Report

My internship allowed me to work in World Vision Nicaragua’s Credit and Entrepreneurial Development Department, which is known as the 4i-2000 Foundation.  This department has approximately 6300 clients, with a total loan portfolio of US $1.4 million.  I was based in the 4i-2000 Foundation’s main office in Masaya but became familiar with all three branch offices and the territory that the Foundation covered in Southwestern Nicaragua.

My two main initial responsibilities were translating technical documents, such as business plans and proposals for program development, and offering consultations for small business management and development.  The consultations were provided in the field as I assisted loan officers on their visits to clients.  Typical clients’ businesses were family-run, agriculturally-based, and located in rural areas.

One of the clients that we visited in my first week in the field was Ramiro Hernandez, who lives with his family in “Las Isletas,” a 365-island archipelago.  Ramiro met Gasy, the loan officer, and me at the port near the city of Granada, proudly showing us to his freshly painted wooden boat that he built by hand.  Fifteen minutes later we anchored at his island and were greeted by his smiling wife and children.  His oldest son ascended one of their numerous palm trees to retrieve coconuts for the visitors.  Ramiro, Gasy, and I met while his wife and oldest son listened nearby and an assortment of dogs and chickens meandered about.  We discussed Ramiro’s various businesses, which include constructing and repairing boats, fishing, raising pigs, plantain farming, and renting his boats to other islanders.  He expressed an interest in a new loan that would enable him to acquire a truck for the transport of his goods on the mainland.  As I sat in my rocking chair, sipping my coconut and discussing how Ramiro could take on a new loan, I realized how fortunate I was to have this experience.  The opportunity to meet and work with people who spend their lives in a day-to-day struggle to put food on the table, but remain positive and content despite their hardships, was refreshing and inspiring.

For my last month, I was matched with a group of pineapple producers in Ticuantepe, a town close to the capital of Managua that is known for its fertile soil.  With the aid of the staff from the World Vision Ticuantepe Area Development Project, I conducted a series of meetings with the 44 farmers to evaluate their strengths and needs.  On my final day in Nicaragua, I presented the market study, business plan, and export possibilities to the farmers in Ticuantepe.

My experience in Nicaragua certainly allowed me to further develop my Spanish skills and experience Latin American and developing world business practices.  However, most importantly, I developed a better appreciation of life’s simplicities, which are so often taken for granted in the developed world.  I left Nicaragua with a sense of personal growth and a strong desire to express to others how misunderstood this amazing nation is.

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