Ananda Marga School of Neohumanist Education
Managua, Nicaragua
By Didi Prema

It is a pleasure to communicate with you all once again after so long. I would like to give you a glimpse of what our work has been in the school here in Managua . We have been conducting so many different activities, since I've been here, in order to increase the educational standard and give the kids as high a level as possible and an experience of what it means to be in a place where they will be complete beings. Yes, the school is like a bubble; many of these kids find here with us a place where they learn really nice and good things, because they are in a loving environment.
 

This year as usual we are in full capacity. It has been a challenge to say to any kids “sorry we do not have space, so believe it or not we have 72 kids in a very small place with 4 small class rooms including the back patio which is the fourth grade class. We are at full capacity but still we can work, though we have to make some adjustments to accommodate everyone. Some parents especially like our school because they appreciate what we do which is not available elsewhere. Also we are the cheapest school in the area and probably one of the cheapest in all of Managua . We charge only 6 dollars a month yet about 20% of our kids are attending for free as they are from very poor families in the area.

We hold several teaches training programmes a year and recently we have had a visit from Giita, from Denver who is working in Cost Rica as an LFT. She passed by here and did a teacher training about Yoga for kids; it was very instructive and useful for us. By the way the kids know all the songs of Circulo de Amor CD, so my plan is to make a second CD this year. It is really necessary for us and I hope for many more schools.

 
 
For several years we have been giving swimming classes where we go to a pool 15 minutes away from the school by car once a month. Many of the kids overcome fear of the water and some others never have had the experience to be in the water before.

Another of our activities which is a half block away is a Cyber café where they go and learn to use the computer. Our plan is to communicate with other Ananda Marga schools from other countries that speak preferentially Spanish. So let me know if some of you are interested.

Of course English is also spoken and taught. Last year a member of Ananda Marga from North Carolina , Brian came and taught a new system call Accelerated School which we are applying and gives a new way of learning to Nicaragua . You can have a look in this web page: http://read444.com. You can apply to this program if you like for your school.

Our latest social service commitment was to pick up all the garbage from the park where we go and play and do sports once a week. We are not able to go more often because it is too hot. Nicaragua 's temperature is generally, year round from 28 to 40 degree Celsius. Very hot and no winter…just from May until October

we have rains but it is still hot and damp. In that program we collected about 8 big bags of garbage and we were very inspired to see the kids, especially the small ones doing it with so much desire and happiness.



Dance and Folk is a regular class every week and we have been able slowly to make more clothing for the different performances over the year. The not very bright side of the school is the lack of space, that does not permit sports and gardening among other things, or even running, but hopefully we can have another building one day.
Another issue is the realities of many kids that demand a lot of skills from the teachers to guide them away from distraction and hyperactivity in the class room. Most of the families that live here in Nicaragua and are below the economical standard. The children's home upbringing if often not reflective of neohumanist values. As a result the children come to the schools filled with inappropriate behavior, but over the year they do adjust little by little and see that here is another reality. That's why I mentioned the bubble because many of these beautiful souls feel that to experience and remember Love are the greater things they can experience in life.
 

 

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Sustainable Development Studies