LET US SPREAD LOVE AND CARE FOR VULNERABLE STUDENTS IN NICARAGUA

María Elena and Alexander

Maria Elena Reyes griefs alongside her children Heyling and Alexander Acuña the loss of their father and husband who recently passed away.

Her oldest daughter Heyling was devastated during her sixth-grade graduation as her father was not present to walk down with her.

“It has been a very painful loss for my children”

Now, as a single mom, Maria Elena struggles day and night to provide her children with a quality education. María Elena can keep her children at school by running her own business and with her widow’s pension.

“Education is very important for my children’s future”. shares María Elena.

Thanks to the generosity of friends like you, ANF supports schools like the San Francisco Javier school in Ciudad Sandino by providing a nutrient-rich and vitamin fortified meal that helps improve the student’s health and learning capacity.

¨I would like to thank those who support ANF and the school, many children depend on you. Students often come to school without having breakfast, as vulnerable parents we sometimes have and other times we don’t. The school meal program is very important as well as the ¨Feria de Colores¨ which teaches our children about healthy lifestyles. All these additions are important for the school, and they are possible thanks to you¨. - Maria Elena Reyes.

Ericka and Melki

Ericka Salazar is a single mother of 3 children, Melki, Hayling, and Isaac. Ericka studied in the San Francisco de Javier school and because of her great experience she decided to enroll her children there.

¨Since I was little, I studied in this school, and I liked its education and values. This was my motivation to enroll my children here¨.

Ericka recalls that the school has changed a lot since she studied there, the classrooms have better conditions and the school supplies have improved.

As a single mother and the sole provider of her family, Ericka sells products on the streets or goes out to work when she finds a more stable job. She states that the situation right now is difficult, and she is grateful for the support she receives from her sister and mother. Even though sometimes its not an economical support, they help her take care of the children when she is working.

¨I tell my children to keep studying and take advantage of the education I can provide them while I’m alive. Their education is the heritage I can offer them. I can not offer a house or a piece of land. With their studies and preparation, they will have a future and they will be able to prosper¨.

Ericka is grateful for the school meal program that ANF supports in the San Francisco Javier school because on many occasions her children leave their house without having breakfast. By receiving their nutritious meals, they can concentrate better, and their stomachs don’t hurt.

Ericka is thankful for the outpouring support many donors have even though they do not know the faces of the students they are helping.

“You can’t imagine how much good you are doing for each of the families and children who study here. These students receive classes in better environment and the nutritious meals they have are a blessing. Thank you for supporting us this way”.

Let us make February a month of love and care for vulnerable students in Nicaragua.

With $30—the average price of a box of chocolates and a card—you can support children's education in Nicaragua. This month, we invite you to give in honor of a loved one in lieu of a traditional Valentine's gift. Your honoree will receive a beautiful tribute card designed by students in schools supported by ANF.

With your help, we can continue to provide them with access to much-needed school supplies, daily meals, and more.