A hard-working group of volunteers that helped build the Model Farm's Learning Center.
Kara Luebbering, JustHope's Director of International Programs, looks back at a year of firsts for the Model Farm and shares some ups and downs that so often define the agricultural experience in Nicaragua. Yet with each challenge, we are becoming more knowledgeable about the program and the farming community we serve. Also, in this newsletter:
By Kara Luebbering, Director of International Programs
Building the Learning Center at the Model Farm.
To get a harvest, you first have to plant the seeds, and 2017 can be defined by the seeds that we planted, both in a metaphorical and actual sense. JustHope’s Model Farm weathered the ups and downs that so often define the agricultural experience in Nicaragua. When planting, you generally put two or more seeds in each hole knowing that some will sprout and some will not. On the Model Farm, we applied the same logic to our endeavors; some ideas flourished, some did not, and some were half-way on the right track. Yet with each harvest, yielding crops or not, knowledge and lessons learned were bountiful.
This year marked a Decade of Hope -- JustHope's 10th birthday! We are so grateful to you for helping us make this dream a reality. In 2018 and the next ten years, we aim to sustain hope, continuing the life-changing work we have begun in Chacraseca and La Flor, Nicaragua. Follow the link for a short reflection from Director of International Programs, Kara Luebbering.
Tuesday, Nov 28th is #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving. It is a time to take a step back, be thankful for what we have, and make a concerted effort to bless those less fortunate. If you are reading this, it means you care about the communities in Nicaragua, where JustHope works tirelessly to combat poverty and nurture sustainable relationships.
The communities of Chacraseca and La Flor are places, where many families live on as little as $1 per day. People live in plastic-covered shacks and cook their food over an open fire, risking smoke inhalation, to feed their children. These are villages, where basic medical care may be out of reach and clean water is a "pipe dream." It is easy to lose hope when you toil tirelessly on the land for a mediocre yield that barely feeds your family much less provides much-needed income. How can you believe in a bright future when your children's classrooms do not have basic resources for learning?
JustHope is committed to transforming these communities and, through a variety of ambitious programming, tackles these challenges and more. Above all else, we aim to give hope back to these communities.
We ask that, on #GivingTuesday and throughout the holiday season, you join us as we #GiveHope.
