Nicaragua!

Hello all!

We are here in Nicaragua! It has been an amazing trip so far. The first day we arrived, we went down to business. We got to visit Fabretto and Nica Hope. In Fabretto, we were able to see the finish product of what some of the women were making. We were about to talk to Finn, who came all the way from Germany. He is in Nicaragua helping some students that were accepted into a robotic competition in Washington D.C. They will be competing against 140 countries all over the world. It was awesome to see a young person take an interest and out here helping teenagers fufill a dream.

On the second day, we got to visit Peter, he works with Rayo de Sol. They also have a collaboration with People Helping People Global, where we met Martha. I was able to talk to her and get insight as to what this organization is about. For example, Rayo de Sol has different groups, like sewing or cooking as well as computer classes. The women get to chose which group interest them they most and learn from teachers how to sew or cook properly. They may already know how to cook or sew, but they get taught different techniques. What People Helping People Global does is provide resources, so they have brought sewing machines for the sewing group to do their work more faster and efficiently. They also want to see the people they work with successful. Many of the people they work with are women and/or single mothers. Since the ultimate goal is to help these women become successful and sustainable, they don't want the next generation to fall into the same cycle of poverty. Therefore, it is a requirement for mothers to send their kids to school. If a child is taken out mid-year or misses classes People Helping People Global will personally go to the homes of these children and speak to their parents and remind them of the agreement, which is the kids must go to school and the parents have access to these different classes and resources. I thought this was awesome! It is not only an incentive to the families, but it is a way to make sure the next generation is being educated. That their mentality is being changed and that they will to continue what their parents have done so far. We also met with one of families that is under this program. We got to go into their home and see the business and their kids. I spoke to one of the daughters and she told me about her experience making jewelry and how it is a passion for her. She doesn't sell them, but on occasion her friends ask her to make some bracelets for them and she does. She is currently sixteen and in school. It was awesome to witness her passion. As well as once again see how the next generation is being impacted. I enjoyed getting to know their stories and hearing firsthand the benefits that come to all these families and how some of them have been successful. It has been an amazing experience so far!

Today is our third day here in Nicaragua and we got to visit Habitat for Humanity, where we met Frank. We got to learn so much about what they do in regards to microfinance. He has so many ideas that he wants to bring about and it was great meeting with someone that has the same amount of passion that we have! I think it will be great to work more with them since he has many ideas that can help us out as GLOBE. This trip has been amazing! I cannot wait to see what else day three has in store for us! We will keep you updated!