1. Introduction
  2. Welcome to the new scholarship students for 2017
  3. Annual Meeting of the USA Board of Directors of Fundación A. Jean Brugger
  4. Seniors Citizens Program: Celebration on Valentine's Day
  5. School supplies program
1.Introduction

The first three months are always a busy time for Fundación A. Jean Brugger because it is the beginning of the school year in Nicaragua. Each year in this time we welcome new scholarship students, distribute school supplies to provide a good start for the year to some of the area's poorest students, and host the annual meeting of the US Board of Directors. In addition we always present a special Valentine's Day program for our senior citizens.

In this sense we present a brief information of the results of the four great activities carried out in the first three months of the year mentioned above.

On February 3, Fundación A. Jean Brugger welcomed 7 new scholarship students in a special meeting. The objective of the meeting was to familiarize them with the objectives, mission, and social programs of the Fundación. The topics included reading the main clauses of the scholarship contract and discussing the rules of the scholarship program and the community service obligation. It should be noted that the 7 new scholars are from both rural communities and the urban part of San Juan del Sur.

We introduce you to our new students:
 
1. María Sánchez, studying accounting at UPOLI-RIVAS / Sponsor Anders Floderus.

2. Idalia Martínez, studying nursing at UPOLI-RIVAS / Sponsor Dewey Gantz.

3. Ruddy Fletes, studying Systems Engineering UPOLI-RIVAS / Sponsor Dr. Gregory Houston.

4. Juan Solís, studying Special Education at Rivas High School / Samuel UCC Church Sponsor.

5. Denisse Tenorio, studying Customs Administration UCAN-MASAYA / Sponsor Mark & Beverly Campbell.

6. Brandon Vargas, studying medicine at UCN-JINOTEPE / Sponsor DOCTOR FOR DOCTOR and NURSE FOR NURSE.

   7. Lilieth Jimenez, studying Marketing, UPOLI-RIVAS / Diane Tillotson

We thank the sponsors for believing and trusting in the Fundación A. Jean Brugger Scholarship Program. With their support, we continue to contribute to the professional and human development of young people in the different communities of San Juan del Sur.

Figure 1. (from left to right row of back) Ruddy Fletes, Idalia Martinez, Juan Luis Solis. (From left to right row forward) Denisse Tenorio, Jean Brugger (Founder of A. Jean Brugger Foundation) María José Sánchez, Brandon Vargas.

Figure 2. Idalia Martinez and her sponsor Dewey Gantz (Board Member of the A. Jean Brugger Foundation)
Figure 3. Lilieth Jiménez and her sponsor Diane Tillotson (Board Member of the A. Jean Brugger Foundation)
 














     

Selected candidates waiting for scholarships.

We still have the challenge of  finding  sponsors to provide  the  educational opportunities and fulfill the dream of being  a professional  to 5 young people who have met the requirements and criteria to be selected  as  candidates  for a scholarship . 


Figure 4. Ingrid Pérez /
Business Administration
Figure 5. Lismadiela Báez / Medicine
                                 










                                     


Figure 8. Jose Flores / Systems Engineering
Figure 6.Samuel López / Tourist and Hotel Management
Figure 7. Joselin Romero / Dentistry
 


If you would like to know more about one of these students, or if you are interested in sponsoring a student?


Each year in February the Fundación A. Jean Brugger organizes a reception with members of the USA and Nica Board of Directors, scholarship students, graduates from previous years and the Fundación staff .

On February 10, this reception was held at the El Globo Restaurant , which was attended by 30 students of the scholarship program. The new scholarship students were presented to the Board .

Thanks to the board members who are a fundamental part of the development of the programs carried out by the Fundación A. Jean Brugger. Thanks also because some members are sponsors of a student of the scholarship program and this brings a positive change in the life of these young people. Thanks to this scholarship they can reach their goals and culminate their professional career.

Figure 9. Members of the Board, scholarship students, graduates and staff of 2016 Fundacion A. Jean Brugger.

Figure 10. Presentation of Project Community Social Service Board by A. Jean Brugger Foundation scholarship students in the careers of Economics.

Figure 11. Members of the USA Board of Directors, Jean Brugger, Executive Director and director of social programs of Fundación A. Jean Brugger.

This is the first activity for the elders in 2017 , this time in honor of Valentine's Day, where our elderly people enjoyed dancing, singing, competing to win prizes and finally enjoyed an exquisite lunch at El Timon Restaurant. This day brought joy and recreation to our dear elderly.

We thank all the people who helped to make this event possible , especially Kathy Knight and her friends, the local companies: Restaurante el Timon, Discover San Juan del Sur, Cafe El Gato Negro, Staff of Pelican Eyes, Legal Solutions, and students of the Fundación A. Jean Brugger scholarship program.


Figure 12. Jean Brugger, Vilma Bustos, Dewey Gantz and Katie Knight (from left to right) at the Valentine's Day Celebration of the Seniors Program.

Figure 13. Martha Vélez Vice-President of the Board of Directors in Nicaragua giving a prize to the winner of poetry in the activity of the elderly of Valentine´s day.

Figure 14. Dancing the piñata

 Would you like to sponsor an activity for the Senior Citizens Program?



Each February (the beginning of the school year in Nicaragua) the Fundación A. Jean Brugger delivers school supplies benefiting more than 150 children and adolescents in the municipality of San Juan del Sur. This school supply progam consists of the delivery of backpacks filled with school supplies to each child in a chosen school, and also provides teaching materials to the teachers. The student backpacks contain notebooks, erasers, scissors, pencils and pens, watercolors, colored pencils, etc. 

The school supplies program is sponsored by  the CANNONBALL GROUP NICARAGUA (an organization of friends from the USA). One of its members, Ms. Sandy Sheil, has been a long-time donor visiting the Fundación each year with the sole objective of donating school materials and other items to be distributed among the most deprived population of the area. This group's financial support allows for the purchase of 100 backpacks and some of the school supplies to fill them.

Each year we are visited by groups of volunteers offering to contribute to the progam and to help deliver the backpacks to the schools. In the first three months of 2017 three groups accompanied us to deliver school supplies to children and pre-school teachers.

The employees of Quadbridge, in SJDS on retreat, donated the funds to buy school supplies to fill backpacks they brought with them, including paints and modeling clay. The group also brought clothes and toys for the children and enjoyed a piñata.

This group benefited 80 children from the Sauda Bikerland School in the community of Las Delicias.

We are grateful to Quadbridge and its employees for helping to improve educational opportunities in our community.

Figure 15. Boys and girls of the Sauda Bikerland School with the Quadbridge Group.

This year the Fundación A. Jean Brugger decided to leave the San Juan del Sur region and benefit pre-school children with many needs in the communities around Cárdenas (a municipality on the coast of the Great Lake of Nicaragua), that is east of San Juan del Sur.

Figure 16. Map of Department of Rivas and its municipalities


Figure 17. Map of Nicaragua
 
100 backpacks with school supplies were delivered to three schools in the municipality of Cárdenas, accompanied by Clare and August Adams and Beverly Campbell who also donated part of school, especially games to stimulate psychomotor development of children, these 100 backpacks were distributed as follows:

1)  
Divino Niño School in the community of Sapoa benefited 40 preschool children.


Figure 18. Boys and girls of the Divino Niño School in the municipality of Sapoa along with other collaborators of this delivery of school supplies, Clare and August Adams and Beverly Campbell.

2) Eloy Canales School in the community of Sota Caballo benefited 15  Preschool boys and girls.


Figure 19. Children of the Eloy Canales school with their backpacks of school supplies


3) Gil González School in the municipality of Cárdenas benefited 45 preschool children.


Figure 20. Children of School Gil Gonzalez getting his backpack with school supplies.


The  Medwid family from the state of Michigan, USA donated a variety of school supplies, benefiting 31 preschool children in the Nuevo Amanecer school in the Carlos Hollman neighborhood and 1 teacher who was given a variety of teaching materials to support pre-school education.

Figure 21. Medwid family and friends with preschool children Nuevo Amanecer.

In the office of the Fundación A. Jean Brugger, 4 school packages were delivered to children from families with low economic resources who requested help at the start of the 2017 school year.

In total, 215 packages of school supplies have been delivered to boys and girls in the first three months of 2017. The Fundación A. Jean Brugger appreciates the efforts made by supporters of the School Supplies Program, including Hotel Posada Azul in San Juan del Sur, Natalie and Sean Kirk, and Rosemary Quiñonez.

Figure 22. Sean and Natalie Kirk handing out school supplies to our Executive Director Vilma Bustos.

Illustration 23. Mrs. Rosmery Quiñonez delivering donation of school supplies Alvaro Novoa Foundation Program Director A. Jean Brugger.


Would you like to support the school supplies program?