As we*
finish up our brochures and business plans and run around our houses attempting
to find as many TSA-approved containers of liquids as possible, I thought I
might take a moment and elaborate a bit on what we are actually working on and
the impact we hope they will have. In
each of the three cities we are visiting, we have been in touch with a wide
range of small entrepreneurs and organizations. Through skype calls and email
exchanges we have been helping them identify and improve parts of their
businesses that need development. Each of our teams is working with two or
three organizations or individuals to help them develop their business into a
profitable entity that can sustain their livelihood and foster economic growth
in their community.
For the
past month or so, we have been in contact with these partners, as well as
Nicaraguan university students, local businesses and libraries, and micro financing
organizations to make sure that our time, effort, and resources are being used
in the most productive and meaningful way. Each of our projects have had their
challenges—communication barriers, internet failures, email address typos—but
hopefully our calls, never-ending email chains, and hours of research will help
improve the lives of the hundreds of individuals our projects could help. From an organization in Managua that wants to
develop and popularize a program that would give preschools access to arts and
sciences kits to Noelia and Rosa Chavez, two young women in San Juan del Sur
attempting to grow their jewelry and purse making business, each of our
Nicaraguan partners has the ability to not improve their personal financial
situation and quality of life, but the entire economic culture of their
communities.
With
every business card, financial booklet, and brochure my peers and I make, we
are helping these people gain finical stability and success. However, our month
of prep work and a few days of face-to-face consulting can only go so far. We
can provide know-how, temporary marketing materials, assistance getting grants,
and physical labor, but over time, our direct impact will begin to fade. These
people need resources and technology to prosper and grow sustainable
businesses, and the easiest way for them to have access to that is for you to
make a donation directly to their efforts. Every dollar you can donate is an
opportunity for them to change their lives and better the lives of their
families and communities. As a class, we have raised hundreds of dollars to
help these wonderful people, but we still have a long way to go until we reach
our goal of $1500. Please, if you can, click on the donation link to the right,
and make a difference in someone’s life.
Thank
you so much, and happy new year!
*If you
don’t know who we are, long story short is, 18 students from the University of
Maryland are going to Nicaragua for two weeks to help local entrepreneurs grow
their businesses. We will be spending time in Managua, Granada, and San Juan
del Sur using our business know-how to help with business planning, marketing
efforts, financial stability, and all that jazz.
