From ESL Student to Teaching Intern: A Success Story from Nicaragua

From ESL Student to Teaching Intern: A Success Story from Nicaragua

March 17, 2023

A former student from Unity 4 Orphans’ ESL program in Nicaragua shares how learning English has changed her life and what inspires her to teach others.   Yanelis began in U4O’s ESL program over three years ago and didn’t know any English prior to enrolling. Although she was intimidated in the beginning, the teacher and …

Child Sponsorships Are at the Heart of Our Mission in Nicaragua

Child Sponsorships Are at the Heart of Our Mission in Nicaragua

February 10, 2023

The success of our ESL program is fully dependent on the generosity of our regular donors, and each child we welcome begins with the need for a dedicated sponsor. Unity 4 Orphans Provides Language Acquisition through Child Sponsorship We offer three levels of support, with the goal of full sponsorship, whether solely through one individual …

Together We Accomplished So Much in 2022!

Together We Accomplished So Much in 2022!

January 20, 2023

Our year-end campaign raised $50,000 towards the first phase of construction on the Unity 4 Orphans Transformation Center for vulnerable children in Nicaragua! In 2022, we achieved some major goals together with our amazing community, and have set our sights on building the Miramar Transformation Center in 2023. Thanks to the generosity of many individuals, …

How do we make the world a better place for underserved and at-risk children?

How do we make the world a better place for underserved and at-risk children?

January 6, 2023

Troubles worldwide can feel overwhelming and discouraging, but it only takes one small act of kindness to change the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children. Unity 4 Orphans provides several ways to care for vulnerable children living in poverty, setting them on a course to secure futures with more opportunities. Our programs include English as …

What’s in a Name? Unity 4 Orphans Says it All!

What’s in a Name? Unity 4 Orphans Says it All!

December 23, 2022

Joe Brandi shares what Unity 4 Orphans means to him and what inspires our nonprofit to continue growing to support even more orphaned and vulnerable children. Our Nonprofit’s Name, Unity 4 Orphans, Says It All Joe Brandi’s vision to help children who have been orphaned, abandoned, and oppressed by extreme poverty remains at the forefront …

What Do Staff and Volunteers Love Most About Working with U4O?

What Do Staff and Volunteers Love Most About Working with U4O?

December 12, 2022

San Diego nonprofit Unity 4 Orphans helps change the lives of children living in poverty through the kindness of donors and a dedicated group of volunteers and staff. U4O Provides Volunteer Opportunities at Orphanages in Mexico Why is it important to volunteer through service trips? “Orphanhood is in the heart more than the legal papers, …

Help Make Unity 4 Orphans’ Transformation Center a Reality in 2023

Help Make Unity 4 Orphans’ Transformation Center a Reality in 2023

November 25, 2022

A longtime dream to build a Transformation Center to house Unity 4 Orphans’ ESL program in Nicaragua will become a reality in 2023, thanks to our generous community. For those who have been following Unity 4 Orphans for some time, you may have heard our vision for the Transformation Center in the small rural community …

Age Is Just a Number in Supporting Orphaned and Vulnerable Children

Age Is Just a Number in Supporting Orphaned and Vulnerable Children

November 18, 2022

Unity 4 Orphans’ Wave-A-Thon draws surfers and boogie boarders of all ages and raises funds for orphaned and vulnerable children in San Diego and Latin America. When Joe Brandi made an announcement in a church service at La Jolla Christian Fellowship and asked for participants for U4O’s 3rd annual Wave-A-Thon, Kristan Peterson felt a tug …

A Life-Changing Camp Experience for Adolescent Boys from the Orphanages

A Life-Changing Camp Experience for Adolescent Boys from the Orphanages

November 4, 2022

Unity 4 Orphans helps adolescent boys from orphanages in Tijuana to attend a weekend camp that teaches them their value in God’s eyes and gives mentoring support. When APV Camp–which stands for Abstinence, Purity, Value–began in 2004, teenage girls ages 13 and up were given the opportunity to learn their value as they grew into …

A Firsthand Look at Poverty Conditions for the Children We Serve in Nicaragua, Part 2

A Firsthand Look at Poverty Conditions for the Children We Serve in Nicaragua, Part 2

October 28, 2022

Unity 4 Orphans volunteers shared their time, talents, and hearts with children from our ESL program in Nicaragua breaking the cycle of poverty through education. Welcome to the continuation of our story featuring the experiences of U4O volunteers Paul & Sara Giret, who joined Joe Brandi on his trip to Nicaragua in the summer of …

A Firsthand Look at Poverty Conditions for the Children We Serve in Nicaragua, Part 1

A Firsthand Look at Poverty Conditions for the Children We Serve in Nicaragua, Part 1

October 14, 2022

Witnessing poverty’s effects on the children in Unity 4 Orphans’ ESL program in Nicaragua, one volunteer shares her experience and encourages child sponsorship. Every year, U4O founder Joe Brandi visits our ESL program in Miramar, Nicaragua to connect with the children and staff, hear their needs and celebrate progress in pursuing English fluency. The biggest …

How Can YOU Change the Life of a Vulnerable Child?

How Can YOU Change the Life of a Vulnerable Child?

September 30, 2022

How can you be a part of Unity 4 Orphans’ mission to change the lives of children living in poverty through ESL education, holistic care, and relational consistency? Holistic Care for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children When U4O Founder Joe Brandi began realizing a vision to care for children who have been orphaned, abandoned, and who …

Why We Give Faithfully to Poor Children in Latin America

Why We Give Faithfully to Poor Children in Latin America

August 26, 2022

From a village in Ecuador, founder Joe Brandi shares a vision for the future of U4O as we expand into other countries, and why our calling is to first support the children in our ESL program in Nicaragua. After spending time with the children at Unity for Orphans’ ESL program in Miramar, Nicaragua, Joe Brandi …

Our ESL Program in Nicaragua Welcomes a New Group of Young Language Learners

Our ESL Program in Nicaragua Welcomes a New Group of Young Language Learners

August 20, 2022

Unity 4 Orphans’ English as a second language program in the poverty-stricken village of Miramar, Nicaragua welcomes even more children for language instruction. Thanks to our supportive community, our English as a Second Language (ESL) program in a small fishing community in Latin America continues to grow, enabling us to reach even more children living …

From Nicaragua to Ecuador, Children Living in Poverty Need Our Help

From Nicaragua to Ecuador, Children Living in Poverty Need Our Help

August 15, 2022

From a small village in Ecuador, Joe Brandi shares a vision for a new outreach through Unity 4 Orphans to bring programs for healing and change to poor children. After his annual summer visit to our program in Nicaragua, Joe traveled on to Ecuador to meet with contacts and develop a vision for the future …

Tech Tools Donated for ESL Classrooms in Miramar, Nicaragua

Tech Tools Donated for ESL Classrooms in Miramar, Nicaragua

August 5, 2022

We recently posted a need for laptops and speakers for our classrooms in Nicaragua and were blown away by the quick response from U4O supporters who immediately shipped wireless speakers and laptops to us in advance of Joe Brandi’s visit. Now each classroom has a speaker that will support the teachers’ lesson plans and provide …

Why Does English as a Second Language (ESL) Education Matter?

Why Does English as a Second Language (ESL) Education Matter?

August 1, 2022

Since 2017, Unity 4 Orphans has taught children in a poor village in Nicaragua to speak English, providing education, support, and opening doors to better-paying jobs.   Since November 2017, our ESL program has brought hope to hundreds of children, and we’re thrilled at how much it has grown since then, particularly in this past …

Joe Brandi Invites You to Step In and Change the World

Joe Brandi Invites You to Step In and Change the World

July 8, 2022

Hear a little more on why Unity 4 Orphans exists and how you can step in to help us change the world, one child at a time.   Unity 4 Orphans founder, Joe Brandi, has had an amazing trip to Miramar! Watching students grow up in our ESL program is truly a gift from God. …

Student Spotlight: Meet Selene

Student Spotlight: Meet Selene

July 1, 2022

Unity 4 Orphans founder, Joe Brandi, is in Miramar, Nicaragua getting to know the kids in our ESL program and observing the learning process with our dedicated teachers. Today he pauses to introduce us to Selene. This cutie pie is Selene, a 14-year old student in our ESL program in Nicaragua whom has stolen Joe’s …

Joe’s Reflections on the Perfect Day

Joe’s Reflections on the Perfect Day

June 27, 2022

Join Unity 4 Orphan’s founder, Joe Brandi, as he pauses at the beginning of a new day in Miramar, Nicaragua to reflect on the ingredients for a perfect day. This is what a perfect day looks like for Joe… surfing against the setting of God’s beautiful creation and visiting with the children we work with …

One Student’s Dedication to Rise Above Poverty Through Education

One Student’s Dedication to Rise Above Poverty Through Education

June 24, 2022

Unity 4 Orphans is proud to share the story of one student from our ESL program in Nicaragua and inspired by children who are determined to rise above their circumstances through education and break the cycle of poverty. ESL Student Overcomes Hardship to Attend University Pahola Santana is a student in U4O’s English as a …

Joe Brandi is en Route to Nicaragua!

Joe Brandi is en Route to Nicaragua!

June 21, 2022

Joe Brandi is on his way to Nicaragua accompanied by a volunteer videographer who will capture footage of the children and their lives to showcase the reality of how they live.   Unity 4 Orphans’ Mission is to Fight for a Brighter Future for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children Joe Brandi is the founder and CEO …

A Young Boy Works to Overcome Poverty and a Learning Disability

A Young Boy Works to Overcome Poverty and a Learning Disability

June 3, 2022

We’re proud to introduce a student from our ESL program in Nicaragua who continues to pursue his education despite economic hardship and learning challenges.   Student in Single-Parent Family Learns ESL Despite Struggles with Poverty Richard Vilchez is eleven years old and in the 5th grade. He’s in level 3 of 14 of our ESL …

Open Hearts Charity Event for Children Living in Poverty

Open Hearts Charity Event for Children Living in Poverty

May 28, 2022

Our annual fundraiser to raise money for children living in poverty was a success, thanks to our dedicated community of volunteers, sponsors, and donors!         Top San Diego Charity Hosts Annual Fundraiser Unity 4 Orphans hosts an annual fundraiser, and this year’s gala was particularly memorable. Our theme was “Open Hearts” and …

ESL Program Supports Impoverished Students To Reach Higher Education

ESL Program Supports Impoverished Students To Reach Higher Education

May 20, 2022

One teenage girl living in poverty finds self-confidence and learns initiative through U4O’s ESL instruction and supportive counseling services with our program in Miramar, Nicaragua. Programs Provide Education and Support to Students Living in Poverty Andrea is a young woman in her teens who recently moved on from our ESL program to university, and our …

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