Annual Report 2013

General
The foundation's long standing programmes of secondary education for low income women, support for preschools, preventive health care and general skills training continued in 2013, alongside newer programmes addressing domestic violence and providing music education. At Superemos, we focused particularly on developing these newer programmes while sustaining the better established ones.

At the end of the year, with support and encouragement from donors in the United States, the foundation worked with the "Christine King" Multi Service Cooperative to develop a strategic plan for the next five years. The main components of the plan are to:

• improve existing infrastructure so as to create more space for activities,
• work with the Cooperative to explore ways of increasing income
• enhance the projects' management by recruiting people with the relevant skills.

We hope to implement this plan as fully as possible over the next few years, funding permitting.

In May,  the foundation was the victim of a spurious but very aggressive property claim by unscrupulous local businessmen seeking to usurp the foundation's riverside property adjacent to the Carretera Panamericana on Estelí's northern outskirts. The foundation was able to vigorously and successfully defend its clear title to the property concerned. We are very grateful for the moral support we received from our funders and also for the practical and institutional support we received from the various local authorities here in Estelí who very much value our contribution to the area's community development over the last 15 years.

The foundation continues to work very closely with the "Christine King" Multi Service Cooperative as its main partner organization, carrying out most of the foundation's various programmes at our project centre in Estelí. Through 2013 these programmes served a total of around 2400 children and around 700 adults giving employment to over 30 people. Everyone involved in these programmes and projects appreciates very much the support we receive from our funders and friends in North America, Europe and Japan.

Secondary Education
This year saw the 13th graduation ceremony of the Estelí Women's School. A total of 65 students - including over 50 women students - graduated this year thanks to their own determined efforts and the committed support of their teaching staff and Superemos foundation staff, in particular school director Bertha Sanabria López.

Students at the Estelí Women's School graduation ceremony in 2013

Teacher training
In coordination with the Global Education Fund based in New Mexico in the United States, Superemos facilitated a teacher training for 25 rural primary school teachers in the northern municipality of Quilalí. The workshop was again based on the GEF's methodology of Learning by Doing, imparting ideas through creative use of practical, readily available materials and techniques

 
  rural primary school teachers making map materials during the Quilali training

Health Care
The main activity each year in the health program is the medical delegation organized by Dr. Peter Loewinthan of the Dorchester House Multi Service Center in Boston. In 2013, the medical delegation was accompanied by a dental team led by Maria Vasilakis. Over a period of three weeks, the group provided health care to around 1000 children and 800 adults, working closely with the local public health centre. This made it possible to ensure adequate follow up to over 200 patients after the delegation returned to the United States.

As well as the medical delegation, the foundation's preventive health program attended a total of around 450 children each month in 6 communities in and around Estelí, ensuring the children received parasite medicine, toothbrushes and toothpaste as well as being checked for skin and scalp problems. Each week project worker Gladis Ruiz organized three health education activities both out in the communities and also with the night class students in the Estelí Women's School.  The project centre's small dispensary continued to help project participants with low cost medicines, control of blood pressure and diabetes. Through 2013 the programme again provided regular psychiatric attention to programme participantswith the help of Dr. Ada Luz Corrales.

Preschool care
Superemos has now supported the SINAI community pre-school based in Barrio Nuevo Amanecer in the north west of the city of Estelí for fourteen years. Through all that time, despite numerous difficulties educators Edelma Acuña and Carmen Irias Montenegro have constantly studied to improve their professional qualifications. This year Edelma continued advancing in her studies by qualifying as a primary school teacher, following the example of Carmen who qualified three years ago. In 2013, Carmen and Edelma cared for over 40 children from low income families.

Edelma Acuña with some of her preschool students

ISIS program against domestic violence
The ISIS programme reorganized in 2013 so as to improve the programme's educational and outreach work, increase support for the Women and Children's Units of local police services, maintain the women's shelter and provide counselling support for individual women. The program is working in 16 communities in and around Estelí.

ISIS psychologist Karen Villareyna with students in Isidrillo

Music Education
In 2013 the Sones Segovianos music education programme made important progress by securing formal recognition from the government's Nicaraguan Cultural Institute. The project expanded its teaching staff, purchased more instruments and improved its administration. Its commitment is to provide high quality music education to children from low income families. These children made up about 70% of the programme's students in 2013. In 2013 the project served over 65 children. Since 2012, the Superemos music education program has also supported a sister project to Sones Segovianos in partnership with the municipal authority of the town of Palacagüina in the department of Madriz serving about 25 children there.

Maestro Enrique Cruz with his students from Palacagüina perform at the Christmas concert in 2013

Skills training
Superemos is committed to providing useful skills training to people from low income families in Estelí.Over 60 people a year benefit from the various programmes provided at our project centre in Estelí.

Janet and Mara develop ornamental painting skills in the ceramic workshop

The cooperative's metal workshop continues its activities both producing metalwork and doing repairs for local customers in Estelí and also in support of various activities in support of local communities such as metal frame structures of different kinds and also assisting with solar panel projects and ecological sanitary programmes supported by the foundation. The Superemos project centre also runs a sewing workshop, a ceramic workshop, a small bakery and a plant nursery.

In February 2013, students finished a baking course funded by Casa Canadiense