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GWI 2010 - Projects in Nicaragua

Overview-

- Continued investment in the CICRIN orphanage on the island of Omatepe. Building housing for on-sight foster families.
- Establishing Hydroponics Co-Op Farms on the island of Omatepe.
- Continued training and supplies for Sewing Co-Ops.
- Implimenting business plans for community chicken and pig farms.
- Expansion of dental clinics and permanent free clinics in rural areas.

Specifics-

CICRIN-
CICRIN is an orphanage located on the Island of Omatepe in the middle of Lake Nicaragua (the 10th largest freshwater lake in the world). We first started working with this orphanage in 1992, have been taking yearly short term missions for over a decade and now visit the Island and the orphanage quarterly. This year we are hosting 2 separate teams (one short term mission intensive in July and a Christian group of high school Jr’s in March) and by 2011 we hope to be adding one more as well (heavy construction crew in January).

Recently, because of a split in the conservative party, Nicaragua narrowly elected former dictator Daniel Ortega back into power. His current wife (a Brazilian born woman openly practicing Voodoo) is pushing for and slowly gaining legislation to shut down all orphanages in the country, both private and state run. The legislation calls for all children currently orphaned (either for economic reasons or for the physical loss of parents) to be handed over to the closest living relative or be put into foster care. Before this legislation will fully go into effect GWI and several other groups will be working with CICRIN to build housing on the premises in order to import families who already work with the orphanage. The plan includes forming a community of foster families of like-minded and caring adults who will continue to raise these orphans in a safe, Christ-Centered environment.

In addition to the building of the community housing we perform annual maintenance (anywhere from gardening and landscaping to painting and structural support) on the existing buildings already constructed. We have also been instrumental in constructing a school building on the property which serves as free education to the surrounding villages. Last year there was a new room added and there are plans to expand the building again in 2011.

Hydroponics Co-Op Farms-

Nicaragua has the 2nd worst economy in the Western Hemisphere. During the civil war in the late 70’s through the 80’s (and again last year until the earthquake a few weeks ago) Nicaragua actually fell below Haiti in their GDP index. More than 50% of the population is underemployed living on less than $2 a day. The Global economic “downturn” has hampered both exports and imports and the economy itself fell more than 6% last year alone. The Island of Omatepe has been hit hard, their actual unemployment rate on the island is hard to measure but is believed to be close to 35%. Most families live on less than $7 a week. Despite plush volcanic soil most produce is imported and nearly every farm on the island (soy, tobacco, banana, etc...) is owned by foreign corporations exporting out of the country and not re-investing into the community. There are a number of resorts on the island (which is made up of 2 volcanoes), all of whom import their food and most goods by ferry from off the island. Most of these hotels are frequented by European and North American backpackers interested in staying in eco-friendly resorts. Our initial survey of these resorts shows that they are more than willing to buy goods and produce from on the island. Especially ones that are grown “green” as a selling point for their key demographic.

Last year we started partnering with a community in Costa Rica that was devastated when the large foreign corporation left the area abruptly, leaving a good portion of their population unemployed. They have since formed a co-op of families who have invested in growing fruits and vegetables hydroponically. This form of farming is both economically and ecologically friendly, costing less startup money (by using locally recycled materials), requiring less land, using less natural resources (90% less water, as it can be recycled) and consisting of less physical labor as compared to farming the soil. By using their business model we believe we can introduce this kind of farming co-op into almost any area of the world and completely change the economic status of villages, communities and maybe whole regions of some of the poorest on earth. For the time being our focus is in Nicaragua on the Island of Omatepe and in the Village of Los Braziles on the outskirts of Managua.

Last year we set up our first (guinea pig, if you will) small hydroponics farm on the CICRIN property. We are currently casting vision/ recruiting families who are interested in being a part of a co-op. We are not interested in running or owning these farms and will not be taking a profit at any level. In fact, we don’t even want to build these farms, we are interested in facilitating initial investment and giving ongoing oversight, as well as seeing communities “buy in” to the business model of running a co-op farm and deciding to reverse the trend of generational poverty!

The business model is based on biblical principles, not American ideals. We believe strongly in sowing the seeds of the Kingdom of God into the very grass roots of society, seeing whole villages and peoples give Christ the glory for the fruit of their labor (labor+glory to God=worship, Romans 12:1). Such dedication has been seen in the whole nation of Guatemala as it was transformed from a war-torn impoverished nation into one of the most economically successful and stable countries in the western hemisphere.

Sewing Co-Ops-
Through the vision of our newest “Initiators” (thank you Terri and Keirsten) we have joined with two community sewing projects bringing them new, commercial grade, patterns and the training, fabric and equipment needed to transform these groups from ladies learning to sew into full blown entrepreneurs. Their goal is to not only clothe themselves and their families but to make purses, handbags, and clothing for sale on and off the island of Omatepe! This is a wonderful project that has been great relationally and has the potential, along with some of the other wheels in motion, to drastically change the economic status of whole communities!

Los Braziles-
In 1998 Hurricane Mitch hovered over the nations in the middle of Central America for over 10 days causing major flooding, landslides, sinkholes and devastation only seen again just recently in Haiti. The loss of housing in Nicaragua alone was estimated at 890,000 and the death toll was in the thousands Nicaragua was not even the hardest hit country. Because of this a majority of the international aid was filtered to Honduras and Guatamala leaving Nicaragua the “odd man out” so to speak. As we now see it can take decades to rebuild from this kind of destruction. Because of God’s call we are in it for the long haul as we “adopted” the town of Los Braziles- rebuilding, literally, five to six feet on top of the old city.

We started immediately building houses, farms and a community center used for schools, a children’s feeding program and a church. Last year, through the help of some of you, we were able to purchase more land, which we plan to use this year to build more housing, a community park and hopefully a hydroponics co-op farm.

FUNAD-
FUNAD is the Foundation for Nicaraguan Aid and Development founded and run by Nicaraguans for Nicaraguans. We have worked closely with this organization to offer people low interest loans and grants to start small businesses and for education. Our latest efforts have been investing in the dental programs and free clinics over the last couple years. This year we plan to continue that investment and bring in permanent chairs and offices in some of the poorest communities who’s only choice in the past has been to just pull teeth when they became too infected to live with.