Send Tatiana to high school for another year!

Please help us support Tatiana's education for another year! Last year HBA raised $5000 for Tatiana's 8th-grade tuition. Awesome job! Let's see if we can do it again this year as she enters 9th grade! Your donation will go directly to Visions Global Empowerment, a non-profit 501(c)3, so your donation is tax-deductible.

If you don't already know about Tatiana, Escuela Vera Angelita in Nicaragua, and Visions Global Empowerment, please read on!

The road to Escuela Vera Angelita is rocky. Literally. The last two kilometers are unpaved, meandering like a dry riverbed steadily upward. A half-hour outside of Matagalpa, deep in Nicaragua’s beautiful tropical cloud forest, the road passes coffee trees nestled in the shade beneath banana palms and broadleaves 1000 meters above sea level. It smooths out in the driveway, where guests are greeted by the cheerful sounds of dozens of girls switching classes, some running to the sports court to play soccer, others making their way to the library with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the green valley and mountains beyond.

Like most developing nations, Nicaragua struggles to preserve its natural environment in the face of extreme poverty. It is a daily challenge for citizens to get access to even basic services; according to the World Bank, about 12 percent of the population lives on $3 or less a day.

It is inspiring for High Bluff Academy (HBA) in Rancho Santa Fe, California, to be a part of Escuela Vera Angelita, a school which is on track to be a change agent not only for the girls but also for the environment in Nicaragua. Investing in girls' education is one of the most effective ways to realize economic and environmental change. Educated girls become productive entrepreneurs and community leaders. They become better mothers of fewer children, and through their education accelerate changes in environmental awareness. Not only does EVA offer young women a bi-lingual (Spanish/English) curriculum with hands-on learning, it is also fully committed to environmental sustainability and eco-education.

In addition to supporting Tatiana's education, HBA students hold virtual sessions with EVA students twice a week to practice Spanish and English and to get to know each other and our respective cultures. We are making friends thousands of miles and a world of experiences away.

Visions Global Empowerment is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, CA, that aims to change patterns of inequality by supporting educational initiatives for youth affected by conflict, poverty, and disability. We envision a world where all people have access to quality education, feel empowered, and are capable of participating as leaders in society today. Visions supports education and community development efforts across the globe.