On behalf of Community Health Evangelism, Nicaragua, we thank you so much for your support during the last year. I apologize for the long silence due to illness during and after Christmas, amid the preparations for our trip to Nicaragua at the end of January.
It is particularly poignant thinking about the work of the faithful, tried and tested CHE workers, and the churches of which they are members, and the difficulties they currently face. Your financial support is also a source of spiritual and emotional support, and we particularly value your prayers for the team. We are giving thanks to God for the year of growth seen in the communities where the CHE team is working.
A few months ago the government stated that all non-governmental organisations must work in ‘alliance’ with the government. In practice this means that government workers go out with the CHE trainers, and give the practical classes, such as micro-business training, for example, and the CHE trainers continue to give their Bible studies and spiritual trainings. The communities and CHE workers report that the government classes are very good, but the presence of the workers has added to the costs. of community visits.
Thanks to your support throughout 2024, we see the growth that God is bringing about in the communities of El Crucero in the following statistics:
On behalf of the CHE team, Nicaragua, thank you from the bottom of our hearts fo making it possible for a sixty year old woman to gather people at her house, and say, ‘Now that we know God……’. Thank you, and God bless you all,
Continuing our last post’s theme of using our gifts to support missions, and CHE specifically, we’ll highlight the work of women who have shared their talents generously. Most have never visited Nicaragua, but God has called them to a relationship with CHE Nicaragua, demonstrated in loving support through the use of their time and gifts.
Mary and her quilt group have donated fabric, and helped to cut out sewing projects for the sewing team which goes to CHE communities to teach a sewing project. The women then use what they have learned to create items, adding their own ideas, that they can use or sell. Sherry had the idea of teaching women in the mountains of central Nicaragua to embroider quilt blocks. The women learned a skill, were paid, and their exquisite quilt blocks have been sold and admired at many quilt shows.
They have raised many hundreds of dollars for CHE Nicaragua.
Mary is assembling a Sunbonnet Sue quilt top using the blocks. Sherry also helped us hugely as we started to raise funds through yard sales.
Sherry’s friend, Pat, sold dozens of the lovely greeting cards made as a fundraiser by Sherry and her friends. Finally, Holli, who, together with Kay and Alyssa from her church, has visited Nicaragua with us, to teach a crochet bag made with ‘plarn’ (made by using discarded plastic shopping bags). The women who learned this craft shared it with others in their communities; some women sold the items they made, and one woman added crocheted products to her sewing business. Holli has organized several huge rummage sales, with a lot of support from her husband, and her church, which raised several thousand dollars.
The CHE team is SO grateful to all of these talented women who have contributed so much time, effort and creativity to support the development of women’s God-given talents. We love to see women go on to use what they have learned in microbusinesses which augment family finances.
CHE lessons include classes on initiating and maintaining micro-businesses, which cover financial management, as well as other aspects of business, and the importance of reflecting Christ through business values such as honesty, good stewardship and integrity.
May God bless you all richly! Phil 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Every year 2 women, Anne and Heide, go to CHE communities in Nicaragua, where they are welcomed into homes and churches, and spend time with the women and familes they have come to know over years. YOU could go with them!
That may not be possible, but these women do not go alone – they go with the prayers of their friends, neighbours, and churches, and the sewing projects that they do with groups in Nicaragua are the result of people working together with love.
The projects are chosen by the leaders in Nicaragua together; the fabrics, ribbons, and threads are donated by women here in the US; friends, church members, and a quilt group have helped cut out the kits that are taken to Nicaragua. Those are contributions of time, effort, and of un-needed fabric that make it all possible.
Fund-raising: do you have that interest? Partnership in Hope exists to finance the CHE central training team in Nicaragua, without whom this ministry would not be reaching into tiny rural communities with God’s Word, the love of Jesus, and wholistic development skills.
This is how some people are fund- raising:
Having yard sales, selling friends’ unwanted items on Facebook Marketplace, selling crafts, holding a birthday party with donations to CHE, Nicaragua, or making a Facebook suggestion to celebrate their birthday with a donation. Send us your ideas – better yet, try some! Financial donations are wonderful, deeply appreciated, and necessary, but we just want to highlight these ideas that generate money – and community – and are within all of our reach, whether we are able to give financially or not.
The savings group, Women United and Strengthened began in Santa Julia due to the need for a safe way to save money given that there are no banks or savings groups in the municipality.
The women need their own tools, including items such as baskets, sacks, and seeds, for their work on their land. Their savings enable them to purchase these, as well as other necessities.
The group began on July 26th, 2014, with 26 women who decided on a monthly contribution of 100 córdobas ( $2.71) per person. In the first meeting they collected 2400 córdobas (65.25). Two of the women needed loans. They were loaned $1000 each, with a monthly interest rate of 3.3%, over 6 months. The interest collected on loans is used for organizational and community work.
The group has been a great blessing since they have been able to use it to buy what they need for their products, and the loans help them to invest and grow their micro-businesses.
The loans have grown from their intial 1000 córdobas to loans of 50000 córdobas ($1359.36). It is important to note that these women have been able to initiate their own businesses, fix up their houses, and improve their lives. Five of the women (one of whom is Eloisa Garcia, a community leader) have their own little shops, something which did not exist in the community previously.
Nora Isabel Velásquez is a senior citizen who shares that, beacuase of the group funds, she has been able to sell natural products, going door to door in the community. She says she loves the work.
This group came about through the need to be able to develop economic activity in the community, and now families from other communities are getting involved as the group continues to grow. There is a board of directors, which includes the president, treasurer and secretary.
The group now feels sustainable since through their own funds they have demonstrated that they are capable of managing their group, and thanks to their experience, they have visited other neighbourhoods urging people to save. As a result 6 more groups have formed to put this into practice, and strengthen community development.
“Maintaining a revolving fund for 10 years has not been easy”, says Lola Esquivel, president ot Women United and Strengthened. “Now we can’t manage the money ourselves – we have an accountant who comes every month to keep track, and keep the record year to year. One of our weaknesses is that we don’t have a computer, which would enable us to do that ourselves. I’ve been looking for a secondhand one, so that we could have our statistics readily available”.
As par5 of the commitment, there are 2 kinds of cards, 1 is pink, for a loan, and 1 is blue for a contribution. The meetings take place on the last Sunday of the month, in the morning, to ensure that everyone can attend.
Unfortunately, one of the members of this group died. The savings she had accrued were given to her family.
If the participants are late in a loan repayment they are fined, a symbolic amount: 30 córdobas ($.81). They use the money from fines to buy notebooks, pens, staples, paper and other supplies.
Their work has resulted in greater development in the community.
Doña Lola explaining the formation and development of the savings group to visitors from Venezuela
I had the blessing of getting to know Doña Lola, a leader in the community where Community Health Evangelism is working, is seen here second from the left. For many organizations servant leadership is the model – Doña Lola simply lives it. She has gathered younger women together to serve their community as well, nurturing them, and training them to be future leaders. Her generation grew up without the opportunity to learn to read and write: the younger women taught them. In the community’s interactions with other entities, such as local government, the younger women help with the technology involved in communication, and presentation of projects for improving services to the community.
Doña Lola was instrumental in drawing up property lines when the community of Santa Teresa was established. She was a leader in establishing the women’s coffee cooperative, which has been able to save for, and purchase a coffee roaster. They sell a delicious coffee with complex flavours, grown in the luxurious shade of enormous ceiba and guanacaste trees, roasted in the roaster they saved for and bought themselves. The women have a savings club, with a revolving fund. Photo1:Doña Lola presenting part of their reproduction of chickens.
Photo2 : Doña Lola with medicinal plants for your home
Photo 3: Doña Lola welcoming conference (Samaritans Purse, Canada, Agro-ecology 2024) participants to the community, alongside Lea, who accompanied us as we visited familes, and saw their gardens, pigs, and chickens.
Almost a week ago I came back from a week long Samaritan’s Purse, Canada conference on Agro-Ecology held in Nicaragua to showcase the work of the CHE ministry there. The attendees, from El Salvador, Costa Rica, Peru, Venezuela, the US, Colombia, and Canada, presented and exchanged experiences in their work to increase food security, as well as help communities diversify their crops and vegetables in order to improve nutrition.
Cactus-like Pithaya. Flower and herb garden. Rosemary,oregano. Celery,rue.Pithaya is like dragon fruit, and is very marketable.
Samaritan’s Purse, Canada, (SPC) sponsors the animals, pigs and chickens, that are provided to applicants in the communities. Those people will give a pig or chickens to another family when the animals reproduce. The familes continue this chain through the community, creating economic opportunity as young pigs are sold, and increasing protein consumption as eggs are readily available for the family, and for sale.The participants visited the CHE ministry communities, and were very impressed by the families’ care of the animals, and their testimonies regarding the importance of the animals, and their appreciation of the SPC program.
SPC sponsors the animal program, and sponsors facilitators, in this case, CHE trainers, Pastor Chico and Andres working with SPC, as well as CHE. SPC funds a year in the community. This funding helps CHE to enter the community, and begin their ministry. The CHE cycle of ministry is 3 years. Partnership in Hope, that is, all of you, funds the rest of the cycle. I’ll be honest, we are struggling, hence, so is the ministry, financially.
Santa Teresa and Enredado are extraordinary communities of subsistence farmers.
The only things they have to buy, other than clothes, are rice, soap, sugar and oil. No-one works outside the community. As a result of Pastor Chico’s work, they now grow tomatoes, peppers, onions, squash, mint, rue, celery, oregano, in addition to their corn and beans. Andres faciltates trainings on, for example, developing their ability to present and sell their products.
Men harvesting beans. The bean harvest was in full swing while we were there. See photo below- beans were drying outside all the houses.
I asked what CHE minstry was bringing to these well-organized communities, where teenagers are organized to provide homework coaching for young children, and the elderly are watched over. As we would expect, CHE ministry brings a spiritual dimension that was lacking: the Word of God, and consistent study and teaching, which is provided by pastor Chico. When we visited the communities with Pastor Chico and Andres, the warm relationship between them and the people was very apparent. As they say, the 3 most important words in CHE are : relationships, relationships, relationships!
It is wonderful to see that Chico, a protestant pastor, has a good relationship with the Catholic priest, and, in fact, the monthly trainings are held in the Catholic church. This kind of cooperation is very rare in Nicaragua. I can only think of one other example, close to 20 years ago.
Drying beans outside the houses/Lunch with the visitors outside the Catholic church l
Thank you for your faithful support, and your prayers. We are giving thanks for the conference, and for the Holy Spirit being at work in the communities. Please pray for the Bible studies, that people would come to know and love Jesus. Blessings,
The active participation of the ECS women of the Island of Ometepe, as part of the impact of the different experiences and entrepreneurship training, they meet to innovate and create not only in sewing, but also develop in the kitchen and create their own spaces to generate income.
Successful families savings group, previously called: successful women, over time they saw the interest of adolescents, young people and men wanting to be part of it, this is how it changed to the name: successful families. They didn't know how to save, they weren't used to doing so. Fátima Medina, community leader.
Luis Felipe Mayorga and Alba Luz Dávila are part of the successful families savings group in the community: El Limonal in the department of Chinandega. They share with us that thanks to savings they have been able to get ahead and invest in their businesses. (Purchase and sale of ferrous and non-ferrous materials, breeding, reproduction and sale of pigs) and other needs.
“Before we did not save, if we had money we used it for anything, now we recognize the importance of this, we already know that we must save and we can count on it until the end of the year, it is like a bonus for those of us who do not have a stable job” . Alba Dávila said between laughs.
Luis and Alba
Alva Luz Davila, pastor’s wife
Alva has been a member of the group for one year. She says, ‘What I like is that, through saving, I can set goals and have dreams for the year, because I can take the money out at the end of the year. Last year I bought the children shoes and school supplies. this year I am saving for the childrens’ graduations. Alva has 4 sons, two of whom are twins.
Silvia Johanna: Silvia participates in the Small Animal program, which works like this: a family or individual receives a pig, goat, rabbits, or chickens. When the animal reproduces, one of its progeny is passed to another family, or a pair, in the case of rabbits and chickens. Silvia sold 8 piglets from the first litter. There were 11 piglets in the second litter, and 13 in the third. Clearly the animals are well cared for! Her daughter helps her take care of the pigs.Silvia has been a member of the group for 3 years. ‘There are always needs,’ she says, ‘This group is a blessing because I can count on the savings. I’ve bought things for my home, and I got a tricycle because I sell vegetables, and with the tricycle I can travel further, and carry more vegetables in the cargo carrier on the front. My goals are 1, knowing God who helps me, and 2, buy a motorcycle for my daughter.’
Raquel Antonia Gonzales:Raquel is a new member. She says, ‘I’m having a baby next month, so I’m just saving for the baby.
Maria Estela Garcia:Maria has been a member of the savings group for 1 year, and says she started off well.’I went to all the meetings until May, but then, with cancer, I couldn’t come. But I did manage to pay off 2 loans, with the help of God. And I’d really like to be able to get a sewing machine. I appreciate the solidarity of being in the group with all of us saving: I’ve got to know people. I’d like to be able to buy a sewing machine.’
Jaquelin, Maria’s daughter:Jaquelin has been a member for 1 year. ‘I’ve paid off some loans, and then used money to pay for my childrens’school expenses, school events etc.’
Elena Reyes: ‘I’ve been a member of Women of CHE for years, and a member of the Savings Group for 4 or 5 years. With Women of CHE I was sharing the work with the other women, visiting people in their homes, and we cleaned the streets. Now, with the Savings Group, I’ve started a little shop, so I’m getting on, little by little. My daughter saw how I was doing, so she joined the group, and then my son joined! It was because they saw what I was doing. Elena and her son attend a church in El Limonal.
Claudia Herrera:Claudia has been a member of the Savings Group for 3 years. ‘It has brought me many blessings!’ Claudia has 5 children, and drives a bicycle taxi. ‘My first year with the group I saved for my childrens’ school promotions, my second, I bought clothes for my children, and this year I’m going to get some wood to repair the house. I enjoy the meetings a lot because everyone gets along, and I like the talks people give,’
Francisca Delgado is part of the successful families savings group in the El Limonal-Chinandega community.
She shares that together with her husband they work at the Chureca (municipal garbage dump) thanks to this and the benefit of the sale of pigs acquired in this group they have managed to save for 4 years. Building and improving parts of her house has been her main objective. Thanks to this savings, she managed to buy a refrigerator to sell sodas and, together with her husband's savings, buy a motorcycle.
Partnership in Hope 