From November 8-15, 8 participants get a chance to go to Nicaragua on an exciting tour!
The tour is being organized by Susan Boe, Morgan and Julie Smith who are Santa Fe residents. Their goal is to take groups to Nicaragua to give them the opportunity to learn about the country and see programs like Empowerment International. Any “profits” that they make will go to Empowerment International and would be tax deductible to the participants.
Located between Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south, Nicaragua is about half the size of Colorado or New Mexico and has a population of roughly 5.5 million people. It is a country of striking beauty – coast lines along the Pacific that are becoming famous for surfing; a series of volcanoes, many of which can be easily hiked; beautiful colonial cities like León and Granada; natural areas full of more species of birds and trees than the entire European continent. Most important are its friendly and welcoming people.
Unfortunately, however, they are among the poorest in the southern hemisphere. Only Haiti is poorer. Nicaragua is a country with little economic activity or job growth and a weak educational system that fails to provide job training or opportunity. What is striking, however, is the level of private humanitarian assistance provided by citizens from all over the world butmostly the United States. Nicaragua benefits enormously from the work of water engineers, medical personnel, educators and just plain citizens, some of who live in Nicaragua, most of who make periodic visits.
The detailed tour is as follows:
Nicaragua Educational Tour, November 8-15, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Fly to Managua, arriving at approximately 9 PM.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Briefings in Managua with US Embassy and business leaders.
Drive to Granada with stops at the folk arts market in Masaya and the volcano of Masaya.
Evening visit to a program that feeds approximately 300 street children each evening.
Dinner with local Americans and others.
Stay in Granada.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tour of Granada and visit to Barrio Santa Ana, one of Empowerment International’s educational programs.
Lunch at the small town of Catarina overlooking Lago de Apoyo and tour of local folk market.
Dinner with local Americans and others.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tour Barrio La Esperanza on the edge of Granada, Empowerment International’s other program.
Visit to lending library three blocks from hotel.
Boat tour and lunch at Las Isletas.
Dinner with local Americans and others.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tour of veterinary program run by Dr. Tom Parker from Tesuque, New Mexico.
Drive to the Selva Negra Mountain Resort, a totally self sufficient coffee plantation and resort hotel approximately 3 hours from Granada.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Participants can either take a tour of Agros project near Matagalpa or visit Jinotega.
Spend night at Selva Negra.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Tour Selva Negra, then return to Managua.
Farewell dinner at La Casa de los Mejía Godoy, a restaurant owned by two of Nicaragua’s most famous folk singers.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Return to the United States
For more information check out our Events section.
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