Finally I can pause and consolidate my reflections of this study tour! It´s my second time in Nicaragua, after participating last January while still a volunteer for WCCN. Now, even after working full-time for WCCN for the past nine months, the immersive study is no less eye-opening.
We decided to take this travel opportunity to obtain video footage for the production of a NICA Fund informational film. This has added to the logistical planning, and made for some long days, but it has also added an exciting element. Brian, the filmmaker, is more talented and professional than we realized, and he has proven to be more than a filmmaker, actively engaged in all facets of the study.
The first two days of our stay, before the official tour began, were dedicated entirely to film project. Carlos arranged meetings with three partners of the NICA fund, as well as borrowers of those agencies. Adding three we visited last year, and the two we met with later in the tour, I now have visited with eight of our 13 partners. I'm always impressed with the work of these institutions, and these visits affirm my positive evaluations of them. Also, the interactions with borrowers gets right to the point in illustrating why WCCN is working in micrcredit. Each of the borrowers is dealing with their own set of talents and responsibilities against similar obstacles to success. Their loans are tailored to their needs, be it increasing inventory of the small shop they own, or making an addition to their single room home.
Borrowers I've met echo the sentiment of those from last year's tour: their lives are far better with access to credit. Once again, I have been inspired when hearing accounts of their children's education made possible.
Of course, microcredit is not all we're concerned with studying, and certainly not the only solution to shocking poverty and injustice in Nicaragua. As with last year, our discussions and meetings have integrated the issues of housing, fair trade and women's empowerement. Yesterday we toured the neighborhood of Enrique Scmidt, an excellent example of how an NGO can make a great positive impact where the government makes no efforts. There we heard from residents about the progress in sanitation and community as we met in their beaautiful, recently built community center. It's exciting to hear their story and future plans as we see the work in progress.
Also inspirational was our visit to the Nueva Vida sewing cooperative. The all-female owners have turned free trade on its head by building and operating a fair trade textile factory in a free trade zone.
Perhaps the most educational aspect of my visit has been the interaction with participants. Most of those attending have been to Nicaragua several times before and eagerly share their wealth of knowledge and understanding. I'm amazed at the energy of these long-time WCCN members. I thought I would be assisting them, but certainly it has been the other way around. They have shown great attitudes and flexibility with the uncertainties of travel, and especially considering the added work of film making.
Well, it's time to pack up and go home. I have a lot of work to do when I get back to Madison!
