“We are now seeing the success of their work with the opening of the first kitchen.” Los Manantiales, Santa Lucia Utatlán, Guatemala After several months of construction, we completed our first kitchen at the Los Manantiales Primary School in the Guatemalan Highlands. A huge thank you is owed to the local parent volunteers and visiting […]
First School Kitchen Completed Read more
An interview with our Agroforestry director León, Nicaragua Nicaraguan Health authorities have reported a total of 2,519 positive cases and 74 deaths. However, government reports lack details about which department or municipalities are most affected by the pandemic, nor do they share how many tests have been conducted. ViviendasLeón Agroforestry Director Lesbia Alvarado, shares how
Resilience during COVID Read more
An Interview with Roosevelt Donaire, Farmer Don Roosevelt Donaire in his corn field immediately after Iota, León, Nicaragua Background Following the same destructive path of Hurricane Eta which affected the region in early November, Hurricane Iota has developed into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes of the season. The storm made landfall the morning of
Field Report: Hurricane Iota Read more
Brenda Acosta, Committed to Helping Communities León, Nicaragua Hired in 2013, Brenda Acosta is ViviendasLeón’s (VL) accounting officer as well as the program coordinator for small business projects (SME). Acosta grew up in León, Nicaragua and attended the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN-León). She lives in León with her husband and her 17-year-old daughter.
An Interview with Director Brenda Acosta Read more
La Gallina, León, Nicaragua Cristhian Abel Rojas Niño is ViviendasLeón’s (VL) program director for the organization’s Human Capacity Training program (HCT). Rojas grew up in the municipality of Malpaisillo, in the department of León, Nicaragua. He is the youngest of five brothers. Rojas holds a degree in Social Work and Development Management from the Faculty
An Interview with HCT Coordinator, Cris Rojás Read more
León, Nicaragua Before her experience with VL, Estrada’s family didn’t have direct access to drinking water at home. “In the beginning, I didn’t have any water in my house and this had been my biggest concern.” Estrada had been using water from a neighbor’s well along with her horse to collect and carry the water
An Interview with Farmer Exania Estrada Read more
ViviendasLeón employs a 4 year ladder of programs to achieve our mission. Programs focus on training human capacities and implementing multi-sector projects to address the interconnected nature of deficits that are the causes of poverty. The combination of step by step trainings and resources establishes a core group of families, 10%, at the center of a self-sustaining community.
New Educational Service Trips a Success in Guatemala ViviendasLeón has welcomed our first groups to the Mayan highlands of Guatemala! Travelers embarked on a service-learning experience that introduced them to local history and culture while participating in our service program. Our Global Education Program explores local culture, history, and the language of the Mayan Highlands
School and Family Travel in Guatemala 2019 Read more
La capacitación en capacidad humana cambia la vida de las mujeres en Nicaragua Margarita RivasLa cultura tradicional de Nicaragua, como otros países latinoamericanos, se centra en la iglesia y la familia y ha sido moldeada por la experiencia del colonialismo y las tradiciones culturales y religiosas europeas. Una herencia de esto son las limitaciones sociales
Cambiando la Vida de las Mujeres Read more
León, Nicaragua Norlan Hernandez Norlan Ramón Hernández Arévalo was born in the rural community of Troilo into a family with two brothers. When he was five years old, his family moved to the city of León for a work opportunity for his father. Financial issues forced the family to return to Troilo, where they had
Launching Careers through Scholarships Read more
“Without ViviendasLeón’s help, we would not have overcome the barriers of poverty.” Investing in rural families Around the world, millions of rural families rely on farming for their livelihoods. While these families contribute around 70% of global food needs, the majority are mired in extreme poverty, and their livelihoods are threatened by climate change, economic
Investing in Rural Families Read more
San Francisco Friends School April 6-12, 2019 After 8 years of partnership between ViviendasLeón and the San Francisco Friends School, we have established a new travel program to the Mayan highlands region of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. Our Global Education Program continues to incorporate major themes of global citizenship, cultural immersion, community building, and personal agency
SF Friends School 2019 Read more
