In April of 2017, a group of Rotarians from several clubs in the Monadnock Region traveled to Chacraseca, Nicaragua for the first time. The Rotarians joined a group of Conant High school students who for over 5 years have been travelling to the community annually to construct houses and live in solidarity with those who call Chacraseca home.

Chacraseca, located about 2 hours northwest from the country’s capital, Managua is a 49 square mile farming community not far from the Pacific Coast. Most of the 8,000 plus residents work in agriculture and subsist on less than $2 per day.

The Rotarians and students were introduced to the community when Travis Kumph, a Conant high school graduate and Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarian invited them to partner with FNE International (fneinternational.org) a non-profit organization he helped found with a mission to facilitate, network, and empower individuals and communities in developing nations to make sustainable improvements in the areas of health, housing, and education.

After several years of successful Conant High School trips where students lived in the community, assisted in the construction of homes for which they raised critical funding, and spent time immersed in the beauty, culture, and realities of rural Nicaragua, Rotarians wondered if they could do more.  

After several small grants were awarded by the Jaffrey-Rindge, Peterborough, and Dublin Rotary Clubs for projects supported by FNE and Chacraseca’s local Rotary Club, an assessment was conducted on each of the community’s 13 schools. Based on that initial assessment, significant structural repairs along with an insufficient amount of latrines were identified as barriers preventing teachers from focusing on providing quality education in an environment conducive to learning and success.  Children can’t learn when basic human needs aren’t met. These needs include replacing leaky or dangerous roofs, patching floors, installing windows and doors to keep rain and dust out while creating a safe place for learning materials to be kept, repairing and adding latrines and sanitation stations, and creating access to clean drinking water.

A Rotary Foundation Grant is in the process of being completed and all parties involved are working hard to raise the $45,000 necessary to address the major identified needs at each of the schools. All donations made to the project will be multiplied 3.5 times ($100 becomes $350) thanks to the Rotary District and Rotary Foundation.  For information about getting involved or making a gift, please contact Travis Kumph at tkumph@fneinternational.org

Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary International Trip Presentation- Click Here to View