LET'S BUILD A SCHOOL!

To break the poverty cycle, we build and develop schools, provide literacy, technology and scholarship programs, and support health visits. We believe in supporting local economies, providing employment to women, and creating alliances to build stronger communities. Most of our communities live and work on large coffee plantations, which is where our connection to coffee comes from.

Two million children in the remote 'coffee-lands' of Latin America can’t get to school consistently or at all, and with deep-seated issues like climate change, gang violence, and migration policy at play in the region, children are in crucial need of support and empowerment.

Project Alianza builds schools and provides educational opportunities to give kids the tools they need to break the cycle of poverty. They do this by challenging the systems that prevent resources from these reaching remote areas where kids are most likely to not be in school.

While other nonprofits may also work in education or in the same region, Project Alianza focuses on empowering communities, rather than simply funneling in resources or services from the outside. The goal is to build sustainable systems that can enable communities to take control of their access to education.

Project Alianza focuses on women’s empowerment by hiring all women teams, and providing scholarships for higher education.

1. We ensure there is a safe place for school. Sometimes, the lack of a safe school is the main issue keeping kids from learning. The schools we build are safe and accessible with toilets, water, and access to a kitchen (amenities that are frequently missing or unsafe). Plus, we often work with farmers and other local partners, to reduce the cost of land and materials.

2. We develop the social infrastructure to improve schooling. We recruit teachers and educators from the local community, and then provide training and supplies so that they can help in the classrooms. Through our public partnership with Nicaraguan Ministry of Education, we are often able to staff schools or get basic supplies from the government or other nonprofit partners.

3. We bring in community support to empower lifelong learning. We developed a Community Allies Program (CAP) to train women as community leaders so that they can lead literacy classes for first and second grade students (our literacy program), as well as teach classes on health and hygiene habits, gender equality, and sustainable care for the environment. In some classes, we use tablets to reinforce learning (our e-learning program). This community support and involvement is crucial to the success of a school.