In the 2012 grant cycle, Project Redwood awarded Self Help International a grant to help build and equip a new training facility in Quinta Lidia, Nicaragua; in the 2013 cycle, we funded entrepreneurial training and mentoring for women and their older children at the new facility.

For the last couple of years, Jorge Fernandez has heavily invested his time and skills to help four-time Project Redwood grantee Compatible Technologies International (CTI) bring clean water to rural villagers of Nicaragua, one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere.

We flew into Managua over Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. The view was spectacular. Active volcanoes emitted smoke from their calderas. Hundreds of dormant cones were visible, some topped by cloud forests and crater lakes.

We saw real poverty among rural Nicaraguans: lack of electricity; dirt floors at home, lack of potable water; illnesses like Dengue fever; and other basic indicators of need. Poverty is really hard on people living in its hold, and it takes a big toll on individuals’ self- esteem.

In November 2013, five Project Redwood partners traveled to Nicaragua to visit the sites of several funded projects. Here are my reflections on our experience in Nicaragua.

Jorge packed our itinerary with intensive exposure to Project Redwood grantees Compatible Techonolgy International (CTI) and Self Help International (SHI), and partner non-profit EOS International projects, staff and communities.

One of the things that impressed me about our trip to Nicaragua was that if our affiliated non-government-organizations are well-connected and knowledgeable, then our grant dollars and efforts can be highly leveraged and effective.