Emily Flynn

Si a la Vida

   ³The basic task of Sí a la Vida is to change the self-image of these children from being street kids to being useful members of society. To accomplish that we employ a number of techniques, all based upon providing them with understanding, respect and conditional love -- usually for the first time ever -- and motivating them to take decision-making power over their own lives.²                             - Jonathan Roise, co-founder

Country:    Nicaragua

Program:    Si a la Vida

Location:    Managua, Ometepe

Sponsorship:     Individuals and groups from the U.S. and Spain.  Affiliated with Quaker groups.

History/Background:  The program was founded in 1994 by Jonathan Roise and Mercedes

Guido, a Nicaraguan social activist.  The two befriended boys in the Montenegro public market and bus station in Managua and recognized that many of the boys had a strong desire to get off the streets, stop sniffing glue, and make something more of their lives.  With the support of people in the community, some of the boys were given temporary housing until the program center at Casa Nuevo Amanecer was established later in 1994.  In 1998, Si a la Vida purchased a 17 acre plaintain farm on the island of Ometepe to build a long-term rehabilitation center that is under construction.

 

Approximate Number of Children Served:  Casa Nuevo Amanecer in Managua houses 15

boys at a time, while a few boys come only during the day.  The Managua center is in the process of expansion, as is the Ometepe center, which currently houses 10 boys.  When construction is completed in the next couple years, the Ometepe center will house 50-60 boys in three houses by age.

 

How Children are Selected:  Children are recruited off the streets by the program founders and

trained volunteers.  Boys are befriended in the marketplace and are selected only after trust is established and the boy¹s desire to empower himself is evident.

 

Financial Basis of Program:  Funding comes from private donors.  The year 2000 budget called

for $70,000, which is higher than usual because of the construction of the Ometepe center.

 

Philosophy:  The program is based on the philosophy that each child has the power to change

his own life and the program gives him the opportunity to do so.

 

Special Features:  The boys are given a supportive and safe place to live, where they are taught the academic , vocational, and social skills to gain control of their own lives.  Self-respect, respect for others, and for the environment are emphasized through the Quaker, consensus based community.  The Ometepe center allows boys who have been in the program longer to become part of a self sustained community and a larger community on the island.  The ultimate goal is for the boys to realize their own potential and control, with which they can enter the educational system and the workplace.  The boys go to school, have academic help when they need it, have individual and group therapy and evaluation sessions, learn carpentry and mechanics, help with chores and building on Ometepe, and take on a role in the smaller community.