The Friends of CoCoDA | Visit Nicaragua and El Salvador

This summer, CoCoDA resumed our Friends of CoCoDA trips to El Salvador and Nicaragua, with 25 North Americans visiting Central American communities to see, hear and learn about the projects CoCoDA has supported in both countries

Participants from age 9 to 79 learned Central American history and culture, visited CoCoDA projects, lived with Central American families, and visited tourist sites.

Friends of CoCoDA in Nicaragua!

From June 7th – 14th, nine North Americans explored Nicaragua with CoCoDA with our Executive Director Jim Mulholland and our Nicaraguan consultant Richard Sanchez.

They had deep conversations with Nicaraguans about their challenges, hopes and dreams as well as long group discussions about disparities in power and affluence in our world.

The group:

✅ learned about the Sandinista revolution

✅ visited the National museum

✅ traveled in the back of trucks to the indigenous community of Cacao

✅ heard the stories of scholarship students

✅ toured a coffee farm

✅ stopped in at a CoCoDA supported pre-school in Aguas Calientes

✅ saw our newest solar powered water project in Motuce

✅ floated down the Somoto Canyon

✅ explored the colonial city of Granada.

Friends of CoCoDA’s trip to Nicaragua in numbers:

Read the experience of one of the participants:

My husband and I traveled with CoCoDA to Nicaragua in June.  It was a wonderful experience – especially getting to meet the leaders of El Cacao face to face.  Since I’m practically fluent in Spanish (a retirement goal), I could talk one-on-one with the university students CoCoDA sponsors, and hear how they want to return to the community and help in their development.  Those conversations were extremely meaningful.  We traveled in a pick-up truck, with several of our group in the back, on extremely rough roads, up and down hills, for 90 minutes to reach them; truly remote.  Seeing their joy in working with us and being involved in helping their own community was quite moving.  

— Carla & Bill Hall

This group is already contributing to the progress in Nicaragua with over $1500 in donations and pledges as well as plans to stay connected and engaged with their Nicaraguan friends.

Friends of CoCoDA in El Salvador!

From June 15th -23rd, fifteen North Americans explored El Salvador with CoCoDA with our Executive Director Jim Mulholland and our El Salvador director, Karilyn Vides.

The delegation was part of multiple meetings with our partners in the country, ADES Santa Marta and CRC Suchitoto. Partners that CoCoDA has worked with for over 30 years.

They learned about the fragile political situation in El Salvador and spent evenings reflections on the ethical challenges of North Americans trying “to help” Salvadorans.

The group:

✅ visited the site of Saint Oscar Romero’s assassination

✅ learned about the dark history of the Salvadoran civil war

✅ dined with the students at the Casa Ivan Villasboa scholarship house

✅ traveled to Santa Marta and spent a night living with a Salvadoran family

✅ met with community leaders and our partner, ADES, to hear their concerns and dreams

✅ toured Radio Victoria, the oldest community radio station in the country

✅ climbed down to the base of the Los Tercios waterfall

✅ made pupusas with the Association of midwives

✅ heard the story of ACRASAME, CoCoDA’s largest solar powered water project

✅ spent an afternoon at the Las Delicias school, one of CoCoDA’s oldest projects with our partner, CRC

✅ spent a day at the El Tunco beach.

Friends of CoCoDA’s trip to El Salvador in numbers:

Read the experience of one of the participants:

We met with leaders of CoCoDA’s in-country partner organizations, as well as community leaders in Santa Marta and in communities near Suchitoto. Questions bubbled up for discussion: What are you proud of? What are your dreams?… Every couple of days we met for a group reflection to integrate and consolidate what we were experiencing and learning.These shared reflections were deep and powerful.

— Peggy Goetz

This group is already contributing to the progress in El Salvador with over $3500 in donations and pledges as well as plans to stay connected and engaged with their Salvadon friends. ¡Estamos emocionados!

SAVE THE DATE!

El Salvador

June 7th — 15th

Nicaragua

June 15th — 23rd

Stay tuned to our social media for more information!