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History
The Beginning of a Legacy
It all began in the early 1950’s, when the Rev. Rafael Maria Fabretto, a Salesian missionary from Venice, Italy, arrived in Nicaragua. Concerned about the number of impoverished boys and girls he met, he founded a group of children's homes in the rugged
Rev. Rafael Maria Fabretto
countryside of northern Nicaragua, known collectively as “La Familia Padre Fabretto.”

Father Fabretto's philosophy was to give a home and hope to children who had been abandoned, abused, or orphaned. The organization grew to include five centers, or “oratorios” in Managua and in areas north of the city. At these centers, the children’s lives were enriched with daily schooling, farming, sports, arts and crafts, and spiritual reflection. Through sheer charisma and faith, Father Fabretto was able to sustain the centers despite many adversities, including natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes and of course, the war of 1980s. The war was indeed the hardest challenge to overcome as a lack of financial resources and the uncertain social, political and economic climate imposed ever increasing strains on the organization. Yet, as the war ended, the organization suffered its greatest blow with Father Fabretto’s unexpected death at the age of 70 in March 1990. His death left the organization in limbo. Its future – and that of the children it served – was uncertain.

The Legacy Evolves...
In June 1989 a young volunteer, Kevin Marinacci, went to Nicaragua to work for a year with La Familia Padre Fabretto. Upon Father’s death the following spring, Kevin agreed to stay on for another year to help the organization face this latest challenge. His one year extension turned into a life long commitment to the Fabretto organization and the children of Nicaragua. Today, Kevin is the Executive Director of La Familia Padre Fabretto and with his staff, made up almost entirely of alumni of the Fabretto program, the organization is thriving.

 Fabretto Now
Today the Fabretto organization is very different than in the time of Father Fabretto. However, we have not changed with regards to the ultimate objective of our work. Our mission remains:

To enable impoverished Nicaraguan children and their families in underserved communities to break the cycle of poverty and reach their full potential through programs promoting nutrition, health, education, community and character development

Some highlights for the Fabretto Family today:
  • We are three established non-profit organizations in Nicaragua, the United States and Spain that work together to fund and develop our program offerings in Nicaragua.
  • Our student enrollment has grown 10 fold in the last decade to over 5,000 children aged 5 to 22.
  • We operate and manage acres of pine forests in Northern Nicaragua that were donated to the organization during Father Fabretto’s lifetime. Our forest operations are certified for responsible and sustainable land management. We have developed small micro-business related enterprises in conjunction with the forests including a lumber yard, a carpentry shop and a women’s pine basket initiative.
  • We run multiple vocational skills programs in auto mechanics, farming, community forestry and technology.
  • We have qualified for a number of US Government grants that have been instrumental in our growth. The Fabretto Children’s Foundation is a registered PVO with USAID.
  • Our Sponsor a Child program, established in 2004, allows donors to have a personal relationship with a special Nicaraguan child.
  • We run multiple annual fundraising events around the United States to raise awareness and support of our work.
  • Each of our centers has a computer lab, a library, and ever improving facilities as we continue to develop our physical plant to address the needs of improved curriculum offerings and growing numbers of enrolled students.


The Fabretto Children's Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, tax ID #36-3894824.
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About Nicaragua

After a civil war that spanned nearly two decades, it is only in the 1990’s that Nicaragua, a country of 4.5 million people, has experienced democracy and relative political stability. The population – especially the children, which constitute over half of the population – suffered greatly as a result of the war.

NicaraguaIn 1998, Hurricane Mitch wrought havoc in the country once again, killing over 3,000 people, damaging the country’s infrastructure and destroying numerous homes, schools, small businesses and arable land. As of 2004, GDP per capita in Nicaragua was approximately $400 per year (the second lowest in the Western Hemisphere), and according to UNICEF, only 43% of Nicaraguan children stay in school until the fifth grade, and the vast majority of the population live in poverty.

Unfortunately, Nicaragua offers little in the way of a social safety net for the disadvantaged. Many of the private aid groups are overburdened and unable to attend to these children.

 With new generations of post-war children – many sons and daughters of parents whose own education and skills training was interrupted or stunted by the decades of civil war – and continued harsh economic conditions, the need for the continued work of the Fabretto Family has never been greater.
Sponsor a Child