Recently, the tourist industry in Nicaragua has been hit hard with the onset of political unrest in April, 2018. Jobs have dried up and many families with aging or ill members no longer receive vital food assistance from the government.  But we have found a way to help. $15 a month, or $180 a year can supply a family with a small packet of essential food items that they would otherwise go without. These packets can make the difference between a family having enough food for a daily meal or not. Please join John and I in raising enough money to deliver food packets to 100 families for as long as needed. Your contribution also goes toward creating  part time jobs for 2 of our friends, Katy and Lucia, as each month they purchase, divide and deliver these essential food packets to families across their villages. Please consider sharing our campaign with your friends and family to get the word out as much as possible. 

How it Began:
Katy and Lucia worked for us over the winter in the house we rented. Katy manages the property for the owner and took care of our day to day needs. We hired Lucia as a housekeeper and have known her for over five years, having met her on one of our initial visits. This year the conversations in the house centered heavily on how things have changed for Nicaragua since the onset of political unrest in April of 2018. At the end of every day, I felt myself turning in with a single thought: We must find a way to help if we can.

During one of our conversations, Katy mentioned a local man who had taken it upon himself to buy and distribute food aid to several families in a near-by village. The families he  helped had members in them who were too old, or too ill to work. It was a simple, direct response and John and I decided on the spot we would raise enough funds to expand on his idea and reach even more families across more villages. 

How it Works: 
Each month we will be withdrawing money (enough to buy a minimum of 25 food packets but hope to increase this over time) and sending it directly to a Nicaraguan account set up in Katy's name. She will be able to purchase the designated amount of food with her bank card from the local market in a town called San Rafael del Sur. Katy and Lucia will then separate the food into individual, supplemental packets and distribute them to local families hardest struck by the economic downturn.  Each month, Katy and Lucia each will earn $75 for their time and be reimbursed from the campaign funds for gasoline and the cost of renting a truck. This brings the average price of each packet to $15.  As/if market values change, we will update the campaign and our goals. Our goal is to raise enough funds to feed as many families as we can, with an ultimate target of 100 families per month. Excluding GoFundMe's withdrawal fees and a small transfer fee to Nicaragua, 100% of your donation is used to either purchase this food, or pay Katy and Lucy to distribute it.

Each packet of food includes:

10lbs Rice
5lbs    Beans 
5lbs   Sugar
2lbs   Salt
1lb     Olive Oil
1lb    Coffee
1lb   Oats

Who You are Helping:
 A year ago, Nicargua was the fastest growing economy in Central America. Government policies provided housing, food and medical support to the poorest families across the country while at the same time tourism was on the rise.  New hotels were going up, roads were being built and Nicaragua's beachside towns and villages were becoming known as popular destinations for both North American retirees and seasonal tourists alike. This allowed, for the first time in a long time, a generation of rural young people the opportunity to pursue an education, or secure a career in the increasing prosperity that a growing and thriving tourist industry provided. One such person, a close friend of ours, made the bold decision to attend university on Saturdays to pursue a degree in criminal psychology. As the sole provider in her own family, her dream was to find a career in the city and lift her entire family out of poverty. Another friend of ours found his opportunity running a business as a driver and car-rental agency for the ever growing numbers of tourists arriving in Managua.

But in April of 2018 political unrest hit the streets of Managua, as well as other cities across Nicaragua. Fearing for her safety, our friend withdrew from university and returned home to care for her family. Tourists fled, ex-pats began to sell their property and return to North America, and our friend's rental business came to a hault.  Their stories are not unique. Across all the villages surrounding the empty hotels and retirement communities we encounter the same situations. With the tourism went the once abundant job market, leaving Nicaraguans without work or opportunity. Changes in government aid policies, and the abrupt disappearance of the tourist industry has forced young people out of school and into an ever dwindling job market in efforts to provide for their entire households. 

In preparation for this campaign, Katy and Lucia compiled a list of 100 families across 2 such villages who would greatly benefit from food assistance. In many cases, some or all the members of the family are going without a daily meal. Often the young men of the household have left Nicaragua for Costa Rica, or further, to find work and send money back home. Mothers and young people are left to find work in an ever shrinking tourism industry to make up the difference. These food packets provide small, but directly effective relief and part time work for two incredible friends of ours, Katy and Lucia. 

You can learn more about Katy, Lucia and follow updates on our venture Here