My Nonprofit Reviews

I met the director of FNEI, Michael Cippoletti, through my sons who had traveled to Nicaragua on several service trips- Each time they returned they expressed deep gratitude for their experiences and learning about a new culture. I began going on trips with other educators. We helped to build safe homes for families and also worked in a special education school with the students and provided workshops for the teachers. Each trip was so well planned and included visiting historic sites, volcanoes, beaches and a beautiful lagoon. We visited a family that makes pottery and had a chance to work with the clay- we visited a beekeepers farm and learned about beekeeping - we learned how to make eco stoves for families... FNEI has expanded it's reach with FNExplore - to engage travelers who want to see the sights in Nicaragua, Peru and Dominican Republic and also get to see firsthand the important projects that FNEI is involved in - Education, housing, infrastructure and medical interventions. Through FNExplore I traveled with my husband to Peru last year- what an incredible experience! We ate at Michelin star restaurants in Lima, stayed at a lodge in the Amazon and rubbed the belly of the resident tapir, and hiked Machu Picchu - the trip of a lifetime! In addition, we got to see some of the work FNEI does - we met people from a community in the mountains in Lima that received eco toilets provided by FNEI through donations and installed by FNEI volunteers. Having the community eco toilet greatly improved their safety and hygiene- things we take for granted. We also got to see medical staff meeting with people from surrounding villages to be evaluated for cataract surgery.
I can't imagine how many lives were changed over the years because of this organization ! I encourage anyone and everyone to get involved!