LIfe-Advancing Programs
Providing job and training opportunities for adolescents and youth.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM
Life-transforming programs include fast-track income generation, pursuers of advanced education, and job training programs.
Providing vital job skills and training opportunities to advance income-generating youth in our local church partnerships in Nicaragua by creating pathways out of poverty in one of the poorest countries in Central America.
THESE CORE LIFE-ADVANCING PROGRAMS SHATTER CYCLES OF POVERTY BY CREATING RESILIENT AND FRUITFUL YOUTH WHO ARE EDUCATED, SPIRITUALLY MATURE, DEPENDABLE, CAPABLE AND OPTIMISTIC—EMBODYING OUR MISSION TO SUPPORT VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
MISSION 14® JOB TRAINING PROGRAM
The Mission 14 Sewing School offers young adults from our Life Transforming Local Church Partnerships with specialized training opportunities to secure employment that breaks generational poverty cycles. This program represents innovative Nicaragua humanitarian aid focused on sustainable development rather than temporary relief.
We proudly partner with Mission 14 to create stable employment opportunities in Nicaragua’s garment manufacturing industry, demonstrating how faith-based charities in Central America can address root causes of poverty.
SEWING SKILLS TRAINING COURSE
Textiles and garment manufacturing represent major economic sectors in Nicaragua. Our successful partnership with Mission 14 trains young people as sewing operators, immediately increasing their personal income by at least five times—addressing the dire Nicaragua child poverty statistics by empowering the next generation with marketable skills.
Technical classes run five weeks and include comprehensive life skills training in conflict resolution, budgeting, interview preparation, and resume development. Typical classes include 15-20 students, creating meaningful impact for their futures, fueled by the support of our gift partners.
SEWING MACHINE MECHANICS TRAINING COURSE
Developed in 2022 by our partners at Mission 14, this specialized course provides highly sought-after sewing machine repair skills previously unavailable within Nicaragua. These mechanical positions can pay 2-3 times the rate of sewing machine operators, offering a powerful path to economic independence.
These technical classes require 12 weeks to complete and include foundational learning in production tools, processes, and essential life skills. This program exemplifies effective business philanthropy in Central America by creating sustainable career pathways for families trapped in generational poverty.
HOME & COMMUNITY GARDENS
A critical capability in helping children in Nicaragua is creating reliable food sources. Local church and local school gardens provide meal stability, barter opportunities, and cultivate self-confidence. Training includes seed sourcing and aligning crops with appropriate growing seasons.
In 2025, 27 gardens are supporting sustainable farming practices, demonstrating how Nicaragua charity organizations can address immediate hunger while building long-term food security.
MISSION 14®: STRATEGIC PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERSHIP
Today, Mission 14® provides impoverished families pathways out of poverty through an innovative sewing training center in Managua, Nicaragua. This exemplifies how business leadership in global development creates sustainable change.
When speaking about the hundreds of jobs created, Cienski explained, “Our focus was never just to teach; our focus was to break the cycle of poverty that exists in this place… For us it was always about jobs.”
You can help provide job skills training and break poverty cycles in Nicaragua. Through tax-deductible charitable giving, your donation creates lasting change. Donate today!
