Karilyn

Karilyn

This author Karilyn has created 33 entries.

20 Feb
0

Let’s Celebrate 30 Years of Social Development through Febrero Fiesta 2023!

A Friendraiser for Companion Community Development Alternatives and their water, public health, and education projects in El Salvador and Nicaragua.Febrero Fiesta is CoCoDA’s annual virtual friend and fundraiser.  It is an opportunity for us to celebrate with longtime supporters as well as curious new friends with a goal of learning, inspiring, and raising $30,000 to celebrate 30 years of projects in Central America. Each night’s 1-hour segment will begin at 8:00 p.m. EST and focus on a different theme.  The...

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Leaders who make CoCoDA strong
06 Sep
2

Leaders Who Make CoCoDA Strong

Companion Community Development Alternatives (CoCoDA) was established in 1992, as an extension of the work of Building With the Voiceless of El Salvador (BVES) which was founded by Tim Crouse and Peter Melberg (of DePauw University) in the United States alongside Salvadorans such as José Peña.The success of CoCoDA has always been due to the commitment to having Central Americans and North Americans working side by side in an effort to build not just a bridge, but a strong and equitable one that allows people to weave friendships. ...

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CoCoDA and ADES inaugurate Student House Iván Villasboa
08 Aug
0

CoCoDA Inaugurates a Student House for Young People from Rural Communities

After two and a half years, CoCoDA Executive Director Jim Mulholland, CoCoDA board members Iván Villasboa, Deborah Payne and Genevieve Ryann as well as Indiana University representative Jennifer Custer returned to El Salvador to reconnect with partners, visit recent projects and inaugurate two of our greatest collaborations during the pandemic.Casa Iván VillasboaOn Thursday, June 9th, our longtime partner ADES and CoCoDA inaugurated the scholarship program resident dormitory and renamed the building “Casa Iván Villasboa” in honor of the years of...

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Solar System to pump water - ACRASAME ZP
06 Jul
0

CoCoDA Inaugurates a Solar System to provide water to over 600 families

ACRAZAME-ZPOn Saturday, June 11th, longtime partner CRC, the ACRASAME Water Board, and CoCoDA inaugurated the recently retrofitted solar-powered water system for ten rural communities west of Suchitoto.  This system, hosted in Sitio Zapotal, provides water to over 600 families and over 2,000 people.  It is the largest solar-powered water system collaboration in CoCoDA history with 96 solar panels in operation.During the ceremony, Edgardo Molina of CRC, Félix Ángela Pineda of the Acrasame Water Board, and Jim Mulholland of CoCoDA spoke...

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27 Apr
0

Internship Opportunity with CoCoDA

The CoCoDA Internship program is designed to allow Salvadorians and Nicaraguans the opportunity to work side by side with CoCoDA employees in the areas of communications, social media, graphic design, public health, and delegation facilitation, project management while improving English language proficiency.While CoCoDA is open to applications from all students for possible internships, we will give preference to those in the following degree programs: Communications, English, Engineering, Graphic Design, Business Administration, Public Relations, Public Health, Medicine, and Social Work.CoCoDA is...

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20 Mar
0

Rotary Tour to El Salvador, June 9-14, 2022

COME SEE WHAT ROTARIANS HAVE ACCOMPLISHEDIn 2021, Rotarians across the US and Canada have contributed over $31,000 to the construction of solar-powered water systems in Central America in collaboration with CoCoDA.  The first of these projects is complete.  $3,500 of these funds came from Ohio Rotary clubs.Ohio Rotarians are invited to celebrate the inauguration of the Acrasame Solar Powered Water Project in La Mora, El Salvador.  This tour will be from Thursday, June 9th through Tuesday, June 14th, 2022.   The...

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Febrero Fiesta 2022 - Thank you
17 Mar
0

More Dreams Will Come True Through Febrero Fiesta 2022!

Dreams will come true in Central America, thanks to the 225 people who attended one or more of the four nights of the Febrero Fiesta.  Together with the many Fiesta event and video sponsors, they raised over $23,000 for projects in El Salvador and Nicaragua.  You can read more about this exciting event below and see who made it a success.*At the bottom of this article are also links to each night’s program and to the videos from the Fiesta.Inhabitants of the Zacamil...

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21 Dec
0

Making Central American Dreams Come True

In the past, we’ve often emphasized how your Christmas donation to CoCoDA would help us purchase so many bricks, books, medicines, solar panels, and other tangible items.  While these are important, those objects are always connected to real people. This year, we’re asking you to donate to people and their dreams!Rosa Murillo is better known as Morena. She has been a nurse since the civil war in El Salvador. Since then, she worked as a nurse for her community, paid and unpaid.A donation...

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Bringing Water through Solar Panels in Central America
09 Dec
0

Bringing Water to Central Americans

In 2003, in response to the dreams of our partner communities in Central America, CoCoDA began planning and fundraising for our first water system in El Zapote, El Salvador.  This rather simple project took two years to complete.  We had a lot to learn.  Mr. Alan Winslow was key in championing this project with Rotarians in Evansville and Vincennes, Indiana, who helped raise about $10,000 for this pilot program.The First Solar Power Water System in El SalvadorCoCoDA and community...

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09 Nov
0

The Faces Behind CoCoDA

Over the years, CoCoDA has fulfilled its mission thanks to many people – staff, Board members, volunteers, donors, champions and our many partners in Central America.  These are people committed to our work, empathetic to the needs of those with less privilege or resource. North Americans and Central Americans have worked side by side, managing projects and creating programs for the benefit of the communities because, like CoCoDA, they have commited to improving the quality of life for those in Central America and creating connections between...

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