"Project Ezra" (taken from a famous Biblical educator-Ezra 7:10) was initiated in 1986 during a time of war in Nicaragua as a response to a desperate refugee situation.
A war that erupted in 1980 along the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua between the Sandinista government (their Cuban teachers, Soviet advisors, Bulgarian soldiers, and other atheistic/communist elements) and the local indigenous population of Miskitos, Suma, Rama, and Creoles resulted in over 40,000 refugees fleeing to neighboring Honduras.
By 1986, most of these refugee children had been without education for five or more years.
Sharon and Earl Washburn arrived in a Honduran village name Auka near the Nicaraguan border where Truman Cunningham, Michael Bagby, and others had set up a relief distrubution center to help Miskito Indian refugees from the Sandinista war in Nicaragua. They spent a month training four adults, and established schools in four villages.
Michael travelled to Tegucigalpa to find school books. There he met Victoria Palacios, a professor of education at the National University, who volunteered to help train the "Project Ezra" teachers. With her help, along with Earl & Sharon, Ron Bross, John Freyer, Debbie Cash, Elia Mejia, and others, Project Ezra expanded over the next year to include 12 villages and employ 24 Miskito Indian teachers.
In 1990, the war ended in Nicaragua, and Humberto Belli, the new Minister of Education, invited Project Ezra o become part of the Nicaraguan public school system. We accepted, and now Seek The Lamb has official charge of education in 17 communities along the lower Rio Coco.
Our school project employs over 80 teachers and administrators, teaching grades K thru 9, in one of the most remote corners of the Western Hemisphere. Yet our students have achieved academic levels equal to or better than most of the students in Nicaragua! This is because of our constant supervision, teacher training, and most of all the spiritual emphasis of our curriculum. We begin each day teaching the Bible in the native language, Miskito.
In addition, our teachers have a personal interest in this project as over 46 of our teachers began their education as first graders in Project Ezra schools in the 80's and 90's!
This year, Project Ezra is educating 2513 students, grades Kinder thru 9th. This is all possible through many prayers, and financial support to Seek The Lamb through donations, sponsorship of children and teachers, and profits from Rio Coco Bean coffee sales.
Our Project Ezra leadership team is well educated, tri-lingual, and well traveled.
From left to right in this photo, you can see them: Onofre Zamora is a professional educator who has attended the Haggai Institute on Maui. He trains teachers and pastors, and hosts a radio show three nights a week. Truman Cunningham is the project director, and also an elected consejal to the Autonomous Regional government. Rodolio Cunningham holds a college degree in computer systems, and handles records. Augusto VIcente serves as superintendent of school, and is a worship leader. Danilo Cunningham was educated in ministry in Jerusalem Israel andMaui Hawaii, and is a professional educator who trains teachers and pastors. Maik Bagby is a Bible teacher, aviator, coffee roaster, and photographer. With the exception of Rodolio, all have attended courses on Biblical culture given in Israel by Dr. Randall Smith, one of the best Bible teachers/archeologists.
Please consider joining our team by sponsoring a child, a teacher, or purchasing Rio Coco Bean Coffee.
For more information, contact us at lambagby@cs.com. or 
772-770-2985
.
Comments