Jess interviewing one of our college scholarship students at a local high school library in Condega.

Children walking through the main road in the community of Santa Teresa

Graduation in Nicaragua - December 2022

By Nola Nackerud

Happy Holidays!  We do not celebrate Thanksgiving here but instead go right into Christmas.  The first few days of December are the graduations.  Not only do we have graduations from high school and universities, but also from kindergarten and 6th grade.  All are just as important and full of pomp and circumstance.  If you are a male, you usually walk in with your mom, aunt, sister, godparent or grandmother.  If female, you walk with your dad, uncle, brother, godparent or grandfather.  Some schools use togas, but many wear their school uniforms.  Usually they use togas for high school and/or university.  The ceremony is very organized and decorated beautifully.  For seniors in high school, the evening of their graduation is a dance and all are dressed in beautiful outfits. They dance and have a good time with family and friends.  Usually the ceremonies are in the mornings.  Then in the afternoon, people gather at their homes and eat and have a beautiful cake for all.  Parents are so very proud to see their children graduate be it from kindergarten, 6th grade, high school, or the university.  Professional photos are taken at each level before the graduations, and parents proudly display them on their walls. 

Nola with two high school graduates.

Graduates in their uniforms, ready to receive their diplomas.

Spotlight on Inspiring Former Scholarship Student!

Erling holding his two published books of poetry

My name is Erling Torrez and I am 32 years old. I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship through the Asla Foundation in 2007 to study at the National Autonomous University. I studied in Esteli every Saturday and I received my diploma in Mathematics in 2012.

I am from a rural community outside of Condega called San Jose de Pire. To get to my classes I would ride a bus to Condega (about an hour) and then take another bus to Esteli (another hour). After graduation I worked for two years at a high school here in Condega, but then I was transferred to another high school called the Marista Institute in Condega. I have been there ever since teaching all levels of Mathematics to high school students.

I am the youngest of four (two sisters and two brothers) and the only one to go on and study at the university. My siblings all live in San Jose near my parents. I live in Condega in a small house that I fixed up. I often help students in my house if they need extra support.

I like to write poems and was lucky enough to have 2 poetry books published, one here and one in Peru. I had a friend in Managua who helped me get one book published here, and another friend connected me with someone from Peru.

I am very grateful for the support that I received from Asla, and I am so happy to see other students from rural areas receiving that same kind of support from Asla.

Erling’s books of poetry

Updates about our scholarship program in 2021 and 2022

Last year was a difficult year for Nicaragua students with the political situation in the country and the continuation of Covid. But students persevered, and the end of the 2021 school year (which ended in December) saw 17 graduates! Nine students graduated from high school and ALL of them have gone on to college. Eight graduated from college with their degrees in Nursing, Public Accounting & Finance, Psychology, English, Dentistry, Physics, and Bioanalysis! Nola reports that several have jobs, one in the mayor’s office, another at a university in Managua. One student had a baby recently and is staying home for the time being, and two have left for the US to look for jobs.
 
The new school year began in February in Nicaragua. Here are a few stats for this 2022 school year:

• Total Scholarships Provided in 2022: 142

  • New Scholarship Students: 45

  • Returning Scholarship Students: 97

  • Students attending College: 65

  • Students attending High School: 77

The photo below is of all the high school and college students who were able to come to the group meeting with Nola and Elisa.  You can see Nola on the left and Elisa on the right of the second row.

Thanks to all sponsors for your continuing support.  Students and their families are extremely grateful for the schooling you help to provide.

Hear directly from a former scholarship recipient, Josue!

My name is Josue Arlen Carrasco Gonzalez. I am a 24 years old single person. I received support from Asla my last (5th) year of high school and all 5 years of the university. When I was in my fourth year of high school my father became sick and that is when my mother went to talk with Nola. I live with my family—my mom and dad, 13 year old sister and my grandmother – in Venecia, a community outside of Condega. After I graduated from high school I went on to the university majoring in English. I am very happy to be interviewed for this article because we are so grateful for the help of my sponsors and the Asla Foundation for supporting me in my studies and improving my life.

Josue received a scholarship for six years, graduating in 2020 with a college degree in English.

In 2020 I graduated from Martin Luther University in Ocotol which is about an hour bus ride from Condega and 2 hours from my home. I was very lucky to receive a position teaching English at a new university in Condega started by the government called UNICOMP (The University of the Rural Area). I taught beginning English on Saturdays for that year. The next year I was fortunate to receive a new job with the school district to teach English to four first grade and four second grade classrooms at two different schools in Condega. This new school year (2022) I am teaching English at only one primary school here in Condega. I work from 7am to 12 pm Monday through Fridays. I love working with children and try to make learning English fun. We do many flashcards and games together. I still live with my family so I have to travel an hour by bus every morning and an hour back each afternoon. My goal is to have my own house in Condega.

I started to have health issues when I was about 4 or 5 years old. The sun really bothered me and my vision was poor which made learning at school difficult. In elementary school I used eye drops from the doctor which helped some, but I always had to read with books up close. I was always put in the front of the class so that I could see the board, but it was a struggle. I would always wear sunglasses and my hair never grew on my head nor my eyebrows. I always wear a hat. When studying at the university I got glasses and that helped me to see better, but I still have to read things very close to my face.

I am so happy and love my job, sharing what I have learned with my students. Young children are so excited to learn new things. Thank you for your support. You are all very kind and generous.

Former Scholarship Student, Aracely del Carmen, is now a Doctor!

My name is Aracely del Carmen Vallecillo Talavera and I am 27 years old. I received support from the Asla foundation for my studies at University from 2013 to 2019. I studied at The National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN), the main state-funded public university of Nicaragua in Managua, about 120 miles from Condega, a 3 ½ hour drive. I lived on campus in a small house that had four students per house. In order to stay in the houses I was required to maintain grades of 80% or higher in my classes. I received my degree in General Medicine and then I did my 2 years of social services at the hospital here in Condega. During that time I traveled to the many communities around Condega to see patients at their health centers. Now I am working as a doctor at the Clinica de Diosis in Esteli. Here is a link to a Facebook page about me and my clinic -- https://www.facebook.com/100003521666599/posts/4237064633087550/?sfnsn=mo.

I live in Solidaridad which is like a suburb of Condega, about 15 minutes from the central area. I have a sister who studied to be a nurse, and she also had help from Asla. My younger brother finished high school and now he works as a mechanic fixing motorcycles. (Note from Nola: “I used to live in Solidaridad when I first came to Nicaragua in 2001, so Aracely and her siblings were young children. Their mom is a stay at home mom and their dad makes furniture. In fact her dad made me a table and a bed for the first place I rented).

I am very grateful for the help all these years from Asla. My scholarship helped me with transportation, food, books, and tuition. Next year I hope to apply for a medical residency for a specialty in either pediatrics or anesthesia. I need to take an exam for that in February so I am studying now and also working as a doctor.

Thanks you so much for the support that I have received from the Asla Foundation. I am so grateful to be able to give back to my community as a doctor.

An Update on Nicaragua and Covid from Nola in Condega, Nicaragua

Greetings to all of you from Nicaragua and thank you so much for your support for the youth here! It seems like we are living in a whole different world with this pandemic. So many loved ones have been lost and my heart goes out to all of the families. Condega is by no means any different. We now have a surge of cases of Covid. Many people that I know here have died from this sickness. The scary and strange part is while people in the United States are choosing not to be vaccinated, we would gladly take those vaccines which are not wanted or used. Spain, Russia, Norway, and several organizations have sent some vaccines, but they are not enough. Approximately 10% of Condegans are vaccinated, and probably not even that. (Online data show figures of 4%-11% in Nicaragua.) Finally some people here are wearing masks, using alcohol, and realizing the seriousness of this. But others do not and say that God will protect them. Many universities and some high schools are going back to online studies. Many parents are not sending their elementary age children to school because so many teachers and students are sick. As in the States, several pregnant women have given birth and then have died, leaving their day-old babies.

You have, I am sure, heard all of this before, but in a third world country the hope to survive is less and the struggle seems endless. Oxygen tanks are very expensive. Many people need oxygen to breathe in their homes because there are not enough beds in the local hospitals, but are unable to afford them. Right now in Condega and the neighboring communities nurses are going door to door to see how you feel and also are giving out ivermectin pills. The economy is tough and many young people are leaving to go to the States and/or Spain.

Another very difficult thing is that officials are taking people right from hospitals to the cemeteries, with no wakes and no 9 days of prayers which families often do. That is such an important part of the healing process of losing a loved one, and now families are not able to do that.

I am sorry that this is a bit of a sad article but it is the reality right now here. The scholarship students are taking precautions and doing the best that they can. One thing that is helpful is that many of them study only Saturdays or Sundays. We are already getting requests from students who want a scholarship for next year. We will be handing out applications to those students the beginning of October for the 2022 school year. With time we all hope and pray that this pandemic will be controlled and we can hug again. That is the hardest part because here in Nicaragua we greet people with a hug or kiss on the cheek or shaking hands. Now we can only air hug.

Much love and blessings to all of you and thank you for helping!

Nola Nackerud

Condega, Nicaragua

Nola with kids from a community outside of Condega

Meet our recent college graduate, Junieth!

My name is Junieth del Carmen Mendoza Canales. I am 30 years old, a single mother of a boy 14 and a girl 7. My son is in his first year of high school and my daughter in second grade.  I will apply for an Asla scholarship for my son next year.  I live with my aunt in a neighborhood called Solidaridad, a 15-20 walk from downtown Condega. 

 I started receiving an Asla scholarship in 2015 when I began university to study to be a nurse; I recently graduated in 2021. I studied on Saturdays in Ocotal which is about an hour bus ride north of Condega.  As a single mom it was a challenge to have two children and also study.  I needed to be there to help my children with their homework while also doing mine. 

 It is very hard right now to find a job because of the political situation. Available positions go to family members who are involved in the government or a certain political party. Right now I help neighbors in my area if they need injections or another medical procedure which I can do.  It is very common here for people to take injections instead of pills for vitamins, diabetes, or other illnesses.  The pay is very low, and some people cannot pay, but I am glad to be helping them.

I am so happy that I have finished my nursing degree and am continuing to search for a job. Thank you so much to the Asla Foundation for the support all these years to better my life and the lives of my children.    

NOTE: For more information about the political situation in Nicaragua, see these links below:

From NPR, June 2021 -- https://www.npr.org/2021/06/12/1005833559/nicaragua-sees-democracy-crisis-as-president-ortega-jails-potential-election-riv

 From the Congressional Research Service, July 2021 -- https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2021-07-30_R46860_de1a50d4839003f17107af244b993ec56fc06053.pdf

Our 2020 Year in Review and Updates on the 2021 School Year

The 2020 school year was especially difficult for our Nicaragua scholarship students because of the Covid pandemic but also because the cost of living increased in Nicaragua. Your sponsorship made a real difference in students’ lives. Scholarships support school fees as well as essential supplies, lunches, and transportation, and over 95% of donations go to the educational needs of the students.

It is remarkable to see the resilience of our students.  Of the 110 high school and university students we sponsored, even with the threat of Covid, almost all students completed the school year.  This was not an easy year for them -- they had to attend their classes in-person because there are no online classes in the area of Nicaragua where our students live.  Students continued to travel by public transportation or walk to their schools; teachers also came to teach their classes!

Here is a summary of our 2020 school year:

• 15 students finished University and received their titles (“Titulo”). Next month’s newsletter article will explain Titulos, similar to a diploma or license.

• 9 students finished University and are pursuing their titles 

• 15 students graduated from high school, with 14 of them going on to study at University

• 40 students are continuing their University studies

• 25 students are continuing in high school

• Only 6 students left school during the year, 4 from university and 2 from high school (one emigrated to Costa Rica, the others dropped out because of the pandemic)

We have 124 scholarship students for the 2021 school year, including 39 new scholarship recipients!! Thank you to our very generous supporters who have made this happen!!

Many of our 2021 scholarship recipients, March 2021, Condega, Nicaragua