harvest initiative

Spread some of that holiday spirit far and wide this season with the GIFT OF EDUCATION.  Unlike so many gifts, this one can last a lifetime.  And it can make the difference between perpetual poverty and lasting change.

This school is PEQUENO BENJAMIN -- Little Benjamin -- a Christian school in Tipitapa, Managua, Nicaragua.  It has a come a long, long way!  And it is outgrowing its space! 

In education , that's a wonderful problem.  We can see first hand how education--a good education--is changing this community.  Students graduating from this school go on to college and training programs.  They are investing in themselves and in their communities.  They are succeeding.

This Christmas, we are partnering with the community of Tipitapa to raise matching donations.  We want to raise $6000, and they will match it.  Together, that $12,000 will build a second level on this school.  A second level means more classrooms for morning primary school and afternoon high school classes.  It gives a place for extracurriculars.  And, it makes the classrooms--top and bottom--cooler and more comfortable.

This is Nicaragua.  It's hot.  So cooler is a BIG deal.  Imagine learning in a sweltering room.  It's tough!  But these students do it.  We can help make it a little more comfortable, though, while we're at it.

We'll be sharing the plans for the school, the renderings the architects in Nicaragua have drawn up, along with the start of construction along the way.

And of course, you'll see the students!

Thank you for being part of this holiday dream.  #gifting education.

This fundraiser is run by Harvest Initiative , a non-profit working in St. Louis.  Additional programs include Student Sponsorship --annual and monthly programs to keep students in school, Community Development --with special focus on the RAAN communities, and Evangelism through local church support and training .

There's a truck sitting in Highland, Illinois that needs to get to Managua, Nicaragua. It's got work to do.

You see, this truck is a work truck. It's hardy enough for the rough roads. And tough enough to handle heavy loads. It's the behind-the-scenes muscle that makes the pretty stuff possible.

To put it dramatically--but accurately--it's the kind of thing that changes lives.

It takes a big truck to haul the rigs and materials for clean water efforts all over Nicaragua. It takes a big truck to carry food to more than 30 feeding programs that served over 500,000 meals last year.  It takes a big truck to bring the resources and agriculture equipment to communities and schools to teach our brothers and sisters sustainable ways to feed themselves.

It always takes heart. And sometimes, it takes a truck!

Help get the Big Truck That Could rollin'! Every dollar you give brings clean water, sustainable food, more opportunities to rural and urban communities in Nicaragua; continued education, apprenticeships, and agricultural development; clean energy development; and more!

That's a lot for a truck to be a part of.

So give a little--or give a lot--and get this truck going, going . . . GONE!

Thank you. So, so much for your vision and generosity. And for understanding that not every need is glamorous.
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Harvest Initiative is a St. Louis-based non-profit that works in Nicaragua, helping communities develop and manage their own resources. We strive to empower, equip, and encourage through education, hands-on training, small business opportunities, and faith. The idea is simple. The work is hard. And it is absolutely essential.