Team

Evan Markiewicz

Executive director, Co-founder

Evan is the executive director and co-founder of ViviendasLeón.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree from Yale University.  

Until 2001, he worked under the auspices of the New Haven Leon Sister City Project, an internationally recognized organization, where he developed ViviendasLeón and its programs to target the multiple needs of rural communities and empower rural families in the areas of food security, environmental stewardship, economic development, resource management and social equality.

In 2006 ViviendasLeón launched its global education program that fosters intercultural relationships and builds networks between rural and international communities, while creating global awareness among volunteers and students who directly support rural development, learn transferable skills and develop a commitment to social justice.

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Brenda Acosta

Program Director, Nicaragua

Brenda Acosta holds a degree in Accounting, Finance and Computing. She has fifteen years of accounting experience. Her career includes work at AMOCSA, an insurance company, as an accounting and administrative assistant from 1998-1999, Reencaushadora Moderna as an accounting assistant from 1999-2000, Penelas y Sireras as a general accountant 2000-2004, and Sucesión Mantica Berio, S. A. as general accountant from 2005-2013. Brenda was hired as an accounting assistant in July 2013 and is responsible for our small business projects. Email Brenda

Maybeline Chavajay

Program director, Guatemala

Maybeline holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the San Carlos University of Guatemala, western campus in Quetzaltenango. Her most recent appointment from 2019 to 2023 was with Vision Guatemala San Juan la Laguna, implementing programs in education and training for groups of women and adolescents from the municipalities of San Pedro and San Juan la Laguna on comprehensive health issues, specifically sexual and reproductive education and healthy nutrition.  From 2021-23 she was coordinator of the program to develop new programming, assuming administrative responsibilities and developing alliances with medical clinics in the department of Sololá.

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“I enjoy collaborating with women and adolescents from other communities to learn more about other cultures around me (Sololá has at least 3 major indigenous language groups) and talk about important topics such as comprehensive health, sexual education and mental health. I consider these important topics for women, ensuring that little by little we can break with various taboos we have grown up with. I want to be an agent of change and contribute my knowledge in the different spaces where I am involved.”

Maybeline is fluent in Spanish, English and her native language, tz’utujill.

Cristhian Rojas

Capacity Training program, Nicaragua

Cristhian is from Malpaisillo, near León. He holds a degree in Social Work and Development Management from the Faculty of Education Sciences and Humanities, at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN-León). He has participated in psychosocial articulation and intervention from UNAN-LEON, specifically in the ‘’Walter Ferreti’’ neighborhood in the city of León, and carrying out a diagnosis of Community Community public health for the prevention of diseases. In 2015 he completed two diplomas, one with the Spanish Red Cross focused on the promotion of human rights with gender equality and social inclusion, the other with the León-Zaragoza Sister City, on ludic methodologies applied to organizational development.

Jorge Blanco

Agroecology program, Nicaragua

Jorge is from León. He is trained as a Civil Engineer and Agronomist. He holds a degree as an Agronomist Technician from the University of Commercial Sciences (UCC León), with a post graduate internship and field work as a technician on a local commercial farm. In addition, he holds a degree in Civil Engineering from UCC León, with additional coursework in occupational risks and safety. He received training from ViviendaLeón in honey based cosmetics and in technical supervision of bee communities.

Yamileth Alonzo

Agroecology program, Guatemala

Yamileth holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from the San Carlos University of Guatemala, central campus in Guatemala City.  Her most recent appointment from 2020-2024 was with the Foundation for the comprehensive development of socio-economic programs (FUNDAP), coordinating programs for small farming business training, food security and small family farms.

Brenda Maribel Sahón Mátzar

Accountant

Brenda Maribel is from Panajachél. She holds a degree in business administration from Mariano Gálvez University in Guatemala City, and a certificate in computer based accounting from San Francisco College in Panajachél, Sololá. She is our accounting administrator in Guatemala.