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Spirit of Hope : The Organizations: Empowerment International (www.empowermentinternational.org) Empowerment International’s approach addresses the root cause and the plight of many street children. Street children generally come from poor families. They cannot attend school even where public education is free due to lack of funds for mandatory uniforms and school supplies. They also lack emotional support from their families. Instead of being educated, they are sent out to work on the streets selling fruits, vegetables, and trinkets. Empowerment International reverses this trend by working with the children and their families to enable them to attend school through helping them overcome the barriers that prevent them from attending and continuing to attend school. When these children receive an education, they are able to stay off the streets, find better jobs, and eventually break the cycle of poverty that has haunted their families for generations. About Samaritan’s Purse Canada: Samaritan's Purse Canada is the Canadian arm of a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization that has been providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world since 1970. Through working directly with communities, Samaritan’s Purse is helping break the cycle of poverty and exploitation – giving them hope for a better tomorrow. Whether it be immediate relief through medical, water, and emergency relief projects, or longer term through supporting children’s education and skills training for adults – Samaritan’s Purse is there to demonstrate a greater love to all people. Currently in Nicaragua, Samaritan’s Purse Canada works with Verbo Ministries in Bluefields by helping build new classrooms which will teach children who live in the nearby garbage dump. Samaritan’s Purse also provides funding for the operation of the Verbo school, which in turn gives the children a leading education (students and teachers have ranked in the top 10 in national competitions). Photographers: Kathy Adams: Arriving in Central America in 1998 as an engineer at Intel, Kathy found her true calling, helping at risk children who spent way too much time on the streets, attend school. Today Kathy has left her former career and works fully in the organization she founded, Empowerment International, focusing on 256 children and their families in two barrios outside of Granada Nicaragua. Reviving her hobby of photography in 2005 when she purchased her first SLR digital camera, Kathy uses photography as a means of sharing with the world the work in progress of Empowerment International and the beauty of the people in this very impoverished nation. Kathy currently resides in Granada, Nicaragua and returns to Empowerment International’s home base in the United States; Lyons, Colorado annually. Jonathan Hung: Jon is a software designer and developer at the University of Toronto. In March 2007 and 2008, he traveled to Bluefields, Nicaragua as part of a mission team organized through Samaritan’s Purse. Upset by the poverty in Nicaragua, Jon founded Nicaragua Hope (www.nicaraguahope.org), a website dedicated to raising awareness of the social and humanitarian issues in Nicaragua. Since 2007, the site has raised over $1000 for charities in Nicaragua, and has connected willing people to organizations in the field. Jon is married and is the father of two young children. He is also a photography hobbyist, and runs a young photography business called Charitable Photo whose profits are given to charities in Nicaragua.

Spirit of Hope

Galleries

Mi Camera Toronto :

Mi Camera Toronto

Updated: Sep 25, 2009 9:11am PST

Spirit of Hope : The Organizations: Empowerment International (www.empowermentinternational.org) Empowerment International’s approach addresses the root cause and the plight of many street children. Street children generally come from poor families. They cannot attend school even where public education is free due to lack of funds for mandatory uniforms and school supplies. They also lack emotional support from their families. Instead of being educated, they are sent out to work on the streets selling fruits, vegetables, and trinkets. Empowerment International reverses this trend by working with the children and their families to enable them to attend school through helping them overcome the barriers that prevent them from attending and continuing to attend school. When these children receive an education, they are able to stay off the streets, find better jobs, and eventually break the cycle of poverty that has haunted their families for generations. About Samaritan’s Purse Canada: Samaritan's Purse Canada is the Canadian arm of a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization that has been providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world since 1970. Through working directly with communities, Samaritan’s Purse is helping break the cycle of poverty and exploitation – giving them hope for a better tomorrow. Whether it be immediate relief through medical, water, and emergency relief projects, or longer term through supporting children’s education and skills training for adults – Samaritan’s Purse is there to demonstrate a greater love to all people. Currently in Nicaragua, Samaritan’s Purse Canada works with Verbo Ministries in Bluefields by helping build new classrooms which will teach children who live in the nearby garbage dump. Samaritan’s Purse also provides funding for the operation of the Verbo school, which in turn gives the children a leading education (students and teachers have ranked in the top 10 in national competitions). Photographers: Kathy Adams: Arriving in Central America in 1998 as an engineer at Intel, Kathy found her true calling, helping at risk children who spent way too much time on the streets, attend school. Today Kathy has left her former career and works fully in the organization she founded, Empowerment International, focusing on 256 children and their families in two barrios outside of Granada Nicaragua. Reviving her hobby of photography in 2005 when she purchased her first SLR digital camera, Kathy uses photography as a means of sharing with the world the work in progress of Empowerment International and the beauty of the people in this very impoverished nation. Kathy currently resides in Granada, Nicaragua and returns to Empowerment International’s home base in the United States; Lyons, Colorado annually. Jonathan Hung: Jon is a software designer and developer at the University of Toronto. In March 2007 and 2008, he traveled to Bluefields, Nicaragua as part of a mission team organized through Samaritan’s Purse. Upset by the poverty in Nicaragua, Jon founded Nicaragua Hope (www.nicaraguahope.org), a website dedicated to raising awareness of the social and humanitarian issues in Nicaragua. Since 2007, the site has raised over $1000 for charities in Nicaragua, and has connected willing people to organizations in the field. Jon is married and is the father of two young children. He is also a photography hobbyist, and runs a young photography business called Charitable Photo whose profits are given to charities in Nicaragua.

Spirit of Hope

The artists :

The artists

Updated: Jan 15, 2009 1:05pm PST

Mi Camera, Mi Mundo (My Camera, My World) : Eight of Empowerment International's children (ages 11 to 16) have been chosen to present at an exhibition in Nicaragua's tourist town San Juan del Sur. These photos are the photos that are currently being shown in Gallera del Sur. You can be a part of this exciting show and purchase your favorite photo here. All proceeds go back into the program and 5% goes to the young artist in a savings account in their name.

Mi Camera, Mi Mundo (My Camera, My World)

Eight of Empowerment International's children (ages 11 to 16) have be ...

Updated: Dec 20, 2008 10:47am PST