The Women’s Agricultural Production Cooperative of Rio Blanco
Rice production is to begin in 2018, The Women's Agricultural Production Cooperative of Rio Blanco has developed a business plan to create economic empowerment for the cooperative with a new rice processing facility. This facility will guarantee employment for its...
read moreProNica Restructures Nicaraguan Operations
ProNica Executive Director Yarrow Ries and Administrative Assistant Maxwell Zinsmeister visited Nicaragua in May of last year to distribute 2017 earmarked donations for ProNica’s partner organizations. During the visit to Casa Materna in Matagalpa it was learned that...
read more2017 TCNJ Delegation
Nicas Touch the Heart There are many things that are changing in Nicaragua but one thing seems to always stay the same: Nicaraguans touch the heart. This was very true for The Bonner scholar students from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) this January 2017. From the...
read moreVolunteer Health Promoters Foster Holistic Care in their Communities
Over the past year, I worked alongside ProNica, volunteering for Fundacion Somos Asi Por La Paz Y La Vida (We are Here for Peace and Life), a holistic health organization created to train health promoters in basic skills to save lives in their rural communities. As a...
read moreMoorestown Friends School Student Explores Solidarity Through Service
When I signed up for the trip to Nicaragua as a high school student at Moorestown Friends School, I knew little about the country or ProNica. Through prerequisitory meetings, the goal of ProNica was made clear: we were going to Nicaragua to learn about the culture and...
read moreLos Quinchos 26th Anniversary Celebration
On June 18th in the small mountain community of San Marcos, Nicaragua, Los Quinchos held its 26th Anniversary celebration. It started at 9AM with visitors arriving to La Finca (The Farm), which was the very first Quinchos home. La Finca is always a lively place with...
read moreFarewell from ProNica Executive Director, Melissa Ajabshir
Reading Sister Mary Margaret’s cursive note on pale blue stationery reminded me once again of the unshakable bonds between the project partners in Nicaragua and all of you. In her letter I learned that Sister Mary Margaret volunteered with the Acahualinca Women’s...
read moreGaining la Confianza (the Confidence) at Los Quinchos
When I first heard that I would be working at Los Quinchos, a residential center for youth located in San Marcos, Nicaragua, I was excited and nervous. I had worked with youth in similar situations in Immokalee, Florida and was happy to spend my summer with middle to...
read moreThe College of New Jersey WILL Nicaragua Solidarity Project was Transformative
I have always been a watcher, a silent observer who studies people and places. However, when I took part in The College of New Jersey WILL (Women in Learning and Leadership) delegation in June, I knew being silent would not suffice. To simply observe the...
read moreMaria Fatima Returns to Casa Materna Ten Years Later
When Maria Fatima arrived at the Casa Materna in mid-July, she looked around thoughtfully taking in every aspect of her surroundings. Then she said, “I was here almost ten years ago, and I am remembering how it was. I was only 14 years old and about to give birth to...
read moreDouble the Impact of the Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) Grant for the Acahualt Women’s Center
Through family planning outreach in some of the most impoverished areas of Managua, the Acahualt Women’s Center has empowered countless women in choosing the sizes of their families and shaping the futures of their dreams. At the Acahualt Women's Center, they believe...
read moreMoorestown Friends School Students and Casa del Niño Art School Students share Cross-Cultural Exchange through Labor and Music
Last week I was sitting in a meeting with Bishop Stokes of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey. We were discussing how to grow our small church congregation. The Bishop suggested that we go into the community and fulfill a need. One older church member suggested that...
read moreA Journey of Healing and Renewal with ProNica Project Partners
Warm breezes welcomed our team of six healers to Managua on Feb 18, 2016. The group settled in at Quaker House where we were greeted with a delicious meal and hugs from ProNica staff. The team included massage therapists, yoga teachers, a psychologist and a sex...
read moreGender Equality in the Martin Centeno Community has far Reaching Impact
With a gentle smile, her eyes met those of the adults around her. She was only about 16 years old, but joining the meeting with two ProNica directors and the rest of the Martin Centeno leadership team, this young woman held her own as a representative of the youth...
read moreCasa Materna Mary Ann Jackman Celebrates 25 Years!
As we at the Casa Materna MAJ celebrate 25 years of service to more than 17,500 rural mothers and newborns, we give thanks for a multitude of friends, including all of you at ProNica! Without your support, this miracle could not have happened! When we began our...
read moreTake the ProNica Witness Tour – You’ll Love It!
By Vicki Mariner 2016 Friends Witness Participant from Tallahassee, Florida Quaker Meeting In early December of 2015, Jim and I boarded a plane from Miami to Managua, Nicaragua. I was amazed at how short the flight was! Just a few hours to a wonderfully different...
read moreBreaking free from Domestic Violence in Rio Blanco
Five hours outside of Managua and just south of the stunning Cerro Munsún Natural Reserve sits the historically troubled town of Rio Blanco. Our partners at the Oficina de la Mujer (Office for Women) have their hands full. When leaders of other women’s rights...
read moreEvery holiday gift helps save lives, empower families, and build greater conditions of peace
ProNica project partners in Nicaragua turn your gifts into changed lives and vibrant communities. To give a holiday gift in honor of a friend or family member, donate HERE. Then print, fold in quarters, and give one of these holiday cards: Season's Greetings Happy...
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