By Richard Sanchez

Every summer, CoCoDA invites North Americans to travel for one week in El Salvador or Nicaragua. This trip introduces North Americans to the history and culture of this country as well as allows participants to get an intimate view of CoCoDA projects and initiatives.  In this article, Richard Sanchez explains what makes these trips so amazing.

“When we started the Friends of CoCoDA trips in 2015, I had no idea how important these trips would become to CoCoDA.  Many of our strongest donors and present Board members first connected to CoCoDA through a Friends of CoCoDA trip.  I’ll tell you another secret.  It’s my favorite part of my job.  Who wouldn’t love spending a week with incredible people exploring Central America?”

Jim Mulholland, CoCoDA Executive Director

The Friends of CoCoDA trips allow North Americans the opportunity to learn about El Salvador and Nicaragua; their history, culture, traditions and way of life. They also give North Americans the opportunity to meet social justice champions in Central America – the leaders who have been working to develop their communities side by side with CoCoDA for more than 30 years.

Richard Sanchez, who has led these trips to Nicaragua says,

“These trips are a big encouragement to our communities and leaders.  To have North Americans travel thousands of miles by plane, hundreds of miles by bus, and then travel in the back of a truck for the last few miles is evidence that these North Americans are really interested in us.”

Richard Sanchez, CoCoDA Consultant in Nicaragua

Richard explains what a typical trip is like:

“When you arrive in Central America, our staff, Karilyn and Enrique, will welcome you, introduce you to this country and do their best to answer all your questions. They will explain the CoCoDA philosophy and mission so that you understand why we do our work in our way!”

Friends of CoCoDA trips include two days of orientation where North Americans learn about the history of the country in a way that will allow them to understand the current situation. Visitors also have the opportunity to visit historical sites, amazing volcanoes, colonial cities, beaches and interact with people in the communities.

Visit to the residence of Archbishop Romero during orientation days | 2024 El Salvador Friends of CoCoDA Trip

Richard continues,

“You will also witness the work that CoCoDA has done with the support of people like you. You will visit schools, water projects, get to know students in the scholarship programs and meet our partners. You will spend one or two nights living with a Central American family.”

The Addington family, who traveled with The Friends of CoCoDA delegation in 2024, says “We will never forget our time in the community.”

“We were worried about how our 12-year-old would handle the homestay.  In the end, he enjoyed that part of the trip more than his parents”

Rachel Addington

While a homestay is one of the Friends of CoCoDA experiences that makes people the most nervous, it is also the experience that comes up most often in post trip evaluations as transformative. 

Connor Clemens, one past CoCoDA delegate from Indiana University says “I felt that my family welcomed me and they accommodated me… one of the best things of the whole experience was when we would sit outside the house in hammocks and chat about life.”

However, the point of a Friends of CoCoDA trip is more than a one-week experience.  For many it is the beginning of a lifelong investment as North Americans return home committed to making a difference in Central America. 

“When we consider the numbers, CoCoDA may appear to be a small organization. However, when we focus on the projects, programs, friendships and all the results we achieve, we stand as a significant force for positive change”

Karilyn Vides, CoCoDA representative in El Salvador

Richard Sanchez explains, “With all the information you will gather during this trip as well as see the impact of the work our partners and community leaders have done, you will have the chance to decide to accompany these communities by donating to a specific project or supporting the general work of CoCoDA. You can also go back home and talk to others about our work and commitment to the dream of people in Central America.”

▶️ For more information about a Friends of CoCoDA, consider watching the CoCoDA video “What Happens On A Delegation.”

✅ To register for the June, 2025 trip to El Salvador, click here:

https://forms.gle/cGe8QaSweztkUWaS8

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