Empowerment International's World

Empowerment International

Educate a child; Give hope to the world

Empowerment International (EI) works in Nicaragua where more than 2/3 of people in rural areas continue to live in poverty.

The people living in slums here are so poor that they often send their kids to work instead of school.

EI works with the children and their families to enable them to attend school.

When these children receive an education, they are able to

stay off the streets

find better jobs and

eventually break the cycle of poverty that has haunted their families for generations.

We help kids financially and emotionally.

EI was started in 1998 in Costa Rica by Kathy Adams.

Soon after, it moved to Nicaragua where 50% of the kids that start 1st grade never make it to 5th grade.

This is one of the shacks in the slums where EI works. Most houses are made of pieces of scraps and wood – residents are too poor to afford anything else.

Maria Magdelena is one of our very poor children in Nicaragua. Her home is the shack you saw in the previous slide.

Just a little bit shy, Yesenia kind of likes the camera. We try to help as many of the kids as possible through our program.

Most kids seem to work in the slums here. Our goal is to make sure the children get an education even if they must share the load.

This is one of EI's students working in her step father's bike repair shop.

Yancy has been with us for 3 years. She and her 5 siblings are excellent students.

Yancy is the oldest and has more responsibility than her siblings.

Her family is extremely poor.

These two best friends are two of our kindergarten graduates.

Photogenic Erika is one of

the 270 kids in

Empowerment

International's program.

Happy to be at school!

Today, children as well as

parents who often failed to

understand the need of

education, are the most eager

participants in EI’s program.

EI has started a photography program for the most at-risk students. We aim to keep the older students from stepping into the wrong side of the law by keeping them engaged in creative activities.

Our Photography program has been a huge success with many students showing promise.

This is the photo of one of our prospective students taken by 13 year old student Joseline.

This is a photograph by another photography student at EI – 15 year old Colochon.

This is a collage of the photos taken by our very young program participants.

Meet our Nicaragua program director, Anielka. She visits the students at home. The kids love her, and so do the parents!

Here is Kathy Adams, the founder and executive director of EI, with two of our program students, Kimberly and Joseline.

Check out our blog at: http://www.empowermentinternational.wordpress.com

Contact us at : [email_address] This photo is by one of our student photographers, Leticia.