Written by Caitlyn Peake, Latin America Regional Director
Crisis continues to unfold in Nicaragua. Although violence has diminished considerably and transportation routes are opening up, the people of Nicaragua are still fearful of a future that is increasingly uncertain. During this time, it is critical that we continue to support communities in Nicaragua, whose access to basic resources is being threatened by intimidation and fear. Despite concern, our nonprofit partners and local staff are working diligently to bring clean water and renewable energy to families across the country, adapting quickly and thoughtfully to fulfill our mission. We are thankful that our partners and the infrastructure they rely upon to implement projects have been minimally effected by these events. We are also grateful for our newest staff member, Maria Elisa Espinoza, who has played a key role in advancing our projects in Nicaragua this summer.
Thankful for Maria Elisa
Maria joined the Green Empowerment team in March as our Nicaragua Fellow. She has a Master’s in Business Administration and extensive experience working in rural microfinance. Her responsibilities include program development, project management and local capacity building, working closely with longstanding partners AsoFenix and ATDER-BL. Maria hit the ground running, working with Regional Director Caitlyn Peake and Technical Manager Elise Kittrell to conduct project evaluations and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) trainings during her first week on the job. She has also made significant progress in advancing two of our newly established revolving funds, one with AsoFenix and the other with a new partner, El Gorrión Coffee Cooperative.
Despite conflict, Maria has extended her original contract with Green Empowerment and will continue to support our projects through next March, at least. We are so fortunate to have Maria on our team during this challenging time. When she joined Green Empowerment, Maria expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, her excitement and desire to continue serving rural communities in her home country.
Looking Ahead
Although disheartened by the situation in Nicaragua, we remain committed to advancing social justice in Latin America, Asia and beyond – no matter the obstacles. All people deserve access to clean water, renewable energy and equal opportunity to grow and thrive. With the help of local partners and dedicated staff, like Maria Elisa, we will not stop until this vision is realized. Thank you, Maria, for joining our team!