Empowerment International – Engaging Closely with Children and Parents

Empowerment International
Image: empowermentinternational.org

A financial executive based in New York, Sebastian Palazio maintains a strong community focus and believes that education plays a vital role in helping people overcome poverty. Sebastian Palazio had the opportunity to meet Kathy Adams in Granada some years ago and see firsthand her efforts to engage with poor children and convince their families of the importance of education.

Ms. Adams’ nonprofit Empowerment International (EI) organizes a variety of initiatives, including a primary school program that provides support to individual children at a variety of levels. Field staff are assigned to specific children and engage closely with their families through home visits and continuous mentorship and encouragement. At the same time, volunteers, who are also secondary school students within the program, provide tutoring in subjects from language to math.

The EI Center provides a safe place for children to learn and grow, and where they have access to a full range of educational games and books. They also partake in field trips and access support at a number of points in their daily lives. At the same time, a Home Visits program focuses on close communication with parents. Building mutual trust, staff members provide parents with tools that enable them to foster a supportive learning environment at home.

The Yucatan Peninsula’s Unique Cenote Sinkholes

Tulum Mexico

 

Based in New York, Sebastian Palazio is a financial professional who has traveled widely in locales from Southeast Asia to Central America. One of Sebastian Palazio’s favorite countries is Mexico, which he lived in for a year as a youth, and he is interested exploring the history and cuisine further.

Situated in southern Mexico, bordering Belize and Guatemala, the Yucatán Peninsula is one of the lushest and most Mayan influenced areas of the country. It is best known for its beaches around Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, and also features coastal Mayan ruins in Tulum. One of the unique natural features of the area are cenotes, or bedrock limestone sinkholes that form when caverns collapse.

Forming an interconnected body of freshwater pools, cenotes are characterized by pure, clean groundwater that is rich in minerals and support surprisingly diverse life, including algae and small fish. With the name meaning sacred well, local Mayan people used cenotes to replenish fresh water and as hiding places during the Colonial era. They also considered the often deep sinkholes as portals to the underworld. The Yucatán features more than 3,000 cenotes, some in their natural state and others popular as diving and snorkeling locations.

Taj Mahal – A Monument to Love

Taj Mahal
Image: tajmahal.gov.in

A businessman with a background in finance, Sebastian Palazio served Abinger Capital as managing director. When not working, Sebastian Palazio enjoys international travel. One of his trips took him to the iconic Taj Mahal in India.

Included among the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal was created by Emperor Shah Jahan, who reigned over the Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1658. Though the building, composed of white marble, is itself striking to behold, the story behind its construction adds significantly to its meaning.

The Taj Mahal is actually a tomb for a woman named Mumtaz Mahal, who Shah Jahan married in 1612. The two were deeply in love and inseparable, and when Mumtaz Mahal died in child birth, Shah Jahan was stricken by intense grief. In honor of his wife and their love, he commissioned the Taj Mahal, perhaps the most famous and beautiful monument to love ever constructed.

The tomb took more than 20 years to complete and involved the use of tens of thousands of laborers and hundreds of elephants to cut and hoist slabs of solid marble. Once finished in 1653, the Taj Mahal project cost over 30 million rupees.

How to Study Italian and Other Subjects in Italy

Italy

 

Sebastian Palazio has worked a multitude of positions in the field of finance since 2000. Most recently, he served as managing director at Abinger Capital in New York City. An avid traveler, Sebastian Palazio lived in Italy for a year where he studied Italian.

Many schools in Italy offer Italian-language courses and programs to foreigners. Some programs, such as Scuola Leonardo da Vinci®, maintain campuses across several cities, including Florence, Milan, and Rome; other schools are based exclusively in smaller, lesser-known towns or regions. In addition, program lengths vary widely and are typically anywhere from a couple of weeks to a year, depending on the institute.

At certain schools, non-language courses may be available to Italian-language students in the fields of art, cooking, history, fashion, wine, or literature. Interested applicants should contact schools directly to inquire about additional course options.

You can compare Italian-language schools and programs in Italy by using the search engine tools at MyItalianLanguageSchools.com and LanguageCourse.net.

EI’s Photography Club Teaches Skills and Confidence

Empowerment International Photography Club
Image: empowerment-international.smugmug.com

 

Sebastian Palazio is a former managing director at Abinger Capital, a New York-based real estate investment management firm. A staunch believer in the power of education to lift people out of poverty, Sebastian Palazio has taken a keen interest in Empowerment International (EI). EI helps Nicaraguan children living in poverty receive a quality education in hopes of providing a brighter future. In addition to academics, (EI) students are encouraged to cultivate their creativity through the Empowerment International Photography Club.

The photography club was started in 1997 by EI’s founder, Kathy Adams, and a guest instructor. Giving the students an extracurricular activity such as photography improves their overall attitude towards learning and self-confidence, leading to higher school attendance.

Photos taken by the children reflect their lives, culture, and heritage with a quality you might expect from professional photographers. While they are available for viewing at EI’s gallery in Granada, you can also see them online at empowerment-international.smugmug.com. Photos displayed on the site are also available for purchase, with all proceeds going back into the program for materials and related costs.

Sous Vide Cooking Explained

Sous Vide Cooking
Image: lifehacker.com

In his role as managing director with Abinger Capital in New York City, Sebastian Palazio acquired loans for the fund and helped ensure that the fund realized its return minimums. Outside of his professional activities, Sebastian Palazio enjoys cooking at home using sous vide methods.

At its core, sous vide cooking differs from traditional cooking in its manipulation of the cooking temperature. With traditional cooking methods using an oven or frying pan, the food only hits its target temperature for a few minutes. Before that point, the food remains undercooked and after that point, it becomes overcooked. As such, chefs must time their dishes precisely.

Sous vide cooking involves an apparatus such as a water bath, which allows chefs to control the exact temperature of their food. Once the food reaches its ideal cooking temperature, it remains there until it is ready to be served. Because foods will not overcook if they spend a few extra minutes at their target temperature, chefs enjoy more flexibility in terms of timing. Sous vide cooking can also improve the texture of dishes such as red meats, which require careful temperature control.

The EI Teen Program Helps Teens in Nicaragua Stay in School

Empowerment International
Image: empowermentinternational.org

The former managing director at Abinger Capital in New York, Sebastian Palazio was responsible for analyzing, researching, and acquiring loan assets. Dedicated to helping individuals living in poverty improve their situation, Sebastian Palazio supports Empowerment International, an organization that helps children pursue education.

Founded in 1998, Empowerment International (EI) works with children and families in Nicaragua to demonstrate the importance of education. To this end, the organization maintains programs that help children receive emotional and academic support, such as the Teen Program. EI’s Teen Program takes a holistic approach to helping teenagers in Nicaragua grow into successful adults. Each teen in the program receives social, emotional, and academic support. They are also given numerous leadership and ownership opportunities, along with coaching assistance when needed.

The EI Teen Program removes the material barrier to education by providing fees and supplies to teenagers for their education. Teens in secondary school are visited regularly in their home by EI staff. They, along with university students, are given local job opportunities, and professionals and business owners regularly speak to the teens.

Top Tourist Attractions in Vietnam

Cu Chi Tunnels
Image: tripadvisor.com

Sebastian Palazio was responsible for researching, pricing, and monitoring loan assets for Abinger Capital as managing director. A well-traveled individual, Sebastian Palazio has spent time living in Mexico and Italy and has visited countries throughout Europe, Central America, and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam.

Known for its natural beauty and ancient traditions, Vietnam has a wide range of attractions. Following are just a few of the country’s most popular:

– Cu Chi Tunnels: Located near Ho Chi Minh City, the Cu Chi Tunnels are an expansive web of underground tunnels that visitors can crawl through. The tunnels served as the Tet Offensive’s base of operations in 1968 and were used by Viet Cong guerrillas during the Vietnam War.

– Halong Bay: Consisting of more than 3,000 islands, Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of Vietnam’s top tourist destinations, visitors can swim and explore the natural areas of the cluster of islands.

– Thien Mu Pagoda: The tallest pagoda in Vietnam, Thien Mu Pagoda is a seven-story structure that overlooks the Perfume River in Hue. Built in 1601, the original temple has been redeveloped and expanded several times and is the former imperial capital’s unofficial symbol.

– Mekong Delta: Known as the Vietnam Rice Belt, the Mekong Delta is where much of the country’s rice is produced. Stretching along the Cambodian border, it is a popular tourist stop for visitors interested in interacting with locals, traveling through rural waterways, or just getting away from the city.

What to Do When Visiting Peru

Peru
Image: travel.usnews.com

An experienced financial professional, Sebastian Palazio has worked for several United States and Nicaragua-based businesses throughout his 16-year career. Outside of his professional pursuits, Sebastian Palazio enjoys traveling the world and has visited such countries as Peru.

Known for its ancient civilizations and beautiful sights, Peru offers visitors insights into rich and unique cultures. If you are planning a trip to Peru, you may wish to consider adding the following excursions to your itinerary:

Explore Peruvian cuisine
No matter where you choose to stay, every location in Peru will have a market teeming with local delicacies for you to try. In the capital city, you can also explore the nation’s culinary scene through the Lima Gourmet Company, which provides dining tours of the city’s most exclusive restaurants.

Learn about indigenous cultures
If you wish to get a glimpse into Peru’s history, you can visit a few of the indigenous peoples who live just outside of Cusco. Through the cultural association La Tierra de los Yachaqs, you can take a cultural immersion tour among such communities as the Amaru. During your stay, you will learn such traditional practices as harvesting alpaca wool and weaving.

See Machu Picchu
A trip to Peru would not be complete without a visit to the world-famous Machu Picchu. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, this location remains virtually untouched by modern civilization and serves as a reminder of the ancient Inca that once lived there. To make the most of your visit, book your tickets in advance and consider hire a tour guide to show you around the ruins.

Empowerment International Deals With Dropout Problems in Nicaragua

Empowerment International
Image: empowermentinternational.org

As a managing director of Abinger Capital, Sebastian Palazio analyzed the acquisition of loan assets for the firm’s fund. Sebastian Palazio also contributes to Empowerment International (E. I.), an agency devoted to alleviating the effects of extreme poverty in Nicaragua. (Palazio also worked for several businesses in that country.)

Empowerment International has been operating for 12 years, bringing a new hope to the problem of children dropping out of school early. Parents of these children are often illiterate and don’t see the value of long-term education. They expect their children to work at an early age, rather than attend school.

E. I. provides several initiatives to encourage children to continue their education, including tutoring, computers, and medical care. In addition it carries out home visits for the benefit of families. A staff member encourages parents to become more involved in their students’ learning. Coming to the home regularly to establish trust, the E. I. volunteer shows families the benefits of helping with homework, communicating with each other honestly, and lightening the load of the children’s paid work or household chores.

This philosophy of continual support has led to a retention rate of 96% for participants in two communities. Statistics from 2012 show that 87% of all school ages are staying with their commitment, compared to 55% in 2003.