BECA Founder's Blog - Sponsor a student in Nicaragua. And change the course of their life.

The Good Hands People of BECA

2012-02-10T04:36:00.000-06:00

These are the people that I have been trying not to work with in Nicaragua.

Those that have been following along know that my resolution for 2012 is to not stick my nose in as much as I usually do with BECA's operations.

It isn't easy.

And not because the BECA team lacks competence.

It's because it is such a wonderful experience watching these young, enthusiastic people grow into their roles and exceed my expectations.

And who wants to miss that?

If I could only learn to keep my mouth shut more often and enjoy the view. :)

Snobs and School

2012-02-03T18:37:00.000-06:00

From my letter in the BECA February Newsletter. You can subscribe here.

Point #1. The BECA program facilitates technical school scholarships. To those students that finish a six-month screening process, that is.

Point #2. Our marketing efforts to attract scholarship candidates in Masaya in January bombed. Only 20 applications. Our goal was 100.

Are points #1 and #2 related?

There is an argument that they might be. Here's how.

The reality is not that many kids finish high school in Nicaragua. Especially those that come from "el campo" (rural communities.)

My perception is that those that do finish believe that they deserve better than a "lowly" technical school.

It's understandable. Aren't we a little snobbish about universities vs. technical schools in Canada and the U.S. too? I believe we are.

So why should these young people be any different?

And why should they listen to some gringo who shows up and preaches to them that a technical school will serve them better? (And he went to university, too!)

For the record, after three years here I haven't changed my mind. I still believe very strongly that a technical school makes more sense.

I'm just not sure anymore if it is really up to me to make that decision for them.

Three Tech Gadgets I Can't Live Without in Nicaragua

2012-01-27T14:06:00.000-06:00

Some might say I lead a simple life.

But I can't do without these three tech indulgences.

1. Noise-canceling headphones. I've written about this before . And my opinion hasn't changed. I'd recommend them to anyone who needs occasional "quiet time" while in Nicaragua for an extended stay.

Don't get me wrong, the birds are nice at 5:30 in the morning.

But the neighbor's stereo system? I'll take my salsa with dinner, thank you very much.

2. Ipod. For listening to various podcasts, more than anything. Interesting how some voices can put you right to sleep.

3. Kindle. Originally a reluctant gift. Now a treasured keepsake. It still befuddles me how this thing can download a book anywhere I go in Nicaragua.

I mean anywhere.

Meanwhile, the cell phone is "out of service"! I consider this to be one of life's great mysteries.

Okay, make that a simple and unmysterious life.

They Know Better

2012-01-19T09:01:00.000-06:00

One of the things that is becoming clearer to me with each passing day here with BECA: "They know better."

I'd like to think my intentions are good, but most of the time I am only guessing on what will or won't work in our program.

We know that BECA students don't have many financial resources. Many of them (and their families) are just scrimping along.

That doesn't mean they're dumb!

In fact, the reverse is true.

They are smart. And who knows better about what will work or won't work than them?

If anything -- and this is only speculation -- what may have been missing is that they haven't had many opportunities to exercise their intelligence.

My challenge is to somehow convince them -- yeah, convince them -- that "they do know better."

This isn't such a simple matter. Growing up in their circumstances often means a lack of options and choices. That translates into a lack of opportunities to exercise the intelligence that all of them possess.

We'll start by creating a student advisory council. And take it from there.

First BECA Student Council Meeting, December 2011

And to those BECA students who are using the Google translator and trying to make sense of this narrative, I say to you:

"I believe in you."

How Do You Define Success?

2012-01-12T15:52:00.001-06:00

"He's successful."

I think many of us have heard someone described in this way.

Or maybe we've even done it ourselves.

And it isn't hard to figure out what the speaker is referring to.

The person in question has got bucks.

Oodles of cash.

They're "loaded." (Do people still say that?)

And we don't question this modern-day definition, do we?

But maybe we should.

Author Peter Buffett thinks so.

He challenges the popular understanding of the term "success" in his book "Life is What You Make It."

And so I ask all of you, my loyal 3 readers, "How do you define success?"

("In twenty words or less" is how I would define a successful answer.)

The Manhattan Project Revisited

2012-01-05T07:45:00.000-06:00

Another observation from my trip to the Big Apple.

Starbucks is in world domination mode in Manhattan.

It is absolutely mind-boggling the market penetration that this company has achieved there. (And this is saying something. I'm very familiar with the Canada / Tim Hortons love affair.)

Everyone and their dog (don't ask!) walking around drinking the brown koolaid.

Who are all these people waiting in these LONG lines? Are they tourists? Are they New Yorkers? Are they regular Starbucks clients? Do they do this everyday?

Questions. No answers. But many questions.

Beats me, but of course I was reminded of my (largely failed) marketing ploy to lure in a portion of those Starbucks bucks for BECA last holiday season.

<p>&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;Okdsda;lkfj</p>

P.S. Okay, since you insist on asking, the dog('s owner) wanted water. (No space for cream necessary.)

The Manhattan Project

2011-12-29T17:52:00.001-06:00

It was my Mother's dream to visit the heart of New York City (aka Times Square) in the wintertime.

And she was looking for volunteers.

Mother and Son in front of some NYC Famous Tree, 12/11

"Okay. I'm in."

So off we went. And it went pretty good.

One thing that fascinated me was the incredible array of languages to be heard on the street.

I found myself checking out people before I asked them to take our picture. Screening for English speakers, no less.

That bombed out pretty good, but I did run into some Latin Americans. (No Nicaraguans.)

Anyway, when I was hearing these foreign tongues I couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be if one day some of our BECA students had the opportunity to come to New York City and hear it for themselves.

Not sure why this popped in my head.

Is it a pipe dream? Probably, but you know sometimes dreams do come true.

Right, Mom?

Oddities from a Gringo Shopping Mall

2011-12-23T07:27:00.001-06:00

"Dress Barn Man" . . . coming to a location near you soon.

What male suit buyer could refuse this offer?

Never did know what the top of Santa's head looked like. Until now.

The Asian Taxi Service stand is around the corner

This place should be reported to SPAWS
(Society for the Prevention of Abuse of the Word "Surprise")

Strike my last observation. Their competitor is next door.

Still seeking naming rights.

The Seredipitous Joy of a Personal Visit

2011-12-16T11:16:00.001-06:00

Not many people come here to visit me.

And I don't really blame them.

I mean, where would you rather find yourself? Walking barefoot on the pristine white beaches of Cayman Islands or . . . ummmm . . . navigating potholes in Nicaragua?

So I do understand.

Nevertheless, once in a while it happens. Somebody shows up here for their very first time. A virgin to this land.

And that is just what happened this past week.

The visitor was Mark -- or "Marco" -- as he quickly dubbed himself. A brother-in-law of a dear friend of mine. (The friend showed up too, but let's focus on the virgin for now.)


"Marco" and Becada Kelin García, Masaya, Nicaragua 12-7-11

It still isn't clear to me why Marco came in the first place. But that is besides the point. He came.

And his timing was perfect.

For me, that is.

I have been feeling a little weary. My friend -- the "other guy" on this visit -- noticed it.

2011 has been the most challenging year I have faced here with BECA since I started in Nicaragua three years ago. Things just didn't go the way I wanted. And I was feeling frustrated.

But then here comes Marco.

A bright-eyed capitalist, doubtlessly a maritime adventurer in a previous life, brimming with positive energy.

What a joy it was to watch as members of BECA here in Nicaragua like Urania Montoya, Edgar Castillo and Alba Guillen proudly shepherded him around to visit more than a dozen BECA program participants in three different municipalities.

Urania planning.
Edgar translating.
Alba guiding.
"El Gran Queso" Antonio supervising.
All the student hosts (and their families) engaging.

All of them delighted, thrilled and honored to "show-off" to their new gringo friend what they belong to and what they are about.

I couldn't help but beam.

And Marco went along for the ride, graciously and inquisitively.

All throughout I was reminded of why I do what I do. How fortunate I am to have the opportunity to do this stuff and how deeply blessed I am that all these kind Nicaraguans allow me into their lives so generously.

And to witness how they feel about BECA themselves. Isn't that the ultimate payoff?

Gracias, Marco.

Thanks to the gift of your visit all of my trials and tribulations of 2011 seem so inconsequential.

Photo album here

Investment not Charity

2011-12-07T12:52:00.001-06:00

I could really relate to a newspaper article that appeared in a Canadian periodical recently.

It begins like this,

Former governor-general Michaëlle Jean has a message for Canadians about Haiti: The country now needs investment, not charity.

and further down in the article quotes Ms Jean:

“Aid is good in a crisis situation. But once the crisis is over, you have to build on what’s sustainable.”

In what I can see here in Nicaragua, a similar paradigm is at play.

Although Nicaragua has long been heavily dependent upon foreign assistance, funnelled through thousands of non-profit organizations, I believe Ms.Jean is on the right track and it's time for a “profound change in the paradigm.”

I would add one little thing to her thesis. It's also time for Nicaraguan stakeholders, like local governments, well-off citizens, and prospering Nicaraguan industy -- yes, there is such a thing -- to step up to the plate and participate.

Handouts just don't work.

This becomes clearer and clearer to me each passing day, week and month here on the ground in Nicaragua.

What does this mean for BECA?

Beginning in 2012, it means putting a greater emphasis on pursuing local corporate participation.

After all, if Nicaraguan society refuses to recognize the value of what we are trying to do here, then . . . well . . . what the heck are we doing here?

Trial + Errors = Joy

2011-11-29T06:23:00.001-06:00

Note: This has been adapted from my letter in the BECA Newsletter, December 2011

As I've mentioned before, BECA has had its fair share of ups and downs in 2011.

Although frustrating at times, these bumps along the way really are to be expected.

How come?

I feel it is important to always keep trying new things. To experiment. To push the envelope.

This was my philosophy in business and I see no reason -- or am too stubborn -- to change now.

The benefit? Despite falling flat on your face on a regular basis, occasionally you stumble upon a jewel.

That happened this year with the BECA Brigade.


"Brigadista" Becada Yessica Lanuza from Estelí

The BECA Brigade mandates that each scholarship candidate spend three months volunteering full-time at a primary school as part of their qualification process.

At the beginning most of the students don't like the idea. Some hate it, and resist to the point of dropping out.

But the majority hang in there.

And after three years plugging along here in Nicaragua nothing -- NOTHING -- has given me greater joy than to personally witness the loving relationships that develop between our "Brigadistas" and their elementary school "clients."

(I encourage you to take a moment and check out some of the evidence.)

Although the main thrust of BECA remains to facilitate post-secondary educational opportunities, I am happy to report that BECA has made this kind of seredipitous and beautiful consequence possible.

A (very indirect) Blurb About Me

2011-11-19T05:07:00.001-06:00

Did someone every tell you that you could learn about a person by getting to know their siblings?

Kelly Klapstein

No?

Now you have.

Kelly Klapstein - my one and only sibling - recently wrote a little blurb about herself.

(Knowing Kelly, that "little blurb" probably took hours, but that's another story.)

Anyway, it's quite a refreshing blurb.

Very direct and provocative. Okay, not provocative.

Did you learn anything by reading the blurb?

About her brother, that is?

(Other than I love the word "blurb"?) hahahahahahaha

Congratulations to Canada Scrapbooker's guest designer for 2012.

I Have Seen the Devil

2011-11-18T05:28:00.001-06:00

Devils, actually.

And they are running rampant causing havoc all over the capital city of Costa Rica.

Fortunately, they can be easily identified.

They have two wheels.

And they wear . . . helmets (most of the time).

THEY ARE THE MOTORCYCLISTS HERE IN SAN JOSE!

I have commented before in this space on the abominable driving habits of Costa Ricans.

However a series of strict new road safety laws that came into effect last year seems to have worked wonders.

On the drivers of motor vehicles.

Not so with the "MotoTicos."

These two-wheeled maniacal monsters remain undeterred in their pleasure of making the roads of San José a most unpleasant driving experience.

I conclude that their taunting, incessant weaving in and out of traffic can only be the work of the devil.

I have been told that those heretofore-mentioned traffic laws also apply to the motorcycles.

It absolutely befuddles me why the "powers that be" not see it as their duty to apply the rules to all.

My response?

Sadly, Costa Rica goes back to bearing the "banana republic" label until such time that they straighten out this morass.

That would make President Laura Chinchilla Banana Republican numero uno. Are you listening Laura?

There are Two Economies in Nicaragua and Why it Matters

2011-11-11T05:59:00.001-06:00

¡¡ Warning: Dry development-oriented subject matter with no cute pictures ahead !!

The title of this blog entry refers to something I've encountered often in my three years working in Nicaragua.

In the subculture of development work in Nicaragua, there are actually two economies at play.

Logically, one is the indigenous, national economy. When Nicaraguans (or Nicaraguan institutions) transact, it goes without saying that they do so in the Nicaraguan economy.

Something else happens when an international-based entity -- be it a person or an organization -- is involved is involved in the transaction.

The economy miraculously transforms. Prices go up and supply goes down. Sometimes dramatically.

This shouldn't come as any real surprise. The Nicaraguan party to the transaction operates under the impression that the foreign-based body has access to more funds. It is logical, and, it is often true.

There can be repercussions however to small grassroots organizations like BECA.

BECA's work is about facilitating educational opportunities for ambitious, serious-minded Nicaraguans.

If BECA has to pay more, that means fewer opportunities for these people.

The reality is that consultants, merchants, and even educational institutions often prefer to negotiate with us in the "Gringo Economy."

Some might call these actors "greedy bastards." (Disclaimer: I've done that. Huge waste of emotional energy.)

Others might call them "good capitalists."

Irregardless, the "Gringo Economy" isn't leaving Nicaragua anytime soon.

Clearly, it is BECA's strong preference to transact in the Nicaraguan economy.

What is one to do? What is our response?

I'm not entirely sure I have the solution.

But I believe that one step is for me to move to the background and let the local people assume the public face of BECA here in Nicaragua. (And, with time, assume operations.)

It is an interesting situation and one of the reasons I continue to find great personal satisfaction in the work here.

The challenges are very different from running a business in, say, my native Canada, but they are challenges that fascinate, instruct and empower nonetheless.

Ticolandia

2011-11-04T16:32:00.000-06:00

I'm in Ticolandia for a couple of weeks. (Tico = Costa Rican)

Costa Rica is Nicaragua's neighbour to the south.

The Border River - El Rio San Juan

Neighbour only in the geographical sense, that is.

(I've written before of their disdain for one another.)

Celebrate the differences.

Amen to that.

Which brings me to THE QUESTION.

THE QUESTION that I am asked more often than any other when people learn I have spent time in both countries.

"Who do you like more, Ticos or Nicas?"

Strangely, the question IS NOT "Which country do you prefer?" or "Do you prefer living in Nicaragua or in Costa Rica?"

Oh no.

"Who do you like more, Ticos or Nicas?"

I do have a preference.

It's quite a strong preference.

Wanna know what it is?

Sure, no problem.

My preference is to NEVER OVER MY DEAD BODY ANSWER THE QUESTION EVEN IF THE POPE IS ASKING.

There you have it.

And if you are find yourself travelling in these parts I might so as much recommend to you a similar strategy.

I am an Addict

2011-10-28T18:24:00.000-06:00

It is time I came clean about something to all my loyal readers.

All three of you.

I am an addict.

Yep, I can't live without my daily fix.

Of Sudoku.

This presents serious problems when one is stranded -- okay, not stranded, but melodrama doesn't cost extra -- in a nation where Sudoku is difficult to come by.

Serious problems. But not insurmountable.

To all thee heroin addicts I can relate. We are a brotherhood of which there is no known cure.

Until now.

The Internet age brings me relief.

I present to you my twelve step program. Okay nine steps, and one hot tip. (Windows users only.)

1. Visit websudoku.com

2. Choose from your desired strength.

3. Activate your favorite screen capture program. I use the free, nifty (and vasectomy-friendly!) Windows Snipping Tool.

3. Using the Snipping tool, highlight the puzzle box.

4. Save to your computer.

5. Use this creative naming convention and save as type .JPG

6. Repeat using sequential numbering until your addiction forces you to curtail the activity. (My initial goal is always 100. Sadly, my addiction typically begs me to stop around the 50 mark.)

7. It's time to print your precious goodies! Right-click on each file and choose Print.

8. In the Print Pictures dialog box that ensues, make sure that the "Fit picture to frame" box is unchecked.

9. Print and repeat.

HOT TIP: Zip to recycle your files for printing again at a later date.

I Love It When I Hear These Three Things

2011-10-21T17:52:00.000-06:00

I'm not really sure when it happened.

Last year?

Five years ago?

Maybe it was 1986. (I doubt it though. I was a very late maturer. Ahem. I am.)

Anyway, I can't quite remember.

But this happened.

I began to appreciate and admire when people admitted their failings.

I realized this the other day when I was spending some time with a couple of BECA students here in Nicaragua.

One of them tried very hard to answer a question, and eventually made something up. They thought it better to take a wild stab at it than admit that they really didn't have the foggiest idea.

(His wrong answer almost led us into a lagoon, but that is another story.)

I suggested that sometimes it is better to say "I don't know."

Him and his buddy marvelled at the concept, like it was some kind of Einsteinian revelation.

The funny thing is that I'm positive I used to think that way too. And, like I say -- I don't know exactly when -- I changed my tune.

I find myself attracted to the people who unreservedly offer any of the following:

I was wrong.
I don't know.
I'm sorry.

[Honour roll: "You're right." "I have no idea." "I screwed up."]

In closing, allow me to turn the tables and make mention of one of my least favorite: "I am a humble person." Fodder for another blog, I suppose . . .

Picture of my Spanking New Blackberry . . .

2011-10-14T14:49:00.000-06:00

. . . pouch. [laughing hard]

Well, I find this funny.

My Main Man

2011-10-07T05:10:00.000-06:00

I've been grumbling quite a bit lately.

It's time to take a moment to appreciate some of the good things BECA has going for it. And it has many.

But one thing stands out from all the others. By a long way.

Antonio Rodriguez.

He's anointed Executive Director of BECA Nicaragua, but, more than that, he's my main man here in Nicaragua.

He's been with me for more than two years now doing everything from chopping grass with a machete alongside students to making strategic plans for our future.

Moreoever, the poor guy has to put up with listening to all my crazy ideas. Worse yet, he has to implement some of them. [jajajaja] (And there have been some doozies!)

And he always does so with such grace, with such aplomb. He never complains. He just gets the job done.

I tell people his hiring was a curse. Why?

I thought all future employees would be like him.

Antonio Rodriguez, with "Becados" Jhelem and Martha, Matagalpa, September 2011

The future of BECA Nicaragua is in great hands.

I Have Two Questions for You

2011-09-30T06:30:00.000-06:00

#1) Would you give this Nicaraguan girl a buck if she approached you?

"María", Matagalpa, Nicaragua (September 2011)*

#2) Would it change your mind if I told you she was actually asking for five cents? Should it?

*Permission granted to take photo.

Do You Believe in Tough Love?

2011-09-23T07:55:00.001-06:00

Wikipedia says that "tough love is an expression used when someone treats another person harshly or sternly with the intent to help them in the long run."

Do you believe in tough love?

It is something I've been thinking about quite a lot lately.

Quite a few of the young people in BECA have a lot of problems or "challenges" (for those of you who write me to say that "problem" is a negative word.)

We know that they have serious economic issues, but I didn't realize how many health issues, learning issues, and other family issues they also bring to the table.

At times, it's a little overwhelming.

What's BECA to do?

The tendency is to stick our nose in and try to help them sort everything out.

But . . . and here comes the hard part . . . we really can't.

It is a wonderful idea, a beautiful concept, a noble goal, and on and on, but it ain't realistic.

I've come to the conclusion that BECA's life expectancy as a sustainable organization is greater if it sticks to the knitting: giving an opportunity for serious-minded Nicaraguans to get a technical career.

Here's the cruel bottom line. BECA is not in the saving lives business.

More than anything, it means that if you can't attend school on a consistent and regular basis, then we can't help you. Period.

And believe you me, it isn't easy to watch.

Now, is that tough love?

You tell me.

I Deconstruct a Nicaraguan Parade

2011-09-16T09:39:00.000-06:00

September 15th is Independence Day in Nicaragua. They have a parade and every school is obligated to send a delegation.

I took it in. Here is what I was thinking . . .

Funny Names

2011-09-09T14:42:00.000-06:00

They give their children interesting names in Nicaragua.

Yeah sure Nicaragua has it's fair share of Josés, Juans, Anas, and the ubiquitous Marías. (Fun fact: 6% of BECA female students are "Marías.")

But then come the Adalias, Arelis, Arlens . . . the Elidas, Maximas, Kelins, Igdanias . . . the Jhelems, Lisllems, Kelins . . . the Lesbias, Seferinas, Tirsas, and Zenias.

And I'm just getting started.

As far as I can tell, parents have a refreshingly freewheeling attitude when it comes to naming their children, that's all.

During house visits, I've asked the parents where the names come from. The most typical response: "I heard it somewhere."

Most of the time I leave scratching my head, wondering . . .
     heard it on television?
     in the market?
     saw it in a newspaper?
     saw something like it in the bible?


Jorge and Family (August 2011)

Sometimes, I am not left to wonder.

Last week I asked BECA student Jorge's mother -- who is a single parent -- the same question about Jorge's sister.

The father chose her name.

Henike.

Is a Train Always Coming?

2011-09-04T14:29:00.002-06:00

I love many things about the Nicaraguan people I've met, but one seemingly insignificant detail of life here never ceases to impress me.

"Nicas" will almost never be the first to terminate a personal face-to-face conversation.

They wait for me to say "adios" and pull the plug. (And I usually indulge them.)

I am awed by this unselfish act of grace and respect I encounter on a daily basis.

It ain't so easy. Go and give it a try.

I challenge you to go 24 hours without being the first to end any of your one-on-one personal interactions.

Let me know how it works out for you.

My own experiment bombed. Mind you, I was up against the masters.

What's the hurry? Is a train always coming?

Shout out to My Scrapbooking Sister

2011-08-30T05:04:00.000-06:00

"Shout out" -- that's what they say these days, right? -- to Kelly.

She's a scrapbooker.

She does other stuff, too, but let's focus on the scrapbooking for a moment.

It seems she was just chosen to supply the Fall cover of Canadian Scrapbooker magazine.

Supposedly this is a prestigious publication in Scrapbooking circles.

¡Que bueno, Kelly!

Did you know?: Incredibly, Wikipedia says that "over 4 million women in the United States alone consider themselves to be scrapbookers."

What they fail to mention out is that 7 men are also involved in the activity. Kelly swears one of them is in Edmonton. I have yet to see evidence of this, but I will take her word for it.

Two Things BECA Can Learn from Steve Jobs

2011-08-28T10:55:00.000-06:00

Steve Jobs packed it in last Wednesday and the accolades in the print media -- sorry, me no watch TV -- keep pouring in. The New York Times, my primary source of Western news, has been particularly effusive.

And the guy is still alive. And still working at Apple in a leadership role. Pretty impressive stuff.

It got me thinking. What can BECA learn from this guy?

Two things jump out.

1) Perseverance. Jobs was unceremoniously forced out of Apple, the company he personally founded, 25 years ago. Ouch.

But he never, ever gave up.

In a 2005 Stanford commencement speech he noted, "Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith."

That brick showed up on BECA's doorstep in August. In a month in which both Coordinators BECA hired for the cities of Matagalpa and Estelí quit, it crossed my mind to pull the plug in those places and retreat to the friendly confines of Masaya, where we have enjoyed a wee bit of success.

But my main man here, Antonio Rodriguez, and I believe in what BECA is trying to do. So, Steve, we're going to stubbornly keep wombling along.

2) Systematic Innovation. I'm not exactly sure how he did it. Was it by surrounding himself with creative people? Or implementing facilitative work processes? Or something else? But he turned Apple into an innovation machine.

I believe that BECA can learn from this and try to adopt a mindset of permanent innovativeness. You know, constantly plumb our students for new ideas. Motivate our team to regularly give suggestions. Survey all of our stakeholders at every opportunity for feedback.

We're coming along.

I can tell you this with some confidence because we've had a lot of bombs.

Individual social projects.
Remedial Spanish classes.
Remedial math classes.
Weekend "Course One" screening classes.
Hiring our own teachers.

And now I can add another experiment-gone-bad to this list . . . young, professional university-educated employees.

(In all fairness, Jobs had his share of bombs too.)

However, it can only be through this succession of failures that we stumble upon the things that seem to click.

Thanks for paying attention and understanding that we aren't completely sitting still here in Nicaragua.

Meet Mr. Hard-ass

2011-08-21T13:40:00.000-06:00

One of the BECA Coordinators quit this week.The "official" reason submitted was that she found a better job. The "unofficial" reason: Walter is too difficult to work for. He's a hard-ass.

It's grapevine stuff, but I really can't deny it. The now ex-Coordinator is right. I am very demanding.

Here's the thing.

I make NO apologies for it.

BECA isn't about creating another ordinary middling do-gooder organization. I assure you that there are plenty of those to go around here in Nicaragua. (Not that there's anything wrong with that. To each their own.)

But I won't stand for it. Not for BECA.

Here's why.

I feel strongly that to achieve sustainability -- so BECA will keep going when I'm out of the picture -- we have to deliver good value to all of our "stakeholders" out there. We want you to keep supporting us. Fancy marketing doesn't provide that. Hollow promises doesn't provide that. Mediocre performance definitely doesn't. Only excellent results will make it happen.
We call our students "clients." And it's for good reason. BECA only exists to serve them. Many, many, many -- did I say many? -- have been dealt a crappy hand in life. They really deserve a break. Geez, I figure it's the least we can do. And over my dead body are they going to be served poorly. They've been there, done that.
I am a perfectionist. It just isn't in my DNA to do something halfway. It isn't going to happen, no matter how hard I try to adjust.

In the end, people who come to work at BECA have to know that we won't accept half-ass contributions. Only dedicated people need apply. People willing to do their very best. At all times.

Our first Nicaraguan hire is one. So I know they exist.

And I'll keep going until I find more.

Spoken like a bonafide hard-ass, huh? :)

The Luckiest Man in the World (Part 2)

2011-08-13T10:41:00.001-06:00

A dear friend of mine goes goofy on me when I attribute something in life to "luck."

"Luck is not in my vocabulary," he beams proudly.

Then go ahead and explain this one, bud. :)

Having a good father.

Walter Hunchak (ca. 2008)

I can't explain my good fortune any other way.

I didn't pick him. He was just there.

And was* he ever there. A decent, soft-spoken fellow. Always quietly supportive of me through all my trials and tribulations. (And there have been a few.) Never, ever judgmental.

What did I do to deserve him? Beats me.

This simple fact resonates loudly for me here in Nicaragua.

Why?

It is astounding how many of the students in BECA don't have a father.

Or a good father.

I have a father. And he's a great one.

That would be lucky squared, no?

*If you are wondering, Dad isn't doing so good these days. He is struggling with advanced dementia. Happily, he remains an active participant in my life by his wonderful examples I feebly attempt to live up to on a daily basis.

The Luckiest Man in the World

2011-08-06T17:16:00.001-06:00

Who's that? That would be me. Here are 30,000 words in support of my thesis.

"The Nanny Diaries" and IFOBTAO

2011-08-03T19:31:00.000-06:00

Actually the book was "You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again:The True Adventures of a Hollywood Nanny." Yeah, I read this kind of stuff once in a while.

As the title suggests, the book documents the adventures and ongoing thoughts of Suzy, a young, wide-eyed young woman who ventures off to Los Angeles and secures a job as a nanny for a super-uber-wealthy couple.

What could I have possibly gleaned from this journalistic gem?

Bear with me on this one. You see a good part of the book chronicles Suzy's complaints about how incredibly cheap the power couple are, despite their billionaire status. Stingy. Close-fisted. Penny-pinching. You'll find all of the above in Suzy's rants about her former employers.

Ultimately, I came to the following realization. I could relate.

But NOT to Suzy.

To the power couple!

Now, this couple very well might be super-uber-stingy, but there is an alternative explanation for their miserly behaviour. They could, like me, suffer from IFOBTAO [ahy-fohb-tou].

Huh? IFOBTAO.

Yep. Irrational Fear Of Being Taken Advantage Of.

In Nicaragua, it is always in the back of my mind.

When I'm negotiating a contract.
When I'm buying a coffee.
When I'm hailing a cab.

All the time.

I acknowledge that I have more resources than the typical Nicaraguan. Mucho more.

But people who deal with me in Nicaragua here think I'm a super-uber-cheapskate.

Listen up, all my Nica friends and associates, I'm not that cheap.

But I do suffer from IFOBTAO.

And I'm really not sure if there is a cure.

Ruben Dario Avenue

2011-07-24T18:53:00.002-06:00

Imagine my surprise on my recent trip to Gringolandia.

There I was driving in Miami and eyeballing my suggested route on the GPS computer. (Are they called GPS computers? Never mind . . . )

So I look up, see the red light, and hit the brakes. (HOT TIP: The GPS computer will not say, "Recalculating. Stop at the red light!")


(Almost) Zipping Through Ruben Dario Avenue, Miami

And what street name do I see? Nothing other than Ruben Darío* Avenue. Cute reminder of my adopted home. So nice to see homage of him here. One of those little random things that makes life special.

Of course after the incident I couldn't help but ask myself, "What does this mean? What does this mean?" jajajajajaja

*Ruben Dario was a Nicaraguan poet, infamous in Latin America.

Remember When Flying Was Fun?

2011-07-21T06:23:00.000-06:00

Flying used to be a lot of fun. Not any more.

What happened? I have a theory.(And, no, I don't believe the culprit is increased airport security.)

Flying has become a commodity. A boring, listless homogenizing commodity.

At every opportunity the airlines have been mindlessly racing to remove any and all frills, perks and conveniences from the experience.

It all started twenty years ago when smoking was banned. Pillows, "real" first class, blankets, free food, free movies are all now pretty much dinosaurs. And the glamorous stewardess? [sigh] The T-Rex of them all.

Why? Beats me. Some kind of herd mentality into a creative abyss.

Oh yeah, and one more thing. Isn't it about time they removed all those "No Smoking" messages wallpapering aircraft interiors?

It's been 23 years, people. Can we put a smiley face there instead?

Eating Mosquito

2011-07-18T07:46:00.001-06:00

Excerpt from Actual Conversation circa 30 June 2011, Masaya, Nicaragua (Eng.Translation):

"Where are you going for your vacation?"
"Edmonton, Canada."
"Do you have mosquitoes over there?"
"Yep."
"Are they as bad as here?"
"Nope. Nothing like here."

Excerpt from Future Conversation (anticipated) 25 July 2011, Masaya, Nicaragua (Eng.Translation):

"How do you say 'Eating Crow' in Spanish?"

Never Say Never

2011-07-13T16:13:00.002-06:00

Just to build on that Justin Bieber theme from my last blog a little bit, I think his song "Never Say Never" would make a wonderful theme song for BECA.

Why?

It often amazes me what BECA students in Nicaragua achieve in the face of incredible adversity.

Some spend hours on their daily commute -- walking, waiting, and busing -- to and from school.

Others can't count on their family for moral support.

Still others seem to manage with woeful diets.

A few even continue to hold down tough manual labor jobs while studying full-time.

And I don't hear them complain very often. Their wide smiles never telegraph their realities.

Did I just say that?

Oh well. Allow me a sentimental exception. Bravo, becados of BECA.org. May my admiration for you NEVER weaken.

I Know, I Know . . . (Air Canada and Justin Bieber)

2011-07-07T19:48:00.000-06:00

The trip back to Edmonton from Nicaragua is a long one. There are no direct flights and it takes a day, more or less.

Basically, there are two travel options from Nicaragua. Air Canada and Continental.

Air Canada delivers me via Costa Rica and Toronto. Continental only makes one stop: Houston.

The "via Houston" route is MUCH faster. I still MUCH prefer Air Canada.

Two reasons.

1) U.S. Customs. They are a real pain. I know, I know . . . they have a job to do. But it befuddles me to no end why they have to ask me all these questions when ALL I'M DOING IN HOUSTON IS CHANGING PLANES. Grrrrr.

I'm sure there is a good reason for it. There usually is. But it still bugs me.

2) Air Canada Seat Console Entertainment systems. Air Canada has this video thing on the back of the seats on the aircraft with a surprisingly wide selection of TV shows, movies, music videos, news programs, documentaries (even HBO!).

I know, I know . . . all the major air carriers have them, but they all want me to stick my credit card through this narrow channel in the back of the seat in front of me. Huh? Nope. I don't think that is going to happen.

Conversely, the Air Canada video system is free! Well, I guess what I should say is that there is no extra cost. Yippee!

And this brings me to Justin Bieber.

I heard about this guy before. Some kind of cute young kid turned social media pop star. I heard he was from Canada and how he somehow tweeted his way to fame.

Anyway, it turns out that one of the movies on my recent Air Canada flight was called "Never Say Never" starring this Justin Bieber character.

It was a largely fluffy 95 minutes of self-promotion.

Nevertheless, I thought the movie was absolutely great. Hey, I felt really good inside after watching it.

I really loved it. (For those that know me, it warrants an 8.75 out of 10.)

I know, I know . . . HAVE I LOST MY MIND?

Maybe, but the kid is talented. And I'm standing up for him.

3 Weeks of ________ ?

2011-07-05T10:51:00.000-06:00

I'm taking a three week break. (I'm going to Gringolandia for a week followed by two weeks in my hometown of Edmonton.)

I've taken breaks before but there is a difference this time.

Usually when I take a break I continue micro-managing BECA.org from a distance. This time I've told myself -- and I've told the BECA team in Nicaragua -- that they're on their own for three weeks.

You see, we have some very smart people working for BECA in Nicaragua.

It's a good opportunity to step back a little bit and let them show me, and themselves, what they are capable of.

After all, the master plan is to leave BECA in the hands of Nicaraguans.

It's where BECA Nicaragua ultimately belongs.

Frampton Comes . . . Alive?

2011-06-27T23:43:00.000-06:00

Since when does Peter Frampton looks like this? The Peter Frampton? When did this happen?

Ugh. Be right back. Gotta go consult a mirror I know.

Pulling My Hair Out

2011-06-24T19:51:00.000-06:00

I have had some challenges on this "adventure."

Nothing too, too serious.

I have come to believe that the "tranquilo" approach to life in Nicaragua often tranquilizes what otherwise might have been an aggressive reaction on my part.

Tough to get too worked up about a lousy website programmer when some of the people around you don't have enough money to buy medicine for their sick kid.

Nicaragua, I think it's fair to say, has mellowed me.

Case in point. I was going to write about how maddening and frustrating it has been to get the BECA team here in Nicaragua to understand the importance of being well-organized.

[Aside: It's always been my experience that effective, successful companies are super well-organized -- organizationally and on an individual "key actor" level -- and I see no reason to believe that the non-profit sector should be any different.]

But you know, as I started to write, I realized that I'm not that bothered about the whole thing.

And instead of pulling my hair out, you ask?

I went and got a haircut.

Why I Do What I Do

2011-06-17T20:51:00.002-06:00

I'm asked THE question on a regular basis:

"Why are you doing this?" or it's more subtle (but no less pointed) cousin "Don't you miss Canada?"

I thought I'd 'fess up in this blog. That way, the next time someone asks -- usually happens a couple of times a month -- I'll be ready with the link to this blog and he or she can go read the answer for themselves.

Beats the heck out of squirming and fidgeting like I usually do.

Anyway, the answer is a personal one and it goes something like this.

!!Boring Sappy Blog ALERT!! !!Boring Sappy blog ALERT!!

10 years ago I lost everything I had. There was this little problem with the stock market. I bet big and, as it turns out, I bet wrong. The (now ex) wife following the same trajectory shortly thereafter.

It was 2001 and it was my own personal version of 9/11.

I was about to turn 40 and I found myself back in my old room in my parents' home

without a job,
seriously indebted to financial institutions, and,
alone.

Thanks to a dear friend, I landed a job in a cubicle in a software company punching a keyboard that paid the minimum wage.

So, at 40, a

cubicle job,
seriously indebted to financial institutions, and,
still alone and sleeping in my old room in my parents' home.

It was a big, big mess.

I decided to make myself a pledge. I promised myself that if I ever got myself out of that mess financially, I would

. . . drum roll please . . .

give it away somehow (Thinking to myself at the time, "Yeah right, you hero, so easy to make these gutsy promises from such a deep hole.")

I then made the mistake of telling someone about my pledge. In this way, I couldn't turn my back on my pledge if it ever materialized. ("Yeah, right" I repeated to myself.)

So as it turns out I hatched some fluky Internet marketing scheme and I did make that very unlikely comeback.

And being that stubborn man of my word, here I am.

In Nicaragua. Living up to my pledge.

Epilogue. As I read these words back I realize one little thing about my answer to THE question.

In 2001 I didn't lose everything I had.

Nope.

I gained everything.

And now you know why I do what I do.

Is There a Better Way to Sell a Bed?

2011-06-11T12:37:00.001-06:00

In my continuing series of beautiful curiosities from Nicaragua, I present to you "selling a bed, Nicaraguan style"

Masaya Street Corner, May 2010

The sign says something like "The day was made to dance, the night was made to rest."

Not sure how many beds were sold.

Very sure that not many speeding tickets were issued that day.

Musings on Giving People the Boot

2011-06-04T17:54:00.004-06:00

I thought that might get your attention. Now to our regularly-scheduled programming . . .

BECA does a monthly newsletter. Actually two of them. One in English. Another in Spanish.

Occasionally I attempt to write something more on the serious side.

That was the case in the June edition.

The BECA newsletter doesn't reach too many people -- direct to SPAM anyone? -- so I thought I'd reprint my "Dear Loyal Supporter" note here.

June 2011 Update

Dear (Your Name Goes Here),
May was tough.

We were faced with some difficult decisions.

What to do when a scholarship recipient consistently refuses to live up to their obligations with the BECA program?

The way I see it -- and saw it -- there are a few options.

One is to do nothing and accept that in any program some people will refuse to follow the rules.

Another is to continue to try to change their behaviour through a combination of incentives and penalties.

A third way is expulsion.

I really don't think BECA asks for a lot. We want our students to write 4 blogs a month, attend 6 meetings a year, and send in a monthly report. (All students receive payments to cover these expenses.)

The other side of the coin is that for some (many?) of these people, their lives are incredibly complicated and challenging. Understandably, their BECA tasks are low on their priority totem poles.

But also at stake is the credibility of the BECA program. What kind of message are we sending if we tolerate, and ultimately accept, non-compliant behaviour?

Ultimately, I "approved" the recommendation of the Masaya Coordinator to expel six students.

I'm not happy about it, but I thought you should know about it.

Sincerely,
Walter Hunchak
Founder, BECA.org

Elvis is Alive and Working in . . .

2011-05-29T06:15:00.001-06:00

. . . Masaya, Nicaragua.

I'm talking about BECA's very own Elvis Flores.

Elvis was one of our first "original seven" graduates. He studied tourism.

Quite frankly, I didn't think his chances were too great of holding down a job, or for that matter, even getting one.

In fact, now that I think about it, we weren't even going to accept Elvis into the program.His marks in school were average at best and he often seemed distracted. The career plan he submitted was sloppy.

Someone convinced me to let him have a shot.

Elvis Flores - Hotel Campo Real, Nicaragua (May 2011)

I was wrong about Elvis.

After graduation, Elvis was the first to go out and get a job. Yep, the first.

And, he's still there. That would be about 8 months now.

I paid him a visit on Friday, and in my own goofy way tried to let him know how grateful I am. Why grateful?

I learned a very important lesson through my experience with Elvis.

Simply that everyone deserves a shot. Muchas gracias, Elvis.

BECA is a better program because of you.

And Those that Blog Shall One Day Rule the World

2011-05-21T17:14:00.001-06:00

Good news.

Two months ago I mentioned in this space that Masaya has quite few buildings in sorry states of disrepair.

Buildings that I refuse to go near. In all.I thought there might be a dozen or so of these monstrosities in Masaya. I posted a picture of one right around the corner from where I live.

Hey, somebody is listening. They -- whoever they are -- yellow-taped the perimeter this morning and the mumbo jumbo on the street says it has been scheduled to be demolished.

Even La Prensa (the most popular national newspaper of Nicaragua) picked up the story (spanish).

It turns out the building was severely damaged in the Earthquake of 2000. Let's hope the demolition doesn't take another 11 years.

But, hey, that is their way. Nicaraguans take their time doing things around here. It's not a bad thing, just different. It's not a bad thing, just different. It's not a bad thing, just different. (repeat 20 times) :)

I Don't Know Who Told Me

2011-05-13T14:34:00.000-06:00

. . . but I want to kiss them.

I'm talking about the person who recommended noise-cancelling headphones to me.

Here's why.

My Nicaragua is noisy.

Chickens clucking. Dogs barking. Humans yelling. Cars honking. Cats fighting on the roof. Roosters crowing. Ghetto blasters blasting.

Roosters crowing some more.

And I live in a city (Masaya).

I do appreciate the spirit of the place, I really do, but sometimes the noise never seems to end.

And then God created noise-cancelling headphones.

A month ago I had absolutely no idea they even existed. And, I was dubious.

"Yeah, right. Money-cancelling headphones."

They work. THEY REALLY REALLY WORK. Oh my Lord, what a Godsend. (All biblical references 100% justified!)

Now if I could only remember who gave me the idea in the first place.

Amnesia-cancelling headphones anyone?

The Tiger Woods of the Nonprofit World?

2011-05-08T19:36:00.001-06:00

Greg Mortenson is under fire for allegedly fabricating bits of his bestseller "Three Cups of Tea."

The book documents the author's journey from a mountain-climbing expedition to the creation of an organization dedicated to building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Word is that he was even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Last month, the populist U.S. television program "60 Minutes" went after him in a television expose. Ditto for former Mortenson supporter Jon Krakauer in a meticulous online dissection.

"Three Cups of Tea" has been an inspiration to many in the nonprofit universe.

Including me.

I remember reading the book. And I distinctly remember thinking that some of the stories he spun seemed a little over the top.

But . . . so what?

In my three or so years in this nonprofit world, I see it all the time. And I mean ALL the time.

And, frankly, it's understandable.

Who in their right mind wants to admit that their charity isn't working so great?
Who wants to admit that their development work sucks from time to time?
Who doesn't want to paint a pretty picture for potential donors?

Dear reader, it goes with the territory in this sector.

And I catch myself doing it too. Not too often, but I do it. Hey, it's really hard not to!

So I say, let's give this Mortenson guy a break.

And I say to Jon Krakauer, "Greg Mortenson is no Tiger Woods."

And to you, Mr. Mortenson: Thank you for inspiring me. You are one of the reasons I am bumbling along down here in Nicaragua. And I am very grateful.

My Favorite Time of The Year

2011-04-23T09:59:00.000-06:00

March and April in Masaya can be unbearably hot.

Nevertheless, they are my favorite months of the year here. Here's why:

Yep, it's a mango. And better yet . . . it's a mango from my neighbor's tree that decided to drop in my garden and pay me a visit.

This particular variety -- the locals call it a "Rosa" -- is absolutely divine. (I swear when God was coming up with ideas for fruits, the blessed mango was His master stroke of genius.)

Sadly, they only show up in late March and April.

But I'm a gracious host. Take a look at this backyard bonanza:

Next week I'm going to Edmonton to visit family.

What was I thinking planning a trip away from this backyard paradise at this time of year???

The Hatfields and McCoys - Central American Style

2011-04-17T09:09:00.000-06:00

The Hatfields are the "Ticos." The McCoys are the "Nicas."

You can probably figure out who the Nicas are. "Nica" is the nickname for Nicaraguans. A "Tico" is a Costa Rican.

They are neighboring countries. And they really don't like each other that much.

At all.

Case in point. There has been an ongoing dispute between the two countries about a parcel of swamp land. Each government thought -- and today still thinks -- that this parcel of swamp land is rightfully theirs.

So off they went the Ticos and the Nicas to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands for a resolution.

The Court pretty much told them to sit down and figure it out themselves. So last week they planned a meeting on the border.

And I really mean ON THE BORDER.

Incredulously, each delegation placed their table of delegates on their respective side of the border between the two countries. Talk about warming up for some friendly neighborly banter, huh?

The mediator from Guatemala -- pity the guy -- suggested all parties reconvene . . . in another country!

Fun with Fotos*

2011-04-10T17:56:00.000-06:00

Have any of you seen this photo manipulation website?

It's a riot.

I'm having lotsa fun playing with the photos of our students (and BECA staff members).

They think I'm some kind of photoshop genius. Little do they know it's as simple as mango pie (not many apples around here).


Antonio Rodriguez - Coordinator BECA, Masaya

*Yeah I know it should be spelled "photos." But I ask you . . . why?

Tranquilo

2011-04-02T13:17:00.000-06:00

"Tranquilo."

I hear this quite a bit here in Nicaragua. Most of you can guess what it means. It's kind of a polite "take it easy" or "relax."

I've mentioned before in my blog that the pace of life is much slower here.

People take their time to do things. Actually they take their sweet time to do things. (This applies to companies and institutions, too.)

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Most of the time.

But there are exceptions.

Case in point. This building in Masaya has been on the point of collapse EVER SINCE I GOT HERE. That's like almost three years. People walk under it each and every day.

Tranquilo? No thanks. This time, I'll walk on the other side.

Official Mascot of BECA

2011-03-28T08:58:00.001-06:00

No, no, a dog is definitely not the official mascot of BECA.

But one should be.

Why? Sheer numbers.

Here in Masaya stray dogs are everywhere. On my 30 minute morning walk, I encounter about 20 dogs sleeping on the streets. They are all terribly skinny. Fortunately, they never bother me.

It takes getting used to. And, sadly, I am used to it. BARK.org anyone?

Doritos Anyone? Central Park, Masaya (2010)

Why are these "Chicas" Smiling?

2011-03-19T09:46:00.000-06:00

We take many things for granted in Canada (and the United States).

One of those things is a bank account. For example, I believe my nephew and nieces all got their first bank account before the age of 10. It may even have been sooner.


Maryuris Ruiz, Melida (BECA.org), Esther Carballo

Sadly, that is not the case here in Nicaragua (and I'm told in other parts of Latin America). For one thing, to open an account one is required to maintain a minimum balance. This is in the neighbourhood of $50.00. Way beyond the reach of people who live day to day, let alone month to month.

As a result, a great many people reside permanently outside of the formal economy. Generally speaking, It is the formal economy that pays higher wages and offers benefits.

Of 45 active students currently studying technical careers in BECA.org 44 don't have bank accounts. We are talking about people with an average age of 21.4 years. This is simply staggering to me.

After much finagling and back-and-forth, I'm happy to report that a Nicaraguan bank - BAC - has finally granted our request to offer bank accounts to our students.

Needless to say, I am very pleased and feel this is an important step forward for us here in Nicaragua. The Coordinator of BECA.org in Masaya -- Antonio Rodriguez -- deserves all the credit for his perserverance. Good job, Antonio.

Coming Soon to Nicaragua

2011-03-11T15:42:00.000-06:00

water

No one knows how much yet. If any.

But still creepy.

How do you Spell Relief?

2011-03-06T10:28:00.000-06:00

I'll tell you how I spell it.

"M-E-L-I-D-A"

Allow me to explain.

I hate to admit it, but I'm getting a little tired. And I need a little more help. After a three month trial, I've decided to promote Nicaraguan Melida Madrigal -- who was training to be a Coordinator -- as Assistant Director.

I've got my fingers crossed that she has what it takes to take over as Director after a while. She's bright, she speaks decent English, has studied in Gringolandia, and seems to be passionate about what we are doing here.

I think it's time these people started to take over, dontcha think?

Grandpa Squared

2011-02-27T15:32:00.000-06:00

Waltercita is a machine!

I'm referring of course to my gorgeous hen. Eight more chicks born last weekend.

Unfortunately two of them have since died, still leaving six healthy grandchildren scampering through my garden.

Why did two chicks perish? The neighbour's rooster attacked and killed one of the cuties.

And the other? [gulp] I have been told that I am responsible.

You see, the poor thing was struggling to get out of its egg. I thought I would do the honorable thing and help it along.

Error.

Lesson learned. Mess with Mother Nature at your own peril.

Waltercita - Not looking too thrilled with me after I offered one of her kids a helping hand.

Nicaraguan Quicksand

2011-02-20T09:18:00.001-06:00

"I'm looking for a piggy bank."

"A what?" retorted the Nicaraguan market vendor.

"A piggy bank." I didn't think the literal translation ("Banco de Cerdo") would serve me well, but I gave it a shot.

"Listen," I continued, "I'm looking for a plastic or porcelain container that kids use to save coins. It is often in the form of a pig."

"Why?" he replied.

"I want one for my desk. I find coins on the street and I want to put them in a piggy bank."

"No," he countered, "Why is it in the shape of a pig?"

Geez, good question. I made a mental note to look into it when I got back to my computer.

"I have no idea why it is in the shape of a pig. If you don't have any, can you point me in the right direction?"

The gruff, unshaven man, with a super-long-stringy moustache and piercing deep brown beady eyes gave me a puzzled look and pointed haphazardly to his right.

Ugggghhh. "What I mean is . . . can you tell me exactly where I might find a piggy bank? Can you be more explicit?"

"Well you said 'point'," he shot back defiantly.

"I know, I know, but it a manner of speech."

I was in Spanish quicksand and sinking fast. It is a place I have come to know very well. Call it my home away from home.

His puzzled expression had no signs of abating.

"Never mind. Next time I'll come with a picture. Gracias." (to be continued)

Macho, Macho Man

2011-02-14T05:28:00.000-06:00

His name is Manuel and he is my handyman.

When I need something fixed up, something painted, something repaired, something unplugged, or something rewired, Manuel is my man.

He's a tough, working-class, beer-swillin', lady-lovin' macho Nicaraguan guy.

AND, he is the absolute last person on earth that I would expect to see . . . at a Friday evening POETRY reading here in Masaya.

But, amazingly that is where I saw him, and that is where he was.

I sauntered up for a closer look to confirm that the person I spotted was the person I thought it might be.

He notices me. "BOXER!" (I say "Walter", he hears "Boxer", so depressing, but I'll save that for another blog.)

"What are you doing here, Manuel, is there an open bar? Is Toña* sponsoring? Ladies' night?"

"No" came the upbeat reply.

"I came to a reading last Friday. And it was beautiful."

"Oh," suddenly feeling incredibly narrow-minded for the "open bar" joke.

Nicaragua continues to surprise me. There is a genuine fondness for the arts here unlike I've seen elsewhere. Amongst all.

My beloved handyman probably eats quiche, too.

*Toña is the name of a national beer.

Time Wasters

2011-02-05T10:54:00.000-06:00

One encounters timewasters running a non-profit.

And then one encounters real time wasters running a non-profit.

And then one encounters Twitter.

Experts told us that BECA should be taking full advantage of social networking. "It's how the new generation of non-profits network."

Well, I drank the koolaid.

And after a six month Twitter trial all I can tell you is that it tastes like crap.

I can't for the life of me figure out any utility here. At least not for a start-up non-profit like us.

RIP Twitter. I'm going to really enjoy removing that blue bird from our website.

It's Not What You Know but . . .

2011-01-31T13:57:00.000-06:00

I was taught early in my "business" career the importance of having good professional help.

"Never skimp on professional fees," I was told. "An excellent lawyer and/or accountant is worth his or her weight in gold" said another. Blah, blah, blah . . .

Who is this Man?* (answer below)

It isn't so easy to put into practice. Who in their right mind feels good about forking over $400 or $500 bucks . . . AN HOUR???

I learned to pay it and usually -- not always, but most of the time -- the advice I received paid dividends.

Back to present day Nicaragua.

What a nightmare.

BECA is now moving on to lawyer #6.I can't for the life of me find a decent, dependable lawyer here in Nicaragua.

This leads me to the premise of this blog.

I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY *#$&#(&$#!

It's one of the challenges I face working on BECA.

Back home, you pick up the phone. You phone a friend or family member. Someone whose opinion you trust. You get a reference. Boom, you're in business.

I can't do that here. There is no one to phone.

I'll tell you one thing. It makes me appreciate like CRAZY what our ancestors went through when they immigrated at the turn of the century.

Cripes they couldn't even speak the language.

Hmmm.

I guess that kinda applies to me too.

*About that picture. Do a Google image search for "lawyer nightmare." He's a lawyer whose pic comes up right near the top. Poor unsuspecting guy probably wrote an article at some point on some kind of complicated legal case he had. Too funny!

He Shoots, He Scores (High in Poverty)

2011-01-27T04:46:00.000-06:00

I've talked about this poverty thing before.

To me it remains a four letter word. But no matter how much I dislike it, the concept remains very relevant for the work we try to do here in Nicaragua.

Here's an example.

BECA is about giving opportunities Nicaraguan high school grads. But not all of them. We want to lend a hand only to those that want to go to school, but can't afford it.

That's the easy part.

The hard part is . . . how can you tell how poor someone is?

Here is what we used to do. Go visit the scholarship applicant at home, eyeball the situation, and make a subjective call. "Yeah, this looks like a pretty rough situation. Juan deserves a shot."

I remember arguing with one of my Latin American workmates. I saw a newspaper in a house we were visiting. BINGO! That was enough for me. "This family doesn't need any scholarships . . they can afford to buy the newspaper!"

Not very scientific, and, ultimately, unacceptable.

So this year we are trying out something new. A score card. You can check out the English version here (pdf).

Last weekend we visited 21 families. And we kept score. The initial results were encouraging. Well, not encouraging of course . . . but, you know, I think this scorecard concept has potential.

Now the question is . . .

What to do with all these numbers?

[sigh]

Why are We Staring?

2011-01-22T11:52:00.000-06:00

Why are we staring all day at our computer?

Is it because we’re working?

or

Is it because we’re trying to figure out what to work on?

They’re not the same thing.

Hat tip: Sasha Dichter's Blog

The (non)Giving Season

2011-01-15T11:44:00.000-06:00

If you are wondering how the donation season went around here at BECA.org, don't ask.

It sucked.

Donations were down at least 50% from holiday season 2009.

The conventional wisdom in the U.S. non-profit universe is that 90% of your donations come in the last two weeks in December. I guess it's a tax deduction thing.

Anyway, if that really is the case, then we are in for a very long year. [gulp]

Not sure why the December fundraising went so poorly.

I thought we had all our bases covered.

We produced a nifty video campaign.

We reached out to all our newsletter subcribers.

We reached out to our previous sponsors.

We bugged our Facebook fans.

I phoned my Mom. (No panic there, she stepped up. Always does.) :)

Maybe we'll send out a poll to find out why people weren't interested in chipping in.

It could be that the peer-to-peer sponsorship model doesn't have any legs and is not sustainable in the longer term. This is a possibility.

Nevertheless, none of this is in the least bit disheartening to me personally. The program here in Nicaragua is going good and we still plan to expand to two more cities.

If it means changing gears and eventually coming up with a different sustainable funding mechanism, so be it.

Rest assured. There is no way in the world I'm giving up that easy.

Besides, I'm having way too much fun.

For those of you who did chip in, thanks a lot. Thanks for believing in what we are doing. Every buck or two really goes a long way here.

Playing Favorites

2010-12-31T10:22:00.000-06:00

Once in a while I'm asked if I have a "favorite" student in BECA.

Tough question.

Being the Martian that I am, it is really hard to break through that language (and cultural) barrier and really get to know what someone is like here in Nicaragua. I mean what he or she is really like. Neither do I think it is appropriate behaviour to get "too close."

Nevertheless, I can't help but be impressed by several students in our program..

If BECA ever gave an award for "Student of the Year," it would probably be Esther Carballo. Not only does Esther excel academically -- all marks consistently in the 90s -- but she is always there whenever we have activities. In fact, I don't think Esther has missed one community project all year.

Bottom line, Esther always shows up.

Therefore it really didn't come as a huge surprise when I paid her a house visit earlier this year. A picture on the wall got my attention.

She went to the trouble of framing a picture of two of her BECA sponsors, Kay and Henry.

Esther Carballo 10/16/2010

Need I say more? I won't say she's my favorite. But she's of one of the students I really admire.

I'm a Martian

2010-12-22T17:05:00.000-06:00

How do I get along with the Nicaraguan students?

Well, let's see here.

Most are more than half my age. Given my pathetic Spanish, it's fair to say that they speak a different language. Let's not even talk about customs and cultural stuff.

All in all, I'm pretty much a Martian to them.

The last few months, I've spent quite a bit of time with some of them.

Why? Well, many are crazy about learning English and one group of four tourism students asked if I could help them out a bit.

When other students got wind of it, they also wanted to receive classes. Kinda tough to say no after you've gone along with the idea for others.

Before I knew it, I was giving 2 hour sessions, 4 times a week to about 18 students from various careers.

(Aside: I still am not fussy about this obsession they have with English. I don't know, it just kind of smacks of some form of imperialism. Nevertheless, that is fodder for another blog . . . )

This English gig occupies a lot of time. Probably way more time than I expected to dedicate to the endeavour when I started. (A teacher prepare? Have teachers always been doing that?)

Back to the original question. I think we get along pretty good and they write some nice things in their blogs about me.

But hold on, not so fast! Don't forget that Nicaraguans are incredibly polite.

And I don't think they'd ever tell this Martian otherwise.

The "P" Word

2010-12-18T12:17:00.000-06:00

The "P" word.

From what I can see, the "P" word is the impetus for a decent majority of the social projects in Nicaragua.

People come to Nicaragua from all over the world to fight it, to reduce it, to combat it, and some come to wipe out the "P" word altogether.

I'm talking about "P" as in Poverty.

We know that "poverty" sucks, but tell me . . . does anybody know exactly what it is?

A search in Google for "What is Poverty?" turns up over half a million results. Half a million! I can't even begin to imagine the resources of human capital dedicated over the years to defining the "P" word.

I used to spend time trying to figure it out. I figured that because the mission of BECA was "Combat Poverty with Education" then we better know what the heck it is.


BECA Students on a Dengue Prevention Campaign May 2010

I confess. After three years, I'm still trying to figure it out.

I am the founder of a non-profit organization dedicated to combating the "P" word in Nicaragua, but I can't tell you what it is. Huh? What's up with that?

Well, let's turn this around a little bit. I think I can tell you what the "P" word isn't.

It isn't very positive.
It isn't very pretty.
It isn't very pleasant.
AND . . . it definitely isn't very uplifting.

That much most of us can agree on.

So, I ask you, what is it doing front and center in BECA's mission statement?

BECA is all about giving opportunites. It is about giving people a break that they deserve. It is about opening doors.

I'm really sick and tired of the "P" word. And I absolutely CRINGE when I hear BECA students use it. (Does anyone else hear a voice crying out "I live in poverty, help me"?)

Time for an executive decision. It's time for the "P" word to hit the road. That means that over time, all references to the "P" word on the BECA website and in BECA communications will be removed.

No better place to start than with that BECA mission statement.

" The BECA mission is to create an educational opportunity for every Nicaraguan high school grad who is serious about continuing their schooling."

R(not)IP, "P" word.

How I Use My Kindle to Read Books

2010-12-11T11:59:00.000-06:00

Last year, my friends, Suzanne and Brock, sent me a kindle.

To someone living and working remotely - by that I mean far from any English language bookstore - it has been an absolute godsend!

Not my hand!

I have a system when I read a scholarly book; that is, a book from which I want to take notes to refer to later.

Let me share this with you. Easy as 1-2-3.

1) While you read, highlight the important bits. Instructions from the Amazon website:

To highlight one or more lines:
Use the 5-way to position the cursor where you want to start highlighting.
Press the 5-way to anchor the cursor.
Move the 5-way to select the desired text. Use Next Page or Prev Pages to highlight text across multiple pages.
Press the 5-way at the place where you want the highlight to end.

2) After you are done reading and highlighting, turn the Kindle wireless on for 15 minutes. This will enable your highlighted passages to be automatically downloaded to your Kindle account online.

3) Go to your Kindle account online and sign in. A page like the one below should appear. Click on "Your Highlights."

4) Using your mouse, highlight the passages from the book in question. Right click on a highlighted bit and choose "copy."

5) Paste the contents in your favorite word processor and delete the unnecessary gobbledygook. Geeks can use macros to speed this part up, however I kind of like manually reviewing my highlights and deleting superfluous passages at the same time.

6) Optional for tree huggers. Print out the saved document. With excellent books, I make a note in my calendar to review my "summaries" once a month or so.

That's all there is to it. Did I say "easy as 1-2-3"? Oops.

Meet the Cluckers

2010-11-26T12:31:00.000-06:00

I swear. I really swear.

This will be my last post on chickens.

The thing is that I promised my loyal reader(s) in a previous blog post an update.

So, without further ado, may I present to you the Waltercita brood of 4 baby black chickens and 4 baby yellow chickens. I'm not sure if that means there are two fathers, but I absolutely refuse to judge her.

The Joys of the Simple Life

2010-11-22T06:26:00.000-06:00

Never did I think I would get so much pleasure out of a chicken. (No smirking, please.)

But I'm not sure what to do now. Waltercita ain't moving. Don't you think those cute little guys might be hungry?

And how many more to come? We started this journey with eight eggs.

I know, I know . . . there is always wikipedia. But, part of the fun is learning as you go.

I'm Gonna Have Grandchildren!

2010-11-20T10:17:00.000-06:00

Well, sort of.

It's all that about chicken egg I drew your attention to in a previous blog entry.

Now there are eight of those eggs and "Waltercita" is hard at work keeping them all warm to make chickens come out.

Here's the best part. It is all coming down in my closet! I helped her a little bit with her nest -- you can see the towel in the pic -- and now it's a waiting game.

The really amazing thing -- as if you're not amazed enough already -- is that she only leaves the closet every couple of days to get a bite to eat and, well, to relieve herself.

I'm pretty impressed by that last part. Quite the polite Waltercita, wouldn't you say?

"Waltercita"

I'm not sure when my grandkids will appear but you will be the first to know!

Why Am I Walter?

2010-11-07T08:26:00.000-06:00

My name is Howard.

At least that is what I have used my entire life. Yeah, some people call me How or Howie, but let's not split hairs - they are offshoots.

So, now what's up with this Walter thing? Where did that come from?

Well it really wasn't my idea. The story goes something like this.

Originally, I arrived in Nicaragua to do volunteer work arranged through an organization called Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD). We are talking about fall 2007.

I was exploring Microfinance at the time and they facilitated an internship with a small Microcredit in Masaya. (If you are really desperate for reading material, you can check out my adventures in Microfinance beginning here.)

Anyway, the person in charge here with FSD in Nicaragua was a lady called Maria de Jesus. I know, I know a lady named Jesus. And they call her BY HER WHOLE NAME! You'd think they'd shorten it to just "Maria" but no way. Back to my original story . . .

So when I show up Maria de Jesus tells me that Howard just won't work in Nicaragua.

Huh?

I spent time in Ecuador. No Howard problems. I lived in Costa Rica for a couple of years. No Howard problems.

She insists that that Howard was way too difficult to pronounce and, besides, Nicaragua didn't have any Howards. Maria asked me what my second name was.

Walter.

Maria: "¡Perfecto! Desde ahora es Walter!" ["Perfect, from now on you will be Walter."]

Hmmm. Well, would you second guess a lady named Jesus? I didn't and figured that Walter wouldn't be so bad. After all, it's my Dad's name. And my Dad is one of my heroes. Kinda nice to be reminded of him several times a day, I thought.

So it didn't take me long to accept the idea. Don't forget that my initial plan was to stay in Nicaragua for only six months, so it would be hardly much of a sacrifice.

So I started my Nicaraguan life as a Walter.

The story doesn't end there. After three months here, I roomed with a family - the Chavarrias. In short order they took me to meet the neighbor next door.

The affable gentleman introduced himself "Mucho gusto conocerlo. Soy . . Walter.Y, es mi hijo. Se llama Walter también."

Two Howards living right next door!

Moral of the story. Never believe a lady named Jesus. <laughing>

"What Can I Do to Help?"

2010-10-24T16:17:00.000-06:00

BECA gets quite a few e-mail messages from people we don't know.

I read every single one that comes in to us through our Contact Us page.

95% of the e-mails come from desperate people from Africa (mostly) and other parts of the developing world looking for sponsors. I reply to each and every one sadly informing them that BECA is only active in Nicaragua.

From time to time, another kind of e-mail comes through the door.

They go something like this:

Dear BECA,
I just stumbled upon the BECA.org website. Wow, you guys are doing something really fantastic. I'm really impressed. I think education is what developing countries really need. I once visited Nicaragua and I noticed . . . [blah blah blah] . . . What you are doing is very cool. What can I do to help? . . .

Wait, it doesn't stop there. Here is the kicker.

"As a matter of principle, I don't give money."

Hmmmm.

Okay, fair enough. There are things this BECA fan can do and I am happy to oblige. He or she can:

make a comment on a student blog
sign up to get our newsletter
join us on our Facebook page
tell other people about BECA

Nevertheless, when I get e-mails like this, I can't help but scratch my head and wonder . . .

To what me-no-give-money principle are they referring? Does anyone know?

Hey, There's a Chicken Egg in My Closet

2010-10-13T15:03:00.002-06:00

And just how did it get there???

BECA recently had a baby.

Could a baby chicken be next? Stay posted.

Punctuality and other Minor Irritations

2010-10-10T10:20:00.001-06:00

Punctuality.

I remember when I learned about it. I was an early twenty-something whippersnapper showing up 17 minutes late for a meeting.

Yes, I remember the 17 minutes. I even remember the look of the clock on the wall. That would be 1:17 pm. Or should I say, that would be 1:17 pm when the dressing down began. Maybe 1:18 if we allow one minute for the peddling of my lame excuse (bad traffic, a classic right?).

It only lasted about 30 seconds -- the dressing down, that is -- but I've never forgotten it.

"No more late for me" I remember saying to myself.

So, here we go again. A little less than 30 years later. The punctuality pill rears its ugly head.

One difference. This time I'm on the other side of the fence.

Punctuality -- or should I say the lack thereof -- drives me bonkers here in Nicaragua.

During BECA's introductory 3 month computer course we stress the importance of being punctual. In fact, students risk losing their scholarship eligibility if they show up to class late too many times.

Most of them comply. Then they apply for their second scholarship, receive funding (if they are fortunate) and then . . . all hell breaks loose. Overnight, they just seem to care about it anymore.

Ughhh.What's a person to do?

We've tried different tactics this year: rewards, punishments, cajoling, pep talks. Nothing seems to work very well.

It would help if the schools we partner with were like-minded. Unfortunately, they are often willing accomplices.

What the heck is the students' problem?

[pause]

[mucho deep breath]

They don't have a problem.

I do.

Tranquilo, Walter. [Take it easy]

P.S. How weird is that to find on the Internet an image of a clock displaying exactly 1:17 pm? I guess someone else has the same problem.

Here Comes the Competition

2010-10-03T06:39:00.000-06:00

Big announcement the other day in combating poverty circles.

Kiva, the microfinance powerhouse, announced that they are beginning a pilot program of offering educational loans. As they say in their blog, "The pilot was born as a natural extension of Kiva's mission to connect people, through lending, to alleviate poverty."

If things go well, there is no doubt in my mind that they will extend the product to Nicaragua.

How do I feel about this? Will this make BECA obsolete?

Hmmm, it's a little early to say, but it appears that Kiva education loan recipients are all University students.

BECA came about because I saw a need. I came across some young people who managed to scrape through High School here in Nicaragua but then faced a dead end. They wanted to continue their education, but didn't have any money to pay for it.

Inspired by Kiva, my idea was to connect sponsors in other countries with these young people through the Internet. The loan model -- which I considered -- at that time didn't seem plausible to me. I figured that the last thing these young people needed was a loan, another encumbrance. What they were looking for was an opportunity.

So, ultimately, will the entrance of Kiva in the "marketplace" affect BECA's place here?

I don't know. In it's current incarnation, probably not. BECA gives technical career scholarships, not University scholarships. Second, the Kiva recipients appear to be a little bit better off economically.

Nevertheless, I would be happy to be wrong. I feel strongly that BECA serves a niche in Nicaragua that deserves service. If something -- like an organization like Kiva -- comes along that is more efficient, or better in any way, I would welcome it with open arms.

May I say I am proud of what BECA is doing but I am in no way married to it as an institutional entity.

Ultimately, what these young people deserve is a break.

With BECA or without it.

The Joy of Music (Nicaraguan-style)

2010-09-27T17:50:00.002-06:00

Nothing like the sweet sound of traditional Nicaraguan music to stir the soul.

Only one tiny little problem.

My soul really isn't that interested in being stirred at 5:35am in the morning !#(*$#&#@!!

A Different Point of View

2010-09-23T13:07:00.000-06:00

Once in a while, a volunteer "from a strange land" lands in Masaya. Most of the time, these aliens are University students from the United States, but they can come from other places as well.

They come for a three to six month period. My understanding is that more often than not their volunteer gig is associated with their program of studies back home.

Or they come to gather experience for their resume. Or, they come to do some "development" work.

It doesn't really matter why they come. But they come.

I see them in the streets sometimes.

(ASIDE: The funny thing is that usually not a peep is exchanged when we cross paths. Kinda weird. But back to the story . . . )

Anyway, I always wonder what they think of this place; you know, like what exactly is going on in their heads. After all, Nicaragua is very different from the U.S. or Canada or Germany or Holland. VERY different.

Difficult to know.

Until now.

I stumbled upon the blog of Chris Rhodenbaugh, where Chris documents his recent 2 1/2 month stay here in Masaya, Nicaragua. (He volunteered at one of the schools BECA works with. Sadly, I never met the guy.)

And talk about an insightful, dense read. Such detail!

I especially enjoyed what he has to say about his work on a couple of "sustainable" projects he spent his time on.

So, when time permits you, and for a change in gears from my brief, opinionated rants, I highly recommend his post Summary of My Work in Nicaragua.

For the alien point of view.

Number 11

2010-09-15T06:41:00.000-06:00

Much fanfare about that Newsweek edition the other week. The one about the World's Best Countries.

A few people walking around a little incredulous that the U.S. came in 11th place. (Omigod!)

I don't pay much attention to these kinds of analyses.

I harken back to my statistics professor telling us the old adage about "Lies, damn lies, and . . . statistics."

And that was the professor talking! Ha!

However these survey things do inspire some lively discussions.

And talking about surveys, allow me to point you in a slightly different direction: The Happy Planet Index.

Number 11 looks pretty good after taking a look at what those Happy Planet people have to say. (Eeek!) They lump Gringolandia in the same happiness territory as Chad, Nigeria, and Madagascar. Yep, not so good.

Interestingly, Happy Planet gives some of the highest marks to Central American countries. Costa Rica finished first. (I lived there for a couple of years. Yeah, I guess they walked around smiling quite a bit. )

Moreoever, Nicaragua finished a helluva lot higher than the U.S. Go figure. (Funny quirk: Nicaragua came in at number 11!)

I'm not sure what to make of all of it. I did read a very interesting point of view here.

I'm not going to stick my toe into this debate.

But I'm very happy to tell you about it.

Stepping Back (a little bit)

2010-09-07T14:17:00.000-06:00

A very subtle change on the website today. The "Official BECA Blog" link on the top menu no longer directs to my blog (this one).

Why? Well, I began to realize that BECA is beginning to take on a life of its own. Which isn't a bad thing.

But it does mean that a blog littered with my personal opinions and rants can no longer masquerade as "official" anything.

We'll try to post only relevant news items and announcements to the new Official BECA Blog.

And you'll have to return here for the dribble.

The Poverty Tour

2010-08-31T13:09:00.000-06:00

Often I find myself thinking of ways to raise sponsorship funds for BECA locally, that is, in the Nicaraguan economy.

One method that I have seen used by non-profit organizations (NPOs) working here is the visiting "helping" brigades concept.

It works something like this. People in the "developing world" are willing to pay a premium to be a part of a volunteer group that travels for a short term period to work in poor communities in a country like Nicaragua. The NPO organizes the trips, administers the local do-good projects, and for their effort, pockets the profits. These profits are then funneled back into their own development activities.

Bridges to Community is an example of an NPO that employs this concept successfully here in Nicaragua.

The visitors are willing to pay a pretty decent dollar to come here and "help." To plant trees. To build houses. To play with children. To teach English.(especially popular!).

(Aside: Always seemed a wee bit odd to me that foreigners are coming here to plant trees in a country where the employment and under-employment rate is exorbitant . . . but I'll save that thought for another blog.)

Okay, so we have these people coming to help. And, frankly, quite often they aren't experts in their field. Often they are college students. Another big constituency is church goers. In my experience, more often than not, their Spanish is rudimentary.

Why do they come? Yes, they come to help. But I submit to you that one of the main reasons they come is to see poverty with their own eyes, "up close and personal". Not that there is anything wrong with that. But let's call a spade a spade.

Back to my original premise. Some NPOs tap into this demand and generate revenue for their organizations.

*Gross oversimplification alert*: People come. People pay a top dollar. People drink in the poverty, plant some trees and leave feeling better about themselves.

And perhaps they leave with a better understanding of poverty. All of this seems like a pretty good thing and a win-win situation.

I thought it was something BECA could stick its toe into. After all we have Hotel and Tourism students in the BECA program. Some of them even speak a little English.

What could be the possible downside (other than some serious mission drift)?

Can't think of one? Try reading this. (And in the spirit of fairness, see an opposing point of view here)

So what do you think? Exploitative or helpful/educational?

And why do I hear my Dad saying . . . "Have you considered the matter from the other point of view?"

Gulp.

The Cynic

2010-08-17T07:23:00.000-06:00

You may have heard of "The Giving Pledge."

It is the scheme of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet to prod the "wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit the majority of their wealth to philanthropy."

The idea is to get these wealthy people to make the commitment publicly and explain their rationale for doing so in a letter.

(Aside: All of the letters can be downloaded in one simple, big download and it makes for an excellent read.)

Quite the amazing concept, huh? Well, not so fast. Out come the cynics. For example, some readers of the Weekly Standard attacked the pledge as “grandstanding”, a “publicity stunt”, or “the work of socialists”. The German publication Spiegel has also documented the strong objections of a group of German millionaires.

These objections to this transcendental act to inspire thoughtful giving REALLY boggle my mind. Nevertheless, it reminds me of someone I once knew.

Me.

I was a cynic when it came to these kinds of things.

Foreign aid: "Why give money to African states? The money is ultimately wasted by corrupt leaders."
The United Way: "All the money goes to administration. Nothing gets through to the people who really need it."
Flute scholarships in India: "How the hell is learning the flute going to get those people out of poverty?"
Street beggars: "They just spend it on drugs."

Well, I don't think like that anymore.

These days, I NEVER criticize anybody who gives their time or their money or their expertise or their anything voluntarily to do what they think is giving others a helping hand.

Even if a project seems kinda wacky -- and I've seen my share -- what matters to me is that the "giver" thinks it's meaningful.

And that's good enough for me.

Help with a Hard Question

2010-08-07T11:44:00.001-06:00

"Why are you doing that thing in Nicaragua, Walter?"

This is a question I am often asked. Especially by people visiting BECA.

I have a hard time with this question. I just don't know what to say. I usually end up rambling on about something unrelated. In other words, I evade the question.

It is for this reason that an interview by Charlie Rose of Sean Penn caught my attention.

The theme of the interview was Penn's volunteer work in Haiti. About half way through, Rose asked Penn why he was doing it.

"There is something in all of us I think that at once is searching for purpose, paying for sins, and recognizing our skill sets and I think that when those things merge and are complemented by the incredible character of people like the Haitian people." Sean Penn, July 19th, 2010

Now why can't I think of something clever like that? "Paying for sins." Genius.

Caving In (a little bit)

2010-07-31T09:09:00.001-06:00

Everyone here wants to study English. Everyone.

I have never been too crazy about the idea of qualifying scholarships to study English. How come?

I have a bunch of reasons.

1) BECA is about getting a job at the end. English is a fine complement, but it is not a technical career, per se.

2) Most English courses consist of two hours daily. At this rate, how long is it going to take to be literate? 5 years? 10 years? Ever?

3) Personal distaste. I just don't like the concept that a Gringo organization comes to a country that speaks Spanish and says . . . "Learn my revered language and get ahead." It has never sat well with me. I can't explain it any better than that.

However stubborn I may be, circumstances have changed to a degree.

The fact of the matter is that Call Centers represent one of the only growing industries in Nicaragua.These places desperately need English speakers and they pay pretty good. Moreover, we discovered an institute that delivers an intensive course in English at Ave Maria University. 7 hours a day, 5 days a week. They promise a TOEFL (English language competency exam) pass in eight months.

So, with my tail comfortably ensconced between my legs, BECA will pilot one student through the seven month course of English studies.

His name is Nosbal. And I have eight months to prepare my "crow" pie.

Here Come the Pulseras

2010-07-28T08:28:00.000-06:00

From time to time, BECA gets visitors.

A couple of weeks ago, three U.S. University students -- Thomas, Margaret, and Chris -- showed up at our office.

They are part of . . .The Pulsera Project! I know, I know, it sounds like they are involved in some kind of wacky science experiment, but it is far from that.

Pulsera means "bracelet" in Spanish.

Many of you have seen these bracelets around. They are handmade woven bracelets. It so happens that Nicaraguans are expert pulsera makers.

The Pulsera Project group came up with a nifty idea. They buy pulseras from Nicaraguan artisans and disadvantaged youth. They buy them for a buck and then ship them off to the United States where University students and groups sell them for five bucks.

The profits are funnelled back to community projects here in Nicaragua. The real mission is to promote the importance of public service to young Americans and create awareness of international social causes.

Consider the following:
Gringo student sees pulsera >
           Gringo student asks about pulsera origin >
                     Gringo student learns more about Nicaragua >
                                Gringo student becomes involved selling pulseras to others.
Repeat.

The real keeners come to visit Nicaragua and see for themselves what is really going on. (Enter Chris, Thomas, Margaret and others.)

It's a simple concept. And that is why I like it so much.

Vacation Time Empathy

2010-07-20T06:21:00.000-06:00

I'm in Canada for two weeks. (Happy 50th Anniversary Mom and Dad!)

While in Canada, I've been hearing a lot of this kind of stuff:

    "Wow, Walter* . . . what you are doing is fantastic . . . what a sacrifice you are making.I really admire you."
    or

    "I really have to hand it to you, Walter, for living in a place like that."
     or

    "I don't know how you do it. Don't you miss Canada? Don't you miss your friends?"

Okay, listen up people. I appreciate the kind words of encouragement and everything, but you make it sound like I'm living in some kind of concentration camp.

The fact of the matter is that it isn't that much of a sacrifice at all. Nicaragua is really quite an interesting place and my quality of life is actually pretty good. And . . . it doesn't snow . . . EVER.

Moreover, I'm having a lot of fun doing what I'm doing.

But here is the real kicker: it gives me a tremendous amount of joy doing something that I believe to be meaningful.

And I feel really lucky to be able to do it.

*Walter is the name I choose to use in Nicaragua. My family and friends call me by my first name, Howard. (To be explained in a blog entry coming soon.)

A Recap and a Dilemma

2010-07-11T09:23:00.000-06:00

First, a quick refresher.

The BECA program consists of two stages: 1) Course One and 2) Intensive. Every BECA student has to pass the first stage (90 day computer course) to earn the opportunity to apply for the second stage (a technical scholarship, usually one to two years in length).

BECA had one Course One this year. 24 students started in April of which 23 finished in June. Of those 23 students, 19 earned the option to apply for a technicial career scholarship. It is our experience that between 50 and 60 percent of those eligible, apply for the second stage. That would mean of this group, 10 to 12 students will be looking for sponsors at the end of 2010.

All in all, not too shabby. 96% of the students finished Course One. That is the highest completion rate BECA has ever seen.

Personally, at this stage -- and with 9 BECA Course Ones under our belt -- I only have one concern. I'm not too happy with the place where we hold the class. The computers are often in bad shape, the software is dated, and the Internet connection is spotty and slow.

This brings us to an important BECA dilemma. I have always been dead set against setting up our own learning facility. I felt it was important as an organization to use the existing infrastructure in the community. However . . . at what cost? What do you do if the existing infrastructure cannot provide what you want? Or . . . is BECA being too demanding?

I don't have the answer yet. But let me tell you, this issue twists me right up.

In the meantime, I will bask briefly on that 96% figure and replay a few times the video recap for Course One 2010.

BECA DESERTION #3 . . . (and why I feel bad about it)

2010-06-30T08:05:00.000-06:00

Another student, Ena Miranda, has left the BECA program. Why? She failed a course in her Laboratory Clinician career and then failed the make-up exam. In this neck of the woods, that means "you're out."

I feel kinda bad about Ena. You see, BECA asks all of the students to keep us informed of their studies. The students send us monthly e-mail reports. Also, we read their blogs to try to spot any signs of trouble.

In Ena's case, her monthly reports seemed normal. Her blog, however sparse, seemed normal.

We try to emphasize to all the BECA students to let us know if they are running into some kind of difficulty. And we try to visit them at school.

Try, shmy.

Well darn it, try is just not good enough and is not going to cut it. In Ena's case, we didn't pay her a personal visit at school.

Nicaraguans are proud people and don't like to admit when things aren't going their way. Well, come to think of it , who does?

Lesson learned. I'm really sorry, Ena. We were asleep at the wheel and missed it. And now I have to live with the fact that maybe there was something we could have done to help you out before.

If there is any consolation Ena has helped us improve the BECA program. From this point forward it will be BECA policy to visit every student at school every month. No exceptions.

Living the Life of Luxury in Nicaragua (Huh?)

2010-06-19T09:52:00.001-06:00

Well, it isn't always luxurious living. But it sure feels like it every morning when I am greeted at my front door by Candida.

Candida brings a cart load of fresh fruit to my door every single morning (except Sunday).

Mangos, bananas, pineapples, papayas, you name it.

. . . AND front door service to boot.

¡Living la vida fruta in Nicaragua!

What Happens When a Student Quits

2010-06-08T07:15:00.002-06:00

Yesnery Montoya is the second BECA student to call it quits this year.

In her official withdrawal form, Yesnery cited "personal problems" and asked us not to share any details with third parties. We will respect her wishes.

I thought I would take advantage of this turn of events to explain BECA procedure when we hear a student wants to quit:

BECA does everything it can to understand the student's decision -- meaning talking to the student, talking to their family, talking to their teachers, talking to the school, if necessary -- whatever it takes to see if we can help in some way.
If BECA determines that "it is out of our hands" we ask the student to sign an official withdrawal letter and hand in their BECA ID card and student manual.
BECA advises the sponsors of the withdrawal and redistributes the balance* of their scholarship to another student(s) currently in need of funding.

*Note: BECA keeps a running balance of every student's scholarship. At any given time, if a student drops out, we can apply the balance to someone else.

Yes, it seems that the money already spent is lost for good. But think of it this way. Thanks to the generosity of BECA sponsors, Yesnery was given a shot she otherwise wouldn't have had.

And BECA likes to think that this opportunity alone is worth something and is money well spent.

Thanks, Yesnery, for giving it your best shot.

Crimes and Punishment

2010-05-31T11:08:00.000-06:00

Discipline.

I'm talking about penalizing "bad" student behaviour. It's a subject that comes up once in a while here at BECA.

Personally, I'm not a fan of it. I'm a firm believer in using rewards to incent as opposed to using punishment to dissuade.

Nevertheless, I guess there comes a time, when you have to put your foot down and say "enough is enough."

One of these times occurred this month (May). Four students decided to go off on their own, change their program of studies, and enroll in an extra English course - without informing BECA administration. That's a big no-no.

Incredulously, they somehow managed to convince the school administration to give them a 50% discount for the English course and scrape together the monthly $6 fees. Huh???

Where did that money come from? (A sympathetic grandfather, a government bonus, a sister . . . it turns out.)

But what to do? These are young adults, after all. It was quite a mess.

What made it more difficult was to the end they maintained their innocence and two of the participants actually blamed another student for not informing them that they were doing something wrong.

That is when I drew the line. "Come on you guys, let's accept some responsibility here."

In the end, we decided that they had to be disciplined. (They go to the bottom of the list to raise money for their careers for 2011, amongst other things.)

I applaud their desire to learn. I just figure that we have to maintain some order here and enforce some rules. Isn't the integrity of the BECA program at stake?

Or does the integrity of the program really matter??? I'm not sure.

Stay in touch, dear reader. Something tells me there will be more to this story.

(Hopefully not) to be continued.

10 Charming Oddities of My Day-to-Day Life in Masaya, Nicaragua

2010-05-23T17:06:00.002-06:00

There are some things when you live in a different place that strike you as just damn odd. Masaya, Nicaragua is no exception.

However, I've noticed that with a little time -- I've been here now almost 3 years -- I've come to appreciate some of these "oddities."

Here is my list of "charming" oddities (in no particular order):

     1) "Thank you" means "no thank you" (more often than not).

     2) The hairstylist washes your hair AFTER they finish cutting it.

     3) There are stop signs at the intersections with traffic signals.

     4) You are a gringo even if you don't come from the United States.

     5) Nicaraguans drink instant coffee even though ground Nicaraguan coffee is excellent.

     6) The taxi driver will pick up more passengers while enroute to your destination (and will sometimes drop them off before you!)

     7) The taxi driver will take you with him to buy gas, without asking.

     8) It doesn't cost anything to receive cellular phone calls.

     9) EVERYONE has a cell phone. (See #8)

     10) Obituaries via loudspeaker. Huh? Yep, it's true. I couldn't believe my ears the first time. Here in Masaya the tradition is to announce the death of your loved ones via loudspeaker on a slowly moving vehicle.

Celebrate the differences!

Paying More

2010-05-14T12:02:00.004-06:00

How would you feel if the gardening service (or, for you Canadians, snow-shovelling service) charged you $75 and charged the neighbor $50 . . . and your yard (errr, sidewalk) was bigger?

I don't think you would like it too much. Well that happens here to me in Nicaragua.

Not always.

Not everyday.

But it happens.

I call it paying "el precio gringo" (gringo price).

It used to really bother me and I'd get really worked up about it -- especially if it something as blatant as paying a higher fare on a bus when the person sitting right beside you is paying less.

You could say it is a fact of life for me here in Nicaragua. What's a person to do?

I break it down this way. When it comes to personal expenses I have learned to accept the idea. They probably have the idea that "gringos" have more money and can afford to pay more. Guess what? Generally speaking, they are right and I can't argue with the logic.

It gets a little more complicated when it comes to BECA. I still get annoyed when "they" want to charge the BECA Foundation more for stuff just because we are a North American organization. Now we are talking about the money of donors. Moreover, we are talking about money that goes to helping Nicaraguans! Geez.

Here is a summary of my "paying more" strategy:

BECA stuff: Fortunately, we have Antonio. I stay away from negociations in the hopes that they not realize a "gringo" is involved. Sometimes it makes a difference.
Walter stuff: Pay the "precio gringo." And smile.

The BECA Brigade

2010-04-30T09:21:00.000-06:00

This "community service as a brigade" idea is working out pretty good so far for BECA. It works like this:

A community project is recommended -- either by a student or by BECA administration.
Some planning is done by BECA coordinator Antonio Rodriguez.
Invitations are sent to the current crop of technical career students.
The day arrives and, voila, something like this happens:

Why are these People Smiling?

2010-04-23T05:50:00.001-06:00

You might recognize these seven Nicaraguans. They are famous for us here at BECA.

Why, you ask? Well for one, they are the home page "face" of BECA

More important than that, however, is that they are the first. The first to apply for technical career scholarships through BECA. The first to be sponsored. The first to finish their technical career course of studies.

And NOW . . . the first to begin their three-month apprenticeships: Manuel, Sorania, Maribel, Elvis - Tourism; Kenia, Francis - Secretary; Claudia - Executive Chef.

We are extremely grateful to these "Magnificent Seven" for growing with us; for being patient with us as we tried new things; for helping us nurture the "second" batch of applicants; and for hanging in there and finishing their course of studies.

Now, as they get their first taste of the "real world" we can't help but feel extremely proud of them.

The goal of BECA is that our scholarship recipients ultimately get jobs. Now they are another step closer.

Jesús is Gone

2010-04-14T05:36:00.000-06:00

He is bright. He is articulate. He has loads of personality.

Jesús is Jesús David Flores. He received a scholarship through BECA to study Accounting and started in February. After two months, Jesús has called it quits and has withdrawn from his studies.

Jesús is the first BECA student to withdraw from technical career studies this year.

Why? Jesús told us that he had to go to work to help out his Mom, who is going through a hard time.

We've mentioned before in this space that life in Nicaragua can be complicated and for many a post-secondary education is a big luxury. The issue is the opportunity cost of not contributing to the family household financially.

As a result, we realistically expect that Jesús won't be the last student to quit BECA this year.

All, however, is not lost. BECA will apply the balance of his scholarship to another student "in need." And, 47 other students remain active (for now).

Nevertheless, it sucks to see such a promising young person quit.

BECA wishes Jesús the very best. Thanks for giving it a shot.

BECA Course One - Version 2010

2010-04-10T11:31:00.003-06:00

BECA Course One 2010 started this week with 24 (mostly) excited young people.

[Quick refresher: Course One is a three month proving ground for the BECA program. Every student who wants to receive a scholarship to study a technical career has to "show their stuff" in Course One.]

What is my first impression of this group? It is impossible for me to say. In the past I've been wrong about students so many times, I've quit counting (and stopped guessing).

I'm quite curious how this group will turn out though because we used only word-of-mouth to attract students. That is, pretty much all of the students were referred by a Course One graduate.

Stay tuned.

Salvador Cardenal ,QEPD

2010-03-20T15:21:00.002-06:00

Two questions:

Who is Salvador Cardenal?
What does the "QEPD" after his name mean?

Salvador Cardenal was a Nicaraguan singer and songwriter, born in 1960. He often sang with his sister, Katia. They formed a group, Dúo Guardabarranco, 30 years ago.

He is very special to BECA because we use one of his songs, Dias del Amar, as the background music in our student profile videos. (See example here.)

I fell in love with the song the first moment I heard it, and it was always my intention to ask him one day if it was okay if we continued to use the song.

Sadly, Salvador Cardenal died earlier this month, after years of struggling with a rare blood disease.

I had the miraculous good fortune of seeing him perform three songs with his sister in February. I suspect it was his last public performance because he didn't look very well.

On that special Granada evening, the last song Katia and Salvador performed was Dias del Amar.

Salvador Cardenal, Que En Paz Descanse.
Salvador Cardenal, Rest in Peace.

How to Help BECA students (and not spend a dime)

2010-03-14T16:12:00.002-06:00

Did you know that every active BECA student has a blog?

As part of their scholarship each student receives two hours per week of Internet time in a local cybercafe.

BECA helps them set up their blog so that they can write about their experiences and share them with their sponsor and with the world at large. Most of them write something two or three times a month.

You can see a directory of the BECA blogs here: www.beca.org/blogs.html.

Now here comes the helping part. MAKE A COMMENT! It's as simple as clicking on the word "Comments" just below each blog entry:

Scribble down a few words, even if it is in English. If you know Spanish, even better. Also, blog comments can be made anonymously, if you wish.

I know, I know . . . the blogs are in Spanish.

Please don't let that stop you!

There is a translate gadget on every student blog page (below). The translation is far from perfect, but more often than not you can get the general idea of what they are trying to say.

You have NO idea how excited the students get when they see that someone out there is actually paying attention.

A Bloody Interesting Day

2010-03-05T11:29:00.002-06:00

On Saturday BECA students gathered to donate blood at the Red Cross here in Masaya.

(Pardon the yucky pun in the title . . . but it did get your attention, right?)

Out of 48 students, about 30 showed up. Most gave.

A couple of observations.

First, about five students were disqualified from donating because they didn't weigh enough. The minimum weight to donate is 100 pounds. These people are young adults. Tells you something, huh?

Second, it appears that the culture here is avowedly "anti-blood-giving." All of the students were strongly encouraged to bring along others to donate. None did!

Moreover, none of the students had ever donated before -- or even considered it, from what I could tell. Myths about blood-giving abound. Heard in the waiting room: "Giving blood will make me gain weight."

That made the day that much more special. Despite popular sentiment, BECA students showed up and gave back to their community.

Maybe next time, we'll see a friend or two.

Moving Out

2010-02-23T11:50:00.003-06:00

Some days around here are very special for me.

Case in point, Sunday.

For three BECA students, Larry, Fanny and Frank (below),

Sunday, February 21st was moving day.

They received scholarships to study in the city of Granada.

Fortunately, the technical college INTECNA has student housing and that's where they will be staying.

I was fortunate enough to tag along on Sunday as they said goodbye to their families and headed up to Granada to set themselves up in their new "homes."

It might not be easy for them. From what I've seen Nicaraguan families, especially from the country, are very close-knit.

This move represents a HUGE adjustment for them and for their family members at home, too.

It was an honour to be with them on this special day.

Bravo!

BECA Gets Married

2010-02-11T14:01:00.000-06:00

Well, sort of . . .

To go along with our first baby back in August of last year, BECA is proud to announce our first marriage. Felicidades to one of our students Eliezer Alvarado who just got married.

If he looks really young, it is because he is.

18 years old.

But they get married a lot earlier around here.

Giving Back

2010-02-07T21:57:00.000-06:00

An important principle in play at BECA is giving back.

BECA relies upon the generosity of sponsors from all over the world to give back and help send Nicaraguans to school. Without this "giving back" BECA would be dead in the water.

But what about the students? After all they receive 100% scholarships (tranportation included!), right?

The students show their appreciation in two ways.

First, they have the option of working in their community on a social project of their choosing.

Some work in health clinics. Some help out at schools. Others volunteer at their church. Still others clean parks in their community.

We suggest a minimum of three hours a week. Some work less. Some work more.

For 2010 we have a second way in which the students can give back. We are setting up group activities in the community.

Our first group social "project" took place this Saturday (February 6th, 2010). We went to visit the Masaya Seniors' Residence. Out of 52 eligible students, more than 40 showed up to spend a couple of hours with the elders of their community.

I was very, very proud of these young people and judging by the number of smiles, it was far from a one-way street as they had the privilege of drinking in the wisdom and gentle spirit of their community's "ancianos."

Take a peek at the video. It's only 88 seconds. And it might make you smile too.