Day 3

The beautiful image is of San Juan del Sur at sunset. After our first two days in Mangua, we headed to San Juan del Sur where we were able to see the poverty beyond the picturesque image displayed below. The city is a tourist destination but beyond the tourist attractions is a city where people are in need of clean water and their children struggle to gain an education past the 6th grade. 

We took a moment to get settled then made our way to meet with Communidad Connect and Fundacion A. Jean Brugger shortly after. At Communidad Connect we learned of the various programs being implemented simultaneously to fight poverty and the many challenges that come along with it. Their programs include Campo Verde, Parque Deportivo, Sustainable Tourism, a Health Clinic, and last but certainly not least, Nica Agua. Nica Agua was our focus during the trip and we were given very detailed information about how the filters work, their distribution, and how routine check-ups to family ensure the filtration systems' proper use. I found this interesting because it seems so simple to gather the funds to supply the filters then give them to the community. Problem solved right? Wrong. The persistence that the staff has incredible because they are tackling so many issues head on. Through Nica Agua, Communidad Connect is able to educate the community on the importance of clean water and also able to provide them with clean water.


After Communidad Connect we visited with Priscilla, the Executive Director of Fundacion A. Jean Brugger. The hotel where we met with Priscilla was directly beside what appeared to be a slum in stark contrast with the very well put together hotel we were meeting her in. Priscilla shared with us information about the many programs offered by the foundation but what was of most interest for us was the Sponsorship Program and the potential for successful graduates to participate in a course geared towards social entrepreneurship. Priscilla was so engaging but also genuinely interested in the GLOBE Program because she saw how social entrepreneurship could be a way out of poverty for the students involved in her programs. The idea was that there could potentially be collaboration with a nearby university called Rivas to develop an educational program for students to help them develop and implement their entrepreneurial endeavors. I think it would be beautiful if we could have some role in that as our program has successfully not only educated GLOBE managers about social entrepreneurship but the program has created social entrepreneurs. Dr. Sama's lectures could be of great use to instructors who may head their social entrepreneurship program once they have gotten it off the ground. A few of the current GLOBE Fellows may even be able to provide feedback to give students' perspective about what we gained from our experience and ultimately how to build on it.

Day 2

 Micro-franchising was a completely new concept for us. We were listening very intently to learn more about it and how Supply Hope was using micro-franchising as opposed to microfinace to make a difference. Claudia very eloquently explained to us how the two were different but closely related. Supply Hope basically created a "business in a box" and was able to effectively combat multiple issues all at once and also measure their social impact. The Supply Hope logo is a visual of the "ripple effect" shapes many lives.

We had the opportunity to visit the home of one their operators and it was really an experience. Claudia explained to us how the Nicaraguan government closed La Chureca and many people had spent their entire lives there. The area we went to see how this woman sold food provided by Supply Hope right out of her home was one were a number of the people living their had formerly lived in La Chureca. Claudia also explained how approximately every fifth house sold drugs but somehow their operator living their seemed so peaceful and content selling goods right out of her house. 

I was just in awe of how Supply Hope was changing so many lives but also able to keep records and  document everything so accurately. They were actually able to create a model for measuring social impact and it's a model that I wish was present everywhere. One of the challenges the GLOBE program faces is measuring social impact and I think we could actually adopt Supply Hope's method of measuring impact.

The most important part of the entire trip also happened on Day 2, meeting our borrowers Maria and Sonya. These were two of the most upbeat, high-spirited, gracious, and poised women I have ever seen. They both welcomed us into their homes with a hospitality that is uncommon in the United States. They shared their stories with us and thanked us for the opportunities that the GLOBE program is providing. The photo above was taken at Maria's home with Sr. Reyna and GLOBE Graduate Assistant Anastasia also seen in the photo. Maria was explaining how her husband creates the cards seen in the photo and they are able to sell them right out of their house.

Day 1

       
      We had not even been here for a full twenty four hours and I already felt right at home. Manfred showed up at the airport in his GLOBE t-shirt and to greet us. He and Dr. Sama looked as if they had known each other for years. We had not even been in the country for an hour before we tried food off the street. Nelson was so sweet and bought us mangos on our way to La Pyramide, the hotel. We got acclimated with where we were staying briefly, had a bite to eat, then headed to Fabretto.

All of us had done our homework on Fabretto but little did we know that the children the organization served in Managua were from La Chureca, the dump. We read a great deal about La Chureca during the months leading up to the trip and how the people in the dump subsist sifting through the trash to find recyclable, re-usable goods. Visiting Fabretto we saw how the children used the recycled goods anything ranging from tin cans to bottle caps to make jewelry and baskets. 

Mallory showed us around Fabretto and how it came into existence and evolved from NicaHOPE. She was so honest and open with us about her background and how she ended up staying in Nicaragua. It was really inspiring seeing how she was able to truly make a difference with the children and also how the success stories at Fabretto became a part of her story. The children at Fabretto were learning how to use the computer and high school students were also learning to use basic Microsoft office and other applications. Fabretto provided scholarships and remained a safe haven for children of all ages over the years. 

The "Buseteria" and "Area de Buseteria" seen in the photos here is the jewelry made by the children and sold in Fabretto. The center also had baskets seen in the photo that were made out of pine needles. We were even able to test our skills at making bracelets which the children at the center helped us with. Their fingers moved so quickly and they were so well-mannered and well-behaved. It was hard to think about the fact that they were not just making the buseteria for arts and crafts but because they really needed the money. Also the thought that some of the jewelry was made from pieces of trash that the children found in the dump was really a wake up call. 

Children seen in the photo playing were right outside of Fabretto enjoying themselves despite the fact that the area was dangerous. It was inspiring to see them free-spirited, well-mannered, and peaceful. It really makes you stop and think about how insignificant some of the things are that we concern ourselves with when you consider their circumstances. 

Uno, dos

As the GLOBE GA, I feel so privileged to have been given the opportunity to participate in this amazing experience along with the GLOBE Fellows and Dr. Sama. The GLOBE program is something that gave me a sense of mission during my last semester as an undergraduate student at St. John's. I had been studying Government and Politics, but despite interning for political parties or grassroots fundraising for candidates, I felt far removed from any sort of direct effect to improve people's lives. I had felt naive for thinking that I could have an egalitarian or humanitarian impact in the world. However, GLOBE made me re-assess this, and while I was on the IT and Communications Team and not directly evaluating loan candidates, I felt that the time I was putting in to the program was worth it tenfold and that the results were so valuable and fulfilling. It is rare for a professor to give so much autonomy to her students and place so much trust in them to help run her program, and I think that is what makes GLOBE so special. Traveling with this group of Fellows thus far has shown me that I am definitely not the only one that feels this way; this program has a deep, lasting effect on those who participate in it. 

As opposed to point-by-point storytelling of all the amazing organizations we have visited so far, I think it would be most worthwhile to mention some thoughts or concepts that resonated with me as we have gone along this trip. SupplyHope greatly stuck out to me and off the bat, I found it particularly respectful and heartening that they referred to their beneficiaries as those in a "low-income market" because as we have learned before, labeling people as "poor" greatly cheapens the richness of their culture, their experiences, their happiness, and their lives. SupplyHope essentially provides microfranchises to their 'operators', who then keep a commission of the sales from these small produce franchises to sustain themselves and their communities. The organization's mission of opportunity over charity, and their proven business models which are based on those of successful companies such as Subway and McDonald's, really made me ponder about the importance of providing the operational and training tools needed to those who wish to start their own small businesses in order to assure their success. Reflecting on GLOBE, SupplyHope's developed personality tests and individual candidate evaluations are something that our program could learn from so as to get a better understanding of who our future borrowers are, what they are good at, what they like, and what they may need to succeed. We had previously spoken of developing training modules for our borrowers' businesses, and SupplyHope's proven success in this field speaks to how important planting these basic seeds of understanding and knowledge is.

After SupplyHope, we visited Global Partnerships which serves as an 'umbrella' organization for various not-for-profits with linked goals and aspirations. During this meeting, it was emphasized that Global Partnerships will only back an organization if they have proven twofold success- in their financials as well as in their social impact. This concept led me to reflect on the microfinance model as a whole. It seems that for large-scale organizations, simply providing microcredit or funds is not really sufficient anymore. All the organizations we had visited up to this point placed a lot of weight on the importance of community development, which ideally should follow as a direct effect of whatever initiative they have implemented. It seems that this is definitely something learned along the way as methods of helping others efficiently develop (from charity, to individual opportunity, and now, to community impact). I whole-heartedly agree with this mode of thinking because this is one way to have a large-scale impact as opposed to simply focusing on individual projects. Emphasizing community integration is vital in breaking the cycle of poverty because this is not merely one person's fight. A widespread problem should have a foreseen widespread solution.

…to be continued.

My Day 3, Your Day 1

  WE'RE HALFWAY THERE! I apologize for not blogging earlier but we haven't stopped since we landed in Managua. To think that we've been here for only two days is so surreal because we've done so much is such a short amount of time. Nicaragua is everything I thought it would be and so much more. All the organizations that we have visited play such an imperative role in the development of Nicaragua and it's so amazing to see all the work they have done and continue to do. Organizations such as Fabretto and Supply Hope are giving their people the power to do better instead of just giving them charity. Fabretto is empowering their children to gain computer certification and entrepreneurship experience that they can benefit them and their families down the road. Supply Hope literally gives their "operators" a franchise in a box, equipped with all the managerial and inventory aspects that come with running a business. All these successful images of entrepreneurship was the perfect platform for the most important part out trip: visiting our borrowers.
   Dubbed by the Fellows as "GLOBE Day", we all went to St. Louise de Marillac School in Managua to meet current and potential borrowers. Sora Reyna Isabel and her teams of Sisters were more than welcoming and accommodating to us as we started our presentation. Dr. Sama and Anastasia started talking about the basics of the program and the impact we've made thus far. Our current borrowers, Doña Maria and Doña Sonia, told their story and what GLOBE has done for them and the faces of the potential women seem to light up with joy. But honestly nothing could compare to Doña Maria and Doña Sonia. To hear them be so grateful for what GLOBE has given them, to hear them gush about what their lives are now and what they were then, to hear the excitement in their voices while trying to convince the other women, was something so surreal. We then went to the actual businesses of Doña Maria and Doña Sonia. Up until this point, our borrowers have been a picture on an application with a blurb about their lives and future endeavors. I can now say that those applications do these women no justice at all. Watching these women, you can't help but think "I did this." I took some time out my day to approve a loan that has made an impact greater than I will ever be able to comprehend. It was such an awesome feeling. It reminded me of why I'm in GLOBE and why I wanted to be on this trip. I honestly recommend this trip to all GLOBE managers because this is such a big deal to us and no one will get it like we do.

Day 6

On our last full day in Nicaragua, we went to several locations. First, we went to the Mombacho Volcano. There, some of our group decided to ride in the back of a truck and a few were in the inside of the truck. The temperature drop hits you almost instantly. The wind starts to pick up and the atmosphere gets thinner. Halfway up, we had some local coffee and wow, was it delicious. I’m not a big fan of coffee but there was something magical about the coffee we had. After, we hooped back onto the truck and arrived at a higher area of Mombacho.

The following picture is of a crack through Mombacho, which created a tunnel. This is picture is when you look up.

Goofball self taking a picture of all of us! Notice the mist behind the rest of the gang. 

When we finally made it to the top, it felt as though we left Nicaragua. Everything was foggy and the winds were incredibly strong. I never would have imagined being in a tropical rainforest so high up. It was amazing. The echoes of the native monkeys, along with the screeches of birds allowed for a magnificent orchestra of nature and mystery. We walked through a trail that was about a mile and despite the fact that we couldn’t really see anything from afar because of the thick clouds surrounding the top portions of Mombacho. As we were walking through the forest, we kept running into this tour guide, who happened to live in NY for a while and towards the end of our self guided tour (he was guiding a couple), he introduced us to what I think was the coolest thing ever. He brought us over to this hole and we put our hand in front of the entrance of the hole and we could feel the warm steam from Mombacho. He then took us to a bigger hole nearby. This hole was probably five feet in diameter and with the amount of steam that came out, Dr. Sama could have dried her hair. After the intangible experience, we were headed down Mombacho.

We all rode in the back of an industrial truck and with us were a bunch of teenage Nicaraguans and few other Americans. Truthfully, I enjoyed the consensus of this trip down being like a rollercoaster, so I chimed in each time we went down a steep curve with a “WOOOOOOO!!” Along with the excitement created, I was able to engage in conversation with the Nicaraguan woman next to me. Out of all places, it turns out she lived in the same community were Jon Thompson is located, Atolla. After a few questions about one another, we finally parted ways and then we were off to Volcano Masaya. Before getting to Masaya, we had a brief lunch and took a few pictures.

Masaya was breathtaking. The contrast between Mombacho and Masaya are great. Masaya is an active volcano in Nicaragua and around Masaya: molten rock and ash and Mombacho a tropical forest. Getting to an open creator of the volcano was relatively easy. I was a bit weary by the signs advising cars to park facing away from the volcano, in case Masaya were to erupt. The smoke here was very visible and it’s a long drop to the lava, hidden away by the smoke and depth of the crater. The sight was beyond surreal. A small wall with the exception of a small area bordered some of the volcano; where you get the best view you could possibly get of the seemingly endless hole.  After a few pictures and goofball antics, we made our way back to Managua.

Wonderful sight of the inside of the open creator.

Another picture of the open creator.

Dr. Sama and Co. running for their lives.

Before going back to the hotel for our last dinner in Nicaragua, we made a stop in the old Managua, the Managua that was pretty much destroyed by the earthquake back in 1972. One could see what now is the parliament building. Before the earthquake, it was the national bank and was the only building to fully withstand the earthquake. Along with its endurance, it is also the tallest building in Managua, soaring 13 stories high. We drove by and we ended up at the old church, which was also next to the national assembly.

Building that survived the earthquake. 

The old cathedral in Managua. It is blocked off and guarded due to the possibility of the cathedral collapsing.  

Afterward, we went to Lake Managua, where we briefly stopped by in the beginning. We hung out for a bit, realizing that this was our last full day in Nicaragua. 

Day 5

This day felt like it was two days with the amount of objectives we completed and the amount of traveling we did. We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the Hotel Colonial, where we stayed the night. Then we were off to Managua again. We arrived at Hotel La Pyramide after an hour or so of driving to drop off our bags and then we went to Agora Partnerships.

We arrived at Agora and met Veronica Castro, one of the Agora associates. She introduced us to THRIIVE, one of the Agora Projects. This was probably one of the most distinct projects out of the whole batch of microfinance institutions and non-profit organizations in Nicaragua. THRIIVE aimed to aid small businesses (Businesses that are usually family run or around 6-10 employees). THRIIVE gives out loans that are specifically going to be used for equipment. Once that equipment has been purchased, the AGORA associates go to the businesses that are near and in Managua and inspect the business, the equipment, and the business owner. It was quite a twist in the type of work; we were expecting similarities between Agora and other microfinance institutions. Nevertheless, it was an interesting concept and soon after, we parted ways with Veronica and left to drop by on Global Partnerships.

We had a fiasco trying to find the right building that was home to Global Partnerships in Nicaragua. Once that was all settled, the whole team greeted us and we were served lunched. After our meal and brief introductions on our behalf, they took the floor. My goodness, the accomplishments and the actual research they’ve done, incredible. Global Partnerships is has a presence in 9 different countries throughout Central and South America with a grand total of 25.5 million dollars throughout both of these areas. They are a NGO, which invest in microfinance institutions, and these institutions also have other roles or services that make them dynamic and eligible for investment. These guys knew what they were talking about and were extremely pleased with the mission of GLOBE and also expressed joy in the fact that the students were able to be in the field. I was truly impressed by this group and after they answered a few questions in regards to the location of their current funds, we were on our way to the community where the Daughters of charity were.

We arrived at the school where the Daughters served and we didn’t know what to expect. The Daughters and roughly 18 women, curious and ready to ask us questions, greeted us. At first, I thought that perhaps this was a class that ended and the women were hanging out. Then we were told that they were the group of women who the daughters believed would benefit from a microloan. After a formal introduction, we were bombarded by questions from all directions. Among the questions asked, interest was a worrisome topic for some of the women. No one wants to enter a life of infinite debt. Along with the topic of interest, these women had already given lots of thought about what they would use a loan for. Among with small businesses, such as a bookstore that would also have school supplies and a mini-market with homemade artisan crafts. There were other ideas to improve living as well. For instance, there was a group of women who didn’t have a home to live. As a result, they could band together and obtain a group loan for a living environment and they already know each other relatively well, so why not?

These women were very friendly and at first seemed skeptical about our intentions. They were really curious as to why the interest rate was so low and what actually occurred to the interested rate. We kept reassuring that our intention was to aid them with the loan and that GLOBE kept the interest and repayment within the community. I kept explaining that GLOBE wasn’t here to send loan sharks after them and after repeating that a few times, I finally was able to sit down and really get to know some of the women.

Another women, who had an idea of what kind of business she wanted to start, had cancer. Her and her daughter had been selling homemade crafts and some goodies to help the cancer struck woman with her treatment. She sometimes even has to fly to Mexico in order to have medical treatment and I can imagine how costly that can be. I don’t even fly to Mexico; I have to drive to go. So this woman would really benefit from it. For her and her daughters sake; she is just 16 so the daughter can learn how to manage the business and support the family as well.

I really enjoyed this part of our trip. Just getting to hang out and really know what kind of lives everyone is living. One of the women, who had the idea of the bookstore, explained her reasoning for the bookstore. She mentioned that in her part of town, there weren’t any stores that sold school supplies or books. No one felt motivated to go to school because materials were a little hard to come by. She also explained that she recently gave birth, so she wouldn’t be able to work. Having her own business would be beneficial because she would be able to stay at home and be ab to run according to her own schedule. She then explained how everyone was just trying to get by. Some more chitchat and curiosity from the women about my background, we were given a few snacks and a delicious mango. We then were shown around the school and then on our way.

P.S. I didn’t have a chance to take pictures of this day because of it’s hectic nature. Cheers.