I hope that everyone is enjoying the holiday season with their families. I left Nicaragua two weeks ago to celebrate the holidays with Juan Pablo’s family here in Mexico.
Life in Palmira has been enjoyable and my work has been challenging. I am learning a lot about working in a different culture and even more about working with non-governmental organizations. The situation in Nicaragua in terms of international development is complicated and extensive. As some may already know, Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Americas and I am working in one of the poorest areas of the country.
Nicaragua relies on foreign aid and loans to keep its economy stabilized. From 2009 to 2013, Canada contributed $ 70.1 million to development assistance in Nicaragua. However since the current president of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega returned to power in 2007, international foreign aid has decreased dramatically due to election fraud and corruption on behalf of government officials. Foreign donors now look to large NGOs (such as the one I am working for) within the country to carry out development goals.
Nonetheless, international aid in Nicaragua is in a precarious state. For this reason INPRHU (Instituto de Promoción Humana), the organization for which I am working, is looking for alternative, more sustainable methods of acquiring funds. They have identified the eco-lodge in Palmira as a source of potential income. The only problem is that right now there are no tourist arrivals and my task is to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth within the community in the form of tourism. 
Easier said than done. I must first convince INPRHU that they need to treat the eco-lodge as a business, a process slightly unfamiliar to a non-for-profit organization. Second I need to work with the community and empower them to invest time and commitment in tourism, something that has never delivered benefits to them in the past. I must challenge myself to think creatively in order to achieve the results that the community deserves. 
Sustainable positive change in rural communities needs to be generated by grassroots organization. In other words, in order to build sustainable livelihoods, change must be initiated by the community for the community. The people must feel empowered to change certain aspects of their lives and no one else can do it for them. For this reason, CUSO emphasizes a participatory approach, where community members are involved in every step of the process from consultation to taking action. My job as a volunteer is to facilitate participation by the community and identify ways in which skills and interests can be leveraged so that people themselves improve their quality of life.
Many international development organizations use a top down approach where outside institutions come in and carry out projects, often without consulting the local population. This approach often fails as the community members don’t identify with the projects and don’t feel a part of the changes taking place. For development to be successful, it must be sustainable and this means that local people carry out the change.
During the holiday season it becomes very apparent how well off we really are, whether it be by the love of our families or on the basis of our material wealth. I am volunteering to fulfill my duty of solidarity and responsibility towards marginalized people in the global south.
Please consider contributing to CUSO International by means of my personal fundraising page.
I am only $150 away from my fundraising goal of $2000. The tax deadline is December 31st, but donations are still accepted in 2016. Remember that every dollar donated, the Canadian Government will match your donation ten fold.
Signing off for now, but thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I wish everyone all the best in the new year!
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