buildOn Global
Education Is a Vital Human Right
We believe that the best way to eradicate poverty is to ensure that all people have access to a quality education. That’s why buildOn partners with rural communities in developing countries, empowering local residents to build schools, enroll out-of-school children, and educate adult learners.
Global Impact
Schools built in low-income countries
Children and adults attend buildOn schools
Volunteer work days contributed by community members
Where We Serve
We build schools in eight of the economically poorest countries on the planet, providing access to education to hundreds of thousands of children, parents, and grandparents.
Nicaragua
The UN Human Development Index ranks Nicaragua as the 4th poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and a disproportionately large number of those living in poverty are women.
The Facts
Schools built
Students enrolled in school
I told the engineer, I don’t care if I lose a part of my crops because I’m working at the school, we can’t lose this project. If I lose an acre of beans this year, then next year I can plant it and get it back. If we miss this opportunity to have a school, we may never get it back.
Learn More About Nicaragua Programs
Our Global Movement
Education is a vital human right, yet most of the world’s people living in extreme poverty lack basic education. We’re committed to changing that. In the world’s economically poorest countries, buildOn empowers local residents to take the lead in bringing education and opportunity to their communities.
buildOn works in eight different countries across four continents to build schools with villages that lack adequate classrooms. Oftentimes, students have been learning in huts or under trees in all weather conditions, or they’ve been forced to walk several miles every day to the nearest school. Many have never set foot in a classroom.
Before breaking ground on their school, every community member signs the buildOn Covenant—a solemn promise between buildOn and the village outlining our contribution to the project. We contribute engineering, materials, and skilled labor. Each village provides land, local materials, and the weeks of labor it takes to build the school. Every village also promises to send girls and boys to school in equal numbers.
Once a school is complete, buildOn staff closely monitor and evaluate its success. Communities that continue to honor their Covenant—through a proven commitment to cooperation, education, and gender equality—are considered for second schools.
Our sustainable approach ensures that schools are built with a community, not for a community—because the people we work with are true partners, not recipients of aid.
Our Global Programs Need Your Help
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The Key Pillars of our Methodology
Our Commitment
Before breaking ground on their school, every community member signs the buildOn Covenant—a solemn promise between buildOn and the village outlining our contributions to the project. We contribute engineering, materials, and skilled labor. Each village provides land, local materials, and the weeks of labor it takes to build the school. This approach ensures that schools are built with a community, not for a community.
Stories That Inspire
