You can help by sponsoring a child!

$20 provides a child education in English or Computers for one year.

$100 allows an adult to take a nationally certified English language course for 1 year.

$120 allows an adult to take a nationally certified Computer course for 1 year.

$400 provides a 1-year University scholarship to a deserving student who has demonstrated high achievement.

$1,600 provides a full 4-year University scholarship to a deserving student who has demonstrated high achievement.

About our Sponsor

The Mark and Kathryn Ford Family Foundation

FunLimón provides a wide range of educational and leisure services to Nicaraguans living in El Limón vicinity. Classes for children and adults are offered in nationally accredited classes in literacy, English, computer programming, and programs in a variety of trades such as plumbing, electric, air-conditioning maintenance, and more. FunLimón also serves as a modern sports complex for the local community as well as owners and visitors of Rancho Santana. We have regulation baseball, basketball, and soccer fields, a full-sized gym, a martial arts studio, an aerobics center, and more.

FunLimón was started and funded by Mark Ford and the Mark and Kathryn Ford Family Foundation in 2008, with the goal of providing health and educational benefits to Nicaraguans living in the Limon vicinity in ways that are responsible, measurable, and sustainable. Our motto, “Do less harm, than good” reminds us that good intentions often result in unanticipated, negative consequences, and that among the most negative are feelings of dependency and entitlement in those served. For over 20 years, we have developed, revised, and redeveloped our programs with that rue in mind. And we believe we’ve done a good job of it. We want you to think so too. And if you do, we’d like your support.

Two of our core principles are self-reliance and individual responsability. We recognize that life is not fair and that some people have more good things, including good luck, than others. And so, because of that, it’s nearly impossible for any one of us to expect to be taken care of by others. We can appreciate the benefits we get from others, but at the same time we each take on the primary responsibility for improving our own lives because without taking personal responsibility for our future, we don’t have a base to stand on.

We also believe that traditional family values and respect for others are a necessary component of presenting oneself positively in the world. Thus, we expect from everyone we serve good manners, good behavior, and gratitude. Toward that end, we require that all requests for assistance must begin with a formal request identifying what exactly is needed and why, an explanation as to how the granting of the request will measurably improve the situation, and how the recipient of the benefit can “pay forward” the help to another.

Another idea that underlines all we do is thought that giving anything for “free” is usually a bad idea and usually results in unwelcome outcomes. There was a time when we offered most of our benefits and services for free. But through experience, we found that giving away anything for free is a bad idea. The world has a natural economy that gives greater value to things that must be earned. For several years our courses had attrition rates of nearly 50%. But when we began charging a nominal fee for them, those rates dropped sharply to nearly 10%. Moreover, the gradutaion and completion rates soared.

This is the philosophy with which we steward every dollar donated to us. It’s how we expect each dollar we donate to FunLimón to be used, and we make the same commitment to you.