$3000 in 7 days? Lets find out

Here is the email blast I just sent out. Plus pictures at the bottom.

Saludos de Granada,

As many of you have been following our adventure here for these past 2 months either on my blog (https://los-daues-en-nicaragua.travel.blog) or Gretchen’s Facebook, I’m hoping that some might feel connected to Nicaragua now and/or our desire to have a lasting impact toward improving the quality of life here in the 2nd poorest country in the western hemisphere. Connected enough to want to contribute to the effort to see some immediate improvement for one very deserving family through a new and/or improved house. If we can get to $3000, we can replace a dirt floor shack with a concrete floor and block half wall and wood tin roof, latrine, and reconnect the potable water and electricity. Also, if we get to $3000 by next Friday January 20th, we can likely select a family and start within a week and hopefully finish before we leave on Feb 14th. And to make it a little more interesting for myself and others interested in education, the Daues family will match 50% of whatever is raised for the house to give to the La Esperanza Granada’s current effort to hire a new Learning Center Director. They are raising 3 years worth of salary, so we will spread it out over 3 years. La Esperanza will also oversee the house construction and family selection.

I’m thinking that combined we have 100 or so individuals following our trip closely. If we can get half to give $50-$75, we’ll get to $3000 easily. If a tax deduction is helpful, I can make sure that happens through La Esperanza’s US sponsor in the bay area. I’ll gladly accept pledges by email and collect later. Paypal to my email at sdaues@gmail.com also would work. If I can get to $1500 by Monday in pledges, I will tell La Esperanza to start preparations. If we dont get enough for a complete new house, there are plenty of repairs and additions that can be arranged too. So any contributions will be used toward improved housing.

Attached are a few pictures and other materials about La Esperanza and below are some related links. Feel free to forward this on to anyone whom might want to hear about whats been going on.

Hasta pronto,

Stephan http://laesperanzagranada.blogspot.com

A few other important details worth noting about the family selection for a house. La Esperanza Granada uses the house construction to reinforce the importance of education. Eligible families must have a kid with good attendance at school and must commit to continue to support attendance. It sounds like families will make a basic application to be in the lottery. Applicants are vetted hopefully before the lottery, but we’ll see if there is time. Of course, as with all things here for me, I am piecing together incomplete information and nothing eve seems to go exactly as planned. Which, for those of you that know me and a bit about affordable housing development in CA will understand, is exactly why this place feels like home to me.

late 2015 completed house. Teresa, 5th grader at Nueva Esp who couldnt come to summer school this year because she has to stay home and take care of disabled sister while parents work 3-4 days/week. Mother cares for elderly woman, father “glues ceramics in the market”.