Giving Thanks from Nicaragua!

This Thanksgiving Enlace Project would like to extend a sincere and heartfelt “gracias” to all of our supporters, volunteers, friends, and family. Without your support, hard work, dedication, and vision for a better future, we would not be able to work towards our goal of inspiring and supporting communities, families, and individuals in their work towards economic development.

This year we have been able to accomplish many great things. Just to mention a few:

1.      Construction of La Flor elementary school in Ocotal

2.      Enlace Project Benefit Concert on SUNY Geneseo campus

3.      Exportation of 12,000 of Ocotal coffee to Rochester

4.      Over $13,000 in microloans

5.      Over 30 small businesses started or expanded with the Micro-loan Program

6.      9 Nicaraguan participants for our second annual English Class trip to New York

7.      52 participants in our Academic and Volunteer Travel Program

8.      Installation of 25 solar panels for the members of the Tourism Cooperative “Los Altos de Ocotal”

Although Thanksgiving is not a celebrated holiday in Nicaragua, the action of giving thanks is still very important across the country. Any of our supporters who have traveled to El Sauce have seen first hand how grateful the community is for your involvement. 

Thank you again for your support!

Sincerely,

The Enlace Project Staff

Enlace Project Looks Toward the Future!

Enlace Project Staff 2013! Click here for bios. 

In the months of October and November, Enlace Project’s Nicaragua staff participated in two team workshops in order to strengthen team bonds and prepare future plans for improving and expanding projects. Led by co-directors Kellan Morgan and Yacarely Mairena, and Peace Corps volunteer Conrad Wright, the workshops focused on reaffirming the organization’s vision, mission, progress, and future. Since Enlace Project’s inception in 2009, it has created and advanced several initiatives with the hope to act as a meaningful resource in the El Sauce community.

Concentrating hard during the meeting!

However, Enlace Project’s vision doesn’t end there. Beyond El Sauce, Enlace Project imagines the inspiration of new communities and individuals through opportunities that allow them to work towards their own human and economic development. The co-directors discussed bigger plans for the future, encouraging the entire staff to think about how their programs could grow, and how they can bring new ideas to the table. Conrad’s workshop on creativity sought to inspire the staff to ‘think outside of the box.’

Conrad talks about creativity, after an interesting
activity (the cup in the foreground).

Later in the weekend, the talk turned to planning the more tangible future. Each program within Enlace Project was encouraged to develop their own vision for the program, and a set of goals and objectives to reach the eventual ‘vision’ set for themselves. Now in the later planning stages, Enlace Project is getting ready to kick off 2014 with a solid and well-developed idea for how the organization hopes to grow—along with realistic steps to reach that point.

As the end of the year approaches, Enlace Project hopes to share some of the newest changes and growths with supporters—there is a lot to look forward to, and a lot that we can do to continue providing resources to communities that can help themselves!

--Written by Sean Conner

How a Small and Innovative Cafe is Making a Big Difference

Café Aroma, with a performance by Priscilla Ozodo.

 Enlace Project has found its newest “link” between the United States and El Sauce through the Rush United Methodist Church outside of Rochester, New York. Devin Lyles, the church’s Pastor of Youth and Outreach, became interested in Enlace Project’s programs and opportunities when approached by Sean Conner, Enlace’s Nicaragua intern and member of the Rush, NY congregation. Although Enlace Project is not affiliated with any religious institution or group, the two organizations share the common mission of helping to meet the needs of those in underprivileged communities.

Thus, discussion began between RUMC and Enlace Project on how to best use the church’s congregation and enthusiasm to help drive Enlace’s projects. The result takes is the use of Ocotal Coffee, which is purchased from Java Joe’s and sold at the church’s grassroots café space—a locale that is unique in the area, serving as a meeting space for creative minds, artists, musicians, and other fair-trade sales merchants. The coffee is served on a donation basis, with all profits directly benefiting Enlace’s microloan program.

Emiliano, a coffee farmer in Ocotal, nurses the young coffee plants.

Café Aroma, as RUMC’s community space is named, came about in attempts to bring the many talents and skills of Rush into one place where they could be emphasized, accompanied by coffee and intimate conversation. Beginning in September 2013, the café began to function bringing in acoustic musical acts on the first Saturday of the month and serving as a meeting place before and after the Sunday church services. The walls display the art of local artists—including some of Kris Dreessen's photographs of El Sauce—and the church is also working on putting together some workshops in the future.

“Our hope has always been to create a space that fosters community,” Devin explains. “We like to think Glocally.” By this Devin refers to both a global and a local focus.

Flyer for a past "Acoustic Saturdays" event.

The church has a strong reputation for service work, including raising funds for a water project in Africa, working with a hospice and orphanage in South Africa, organizing yearly mission trips, and working in soup kitchens in Rochester. Keeping the service focus with the café, Devin and the rest of the congregation are glad to support the direct-trade coffee that Java Joe buys from Ocotal. When it was first served, Devin recalls, “everyone commented on the level of the quality of the coffee.” The donations going towards Enlace Project’s microloan program also shows the church’s attention to international service. When art is hung in the church for sale, the church requires that 10% of the profits go to a mission of some sort.

In the month of December, Café Aroma is planning a Christmas Extravaganza for the Acoustic Saturday performance. He assures, “there will be eggnog and ugly sweaters aplenty.” For more information and general hours of operation, you can visit http://www.thecafearoma.com/. 

--Written by Sean Conner, Enlace Project Intern