By Karilyn Vides

A visit to Central America may fill your mind with images of beaches, volcanoes, Mayan ruins, and friendly, smiling locals. You wouldn’t be wrong. The scenery is breathtaking, and the experience is unique. What may not come to mind are the exquisite aromas of delicious cuisine such as pupusas, the smell of firewood, flowers, and wet soil in the countryside, and the curious gazes of people who, while welcoming to foreigners, are ready to share a resilient story of a people united and organized in the face of past and present social challenges.


The Friends of CoCoDA Experience

CoCoDA is a community-based organization that collaborates in programs and projects in these paradise lands of clay and corn. While North American partners provide most of the resources for these collaborations, they do so from thousands of miles away. That’s why in 2014, CoCoDA created a very special trip called “Friends of CoCoDA”, to allow North Americans the opportunity to see these projects and meet the people empowered by them. This was also an opportunity for North Americans and Central Americans to build enduring relationships by living, eating and talking together.


What Makes CoCoDA Unique

Many US organizations work in Central America. What makes CoCoDA unique is our commitment to creating deep bonds of friendship. For this reason, during a visit, we conduct “homestays” that allow visitors to hear the dreams and aspirations of Central Americans, learn about local life, understand their fears and concerns, and listen to their stories and hearts. This immersive experience is a powerful way to dispel stereotypes and break down biases, fostering genuine understanding.

Visit to Las Delicias community school in Suchitoto, El Salvador.


Cultural Sensitivity and Exploration

Another of our values is “cultural sensitivity,” and we cannot respect a people and their culture if we do not know what has shaped their stories. When it comes to cultural exchange, you cannot truly know it if you only stop at a luxurious restaurant by the beach. This is why, during the first days—or orientation days, as we call them—we visit various places of historical interest. We will dive into the past to better grasp the present, and trust us, history has never been this exhilarating!

Additionally, we conduct sightseeing, so you can take beautiful postcards for future memories and experience exchange with your loved ones. The majesty of a volcano, the singing of birds and roosters in the mornings, the rain on the rooftops, and many more experiences will make your visit unforgettable.

Visit to the house of Monsignor Romero in San Salvador, El Salvador.

A Transformative Journey

We have ten years of testimony to the power of these visits. Friends of CoCoDA visitors leave with warm hearts and fierce determination to work alongside Central Americans to fulfill their dreams. The journey will open your eyes and your mind; transforming your understanding of yourself and your place in the world and leaving you with much to reflect upon.

JOIN US!

If you are ready to expand your lungs and breathe the fresh air of El Salvador and/or Nicaragua, CoCoDA invites you to join us on the “Friends of CoCoDA” trip in June 2025.


Details:

  • 🪙 Cost:
    • $900.00 per person (plus airfare to El Salvador)
    • or $950.00 per person (plus airfare to Nicaragua).


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