The Project We Support
Casa Hogar Madre Albertina
Currently, Alegría is still in its initial phase and mainly supports the "Casa Hogar Madre Albertina" girl’s home in Granada, Nicaragua. This project is the heart of the social upliftment association and has inspired the creation of Alegría. In special circumstances another small project can be supported, always with the focus on women and children.
The girl´s home is located in Granada, the third largest city of Nicaragua. It is a day home for girls in vulnerable situations who are exposed to high risk situations of any kind of abuse or neglect.
The girl´s home is run by nuns of the "Siervas Misioneras de Cristo Rey" and a technical team, a psychologist , and several nursery helpers. The aim of the home is to give the girls a family-like environment in which they can grow up surrounded by love and stability. The help and support offered by the home includes completing their education in a local community school, learning from the sister’s faith, cultivating humanistic values, and fostering good habits. The girls attend this home from ages 4 to 14 years and can stay until the age of 18 after finishing school. Girls who want to continue to study at a university level might receive special financial support.
At present, around 45 girls benefit from the home. During their free-time, life takes place in the yard which consists of a small sports field, a vegetable garden and a study hall. Here, the girls’ study, read and play. Once a day, the girls come together with the sisters in a small chapel for prayer. In addition to school education, the home has numerous recreational activities such as dancing, painting, crafts, and sports. It also offers seminars on health and nutrition topics as part of the efforts to promote good habits.
Each girl also participates in individual therapy offered by trained psychologists. The psychologists' therapeutic interventions for the girls are an important part of the work at the Casa Hogar de Niñas Madre Albertina. This offers support to the children in coping with their fate and prepares them for a better future. Furthermore, the nuns play a decisive role for the girls by being spiritual companions and mother-like figures.
The purpose of this home is to protect, educate, and empower these girls so that they have a chance for a better life in the years to come. In the following website you will find more information about the project.
Organisation & Fund in the UK serves a major donor to this project:
Nicaragua
Nicaragua's geographic location is unique in many ways: The Central American "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes" borders Honduras and Costa Rica and separates the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. Its visitors are enchanted with its lovable, open-hearted people and the exceptionally diverse flora and fauna. In the east of the country is the crystal blue Caribbean Sea with white sandy beaches, and in the west the wild Pacific boasts its huge powerful waves. Between the two oceans are tropical forests, volcanoes, lakes and charming colonial-style towns.
Despite its paradisiacal nature, Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and suffers from many social problems. The consequences of poverty and the lack of opportunities often leads many men to alcohol abuse, with subsequent acts of aggression and increased crime rates. Domestic violence, fear and exploitation characterize the lives of many women and children in Nicaragua. Especially in recent years, violence against women and children has risen: many young people are victims of sexual violence, which often takes place in the immediate family. Furthermore, there is a negative side to increased tourism with a growing market for sex trade whereby few viable concepts from the state are in place to counter-attack these developments.
A beautiful country with many challenges
