Paul and Laura Manship, Author at Shoulder to Shoulder, Inc.

February 23, 2023August 3, 2023

Eggs: Enticing Mothers to Come to the Health Center

By Laura Failla Manship – Executive Director

Mothers, fathers, and children at health center

For the past two years, we have been writing about two of the benefits of our “Hens Hatching Hope: Un Huevo Cada Dia” project. Those are:(1) Eggs provide much needed nutrients to the target group of children from 6 months of age to 3 years of age; and

(2) The microloans, and StS’s purchases of eggs, help to sustain 25 women run small hen raising businesses.

Today we want to write about a third benefit of the project. This is: mothers (or fathers) can only receive their vouchers for 30 free eggs by attending a monthly health check up at their local health center.

During this visit, not only do they receive the vouchers, but they are seen by a Health Promotor, who weighs and measures the child, and answers any medical questions the family might have. If there are any medical issues, a consultation with the medical provider happens right then and there. As an added bonus, health education presentations are also provided to the parents.

The local medical providers are thrilled that due to the Hen Hatching Hope project, there is an almost 100% attendance rate at these monthly visits. Free eggs entice the mothers to come — but the education the families receive, and the medical care received, are invaluable assets to improving health outcomes for the 400 children in the project.

Thank you to all of our Hens Hatching Hope supporters!

January 24, 2023August 3, 2023

Investing in our Scholars

By Mariela Rodriguez – Communications Coordinator

Robert, Yeimy and their family

As a new school year is quickly approaching, we reflect on our students’ accomplishments in 2022. With your help, 19 scholarship recipients graduated from high school in 2022. We are excited to have another generation of youth who are reaching their goals and defying the odds to finish their secondary eduations.Another great accomplishment in 2022 was our partnership with The Christine Merveil Never Back Down Foundation whose mission it is to sponsor underserved youth with vocational skills training, entrepeneurship education and establishing microbusinesses. Our first scholar recipient, Robert, received funding to cover barber training and equip him with materials to open a shop. His sister, Yeimy, was also selected as a recipient and is currently in beauty school.

Additionally, Shoulder to Shoulder provided the siblings with funds to renovate a business work space. Together, these two siblings are sharing a business to help support their family — which includes their single mother who cares full-time for a handicapped sister. Meanwhile, Robert continues to study on the weekends! We are happy to stand behind their family and believe in these two youths’ abilities, equipping them to build a brighter future for themselves and their family.

Click here to watch a video of this exciting collaboration.

We cannot wait for what 2023 will have in store for our students and this new partnership. We thank you for choosing to support and believe in our youth.

December 2, 2022August 3, 2023

2022: Continued Success

By Mariela Rodriguez – Communications Coordinator

Student at Reading Competition

Dear Donor,We are in awe of how quickly another school year has come to a close and with it a reflection of many successes in our team’s work. Alongside teachers, the Intibuca Education department and local mayors, we have accomplished so much and cannot wait for what 2023 will bring.

At the Education Department level, we expanded our Reading Contest Program for the first time to all 17 municipalities. A competition event took place where 100 schools and 7,000 students participated. Students entered written essays and the final contestants presented an oral summary of one book at the event. A live Kolibri evaluation was also projected during the event to demonstrate the platform’s potential, intriguing non-Kolibri teachers present. There was even a commitment from the Department Director to continue the Reading Contest Program yearly.

We have had success in meeting with 16 of the 17 municipal mayors of Intibuca to seek their commitment in providing an IT support for their Kolibri schools for the coming year. Moreover, another mayor has purchased TVs for their Kolibri schools. And another sent tablets, gifted from multiple non-profits, to be loaded with Kolibri by Shoulder to Shoulder FOR A PROFIT. After several years focusing on content development we are proud of our on-the-ground team’s potential to bring in funds and help itself out. We look forward to finding even more ways to create sustainability.

Finally, we are filled with hope for 2023 as we have received funding once more from the U.S. Embassy, $30,000, to support our team’s work. Our partnership with the U.S. Embassy has been ongoing for several years now and we hope to continue being recognized for the work we do in our communities and the impact it is having year after year.

Look for more reports in the coming year of what our team is up to and how we are continuing to bring change and innovation to our children’s education.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from Shoulder to Shoulder!