We have made the commitment and investment to allow everyone to enjoy the beauties of Ometepe and to participate in our mission for sustainable and responsible living. The restaurant/sitting area has ramped access as do the rooms on the second floor (even if you are not staying up here, the view of the lake is beautiful and it's a great place to read). For the day visitor or dorm user, there is a communal bathroom, shower, and sink designed for easy wheelchair use.
Education
We at Hacienda Mérida consider the education of Nicaragua's population of utmost importance. We have set up programs to improve the education in the rural community in which we operate; as we expand, we are able to offer the same programs to children in the nearby communities. This affords them the possibility of a better future. Below follows an overview of what we are doing:
Why Our Focus on Education?
Education is a crucial force for change. In Nicaragua, education needs to be radically revised. Only 2% of our children finish high school and 62% do not even reach fifth grade; as a result, 30% of the population is illiterate. In our bilingual school, we get ten year old kids who want to learn English, but don't even know how to read and write in their own language; some don't even know the alphabet. The "one laptop per child" slogan of some organizations simplifies the real deep-seated problems in countries like Nicaragua; discipline, attendance, and participation are inadequate in the schools and the physical materials needed for learning are lacking, like paper, pens, and textbooks, let alone laptops. With a young daughter of his own, the proprietor of Hacienda Merida, Alvaro Molina, wants to ensure better education for the nation's future.
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Howler’s Journey Storybook | Educational Projects |
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Migratory Birds Project | Educational Projects |
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Volunteering at the CICO Preschool Center | Educational Projects |
Plans for the Future
Due to generous donations, we have recently acquired laptops and are getting more soon. These laptops are very small and light and the ones coming in have a 6 hour battery life. We plan to use Hacienda Merida's mountain bikes to bike them into rural communities. If we can get the children interested in learning and teach them basic skills for the working world, we can expand their prospects for the future.Getting there
Hotel Hacienda Merida
Maderas Volcano, Ometepe Island
Rivas-Nicaragua
Email: haciendamerida@gmail.com
Web Page: www.hmerida.com
Tel: (505) 8868 8973 / 8894 2551
Skype Name: hacienda.merida
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