January 2013 Update on Nicaragua Happenings

Wow...where do we start? Things have been really hectic with end-of-year fundraising, but we had another great New Years Eve event in Richmond, VA and received tons of generous donations to our holiday drive. Thanks to all of you who donated!

Damaris & Regional Coordinator, Chris Fay,
in front of Damaris' brand-new fuel-efficient oven

While Isabel and I were working state-side on the fundraising, our three Regional Coordinators, Lana, Kyle, and Chris have been doing all sorts of good work in Nicaragua.

Lana and Kyle have been tag-teaming our larger base of operations in the areas surrounding the colonial city of Granada. They both bring strong skills to the table, and they both have hit the ground rolling. Lana joined us in December right before the holidays (which as she found out is an incredibly impossible time to get things done, but they're fun nonetheless), and Kyle arrived in Granada a couple of weeks ago.

They've been visiting all of our communities and soaking up all there is to know about PHPG's presence there. They've been working with our Nica employees, Manuel, Juan Carlos, and Tatiana, to come up with ways to improve our current systems and provide more services to our clients. They have some great cost-effective ideas about how we can provide more than just capital to our clients, which include business trainings and partnerships with other NGOs. We'll keep you updated about their progress as they continue their good work over the next few months.

After observing and training with us for a few weeks in Granada, we sent Chris up to northern Nicaragua to head up a couple of projects there. He's been working on tightening our connection with our clients in Piedras Coloradas and spearheading a partnership with a sustainable technologies organization, named EOS International.

Things are going quite well in Piedras despite a horrible growing season last fall. Our clients have replanted and maintained good repayments. With the coffee harvest in full swing, things should continue to get better. Chris will be interviewing potential clients over the next month or two in order to expand our services to others in the same region.

Lorenzo & Chris in front of the newly-installed
drip irrigation system in Soledad de Cruz

Our most exciting new project that Chris has been working on is a partnership with EOS International. Nine new clients from the town of Soledad de Cruz (in the department of Matagalpa) have had new fuel-efficient ovens or drip irrigation systems installed at their homes. These new technologies are being used to help our clients start or expand small businesses.

The way it works is that the clients receive the technologies upfront, along with some start-up capital (ranging from $50 to $65, depending on the technology). EOS is responsible for creating and installing the technology as well as following up with the clients to make sure it's fulfilling their needs. We are responsible for facilitating the lending and collection process. The technologies have been installed and the first month of collections went quite well.

All-in-all, things are going incredibly well right now. I can't wait to update you on the new projects that we're working on!

Thanks for reading,
Alex

Intern #5...!

Hello! 

I’m Alex Bergonia and I will also be working as an intern for PHPG this summer in Granada! I am currently finishing up the last few weeks of my junior year at Claremont McKenna College where I am studying government and economics with a concentration in international development. I am originally from Kenilworth, Illinois and went to high school at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. Since high school, I have had the opportunity to embark on numerous adventures abroad, and have come to know many diverse cultures around the world. I have traveled around Europe extensively and have also been to China. I have spent six-weeks living and working in the Salta region of Argentina and have visited Brazil, Mexico, and several Caribbean Islands; however, I have never visited Central America.

While I have been interested in international development since I began college, my desire to work in microfinance was cemented over the past year. I spent a total of six months abroad – four in Cape Town, South Africa where I was also able to visit Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. While there, I conducted an independent study that sought to uncover the reasons why the post-apartheid government’s system of affirmative action, Black Economic Empowerment, has failed to empower the majority of disadvantaged South Africans. I discovered that BEE was based on corruption, favoritism and political patronage, and had only succeeded in empowering crony capitalists and creating a wealthy black elite. There is enormous entrepreneurial potential prevalent in South Africa’s townships and cities. The absence of successful government systems of wealth redistribution necessitates the involvement of outside actors to fill the void. This is where microfinance comes in. My studies and experience in South Africa cemented by belief that a small amount of capital invested in individual business ventures is the most effective way to combat poverty. After my experience in South Africa, I knew that I wanted to learn more about the grassroots implementation of microfinance, and how foreign aid and charity can be sustainably invested and maximized abroad.

I am so excited to have the opportunity to study microfinance this summer with such a young and vibrant organization. I can’t wait to meet my new co-workers and the people of Granada, improve my Spanish and come to know a new part of the world.

I’m counting down the days and can’t wait for this summer!!

See you soon!

Alex

And the third intern is...

Hello all!

My name is Corie White and I will be interning with People Helping People Global this summer for 3 months. I’ll be arriving just after my graduation from the University of Oklahoma (Boomer Sooner!) this May, and leaving in mid-August to begin my legal education at the University Of Oklahoma College Of Law, where I will pursue a joint degree of  Juris Doctor and Masters of International and Area Studies.

My undergraduate degree is in International and Area Studies with a minor in Spanish. My focuses have been Latin America, international development, and trafficking, specifically human and organs trafficking. As a junior, I spent 6 months living, studying, and teaching English in Vina del Mar, Chile. While there, I traveled extensively throughout Chile and Peru, with my highlight being hiking the Inca Trail. I have also traveled throughout much of Central America and the Caribbean.

I have a craving for travel and adventure that can rarely be satisfied, so I am thrilled to be heading to Nicaragua this summer- particularly since I will be buckling down for law school in the fall. I am a huge fan of Mohammed Yunus and the micro-loan model and am excited to see it in action first hand.

I am looking forward to the summer of a lifetime!

Best,

Corie 

A New Intern Joins the Team

Hello PHPG enthusiasts!

As one of People Helping People Global’s newest interns, I will be living in Nicaragua from mid-May through August 2012. And I couldn’t be more excited! The more I learn about PHPG, the more I feel as though my values align with those of the organization, and the more passionate I become about helping this amazing cause.

As an undergraduate student at Skidmore College, I am dedicated to the study of Anthropology and Latin American Studies, both in the classroom and in my extracurricular activities. While building an academic foundation in fields that will aid me in my pursuit of international community development, I have found external outlets to apply all that I have learned from my professors, and to gain field experience. In an effort to improve the lives of my neighbors, I am currently administering needs-assessment surveys to the residents of local mobile home communities so that the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council can improve and broaden their services. I am also volunteering at a medium security correctional facility as a workshop leader to open up dialogue among inmates on issues such as employment, stress management, conflict resolution, and family reintegration. These opportunities have awarded me the chance to work with unrepresented and undervalued populations living right next door, and soon (although not soon enough), I’ll learn how to do the same in Nicaragua.

While my micro-lending internship with PHPG in Nicaragua will be a new and exciting experience, I am no stranger to the non-profit sector. From my collaboration with many different NGOs while living in Mexico, Peru, Ghana, and the United States, I have learned a good bit about how different organizations function. And People Helping People Global already strikes me as one of the most organized, well-intentioned, and efficient NGOs that I have encountered thus far. Their dedication to promoting sustainability, empowerment, and cultural pride is refreshing and inspiring. I can’t wait to meet everyone and to be a part of this incredible mission.

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, and I look forward to helping others to make a difference in their lives through People Helping People Global.

Take care,

Phoebe