Thinking outside the box: that’s what the communities in Northern Nicaragua, with the support of Progressio’s development workers, Alex David Zapata, Galo Muñoz and José Elizalde, have been doing for the last four years.
Who said tourists are only interested in the beach? Supported by our partners FENACOOP, CPICH (Coordinadora de los Pueblos Indígenas Chorotegas) and the Council of Macuelizo, these communities have come up with a series of ideas to challenge this perception. Ranging from a “Corn delicatessen” to an ethnographic museum that showcases indigenous culture, and including training and accreditation of local tourist guides, they are all initiatives that put local communities at the heart of sustainable local development.
The project “Economic initiatives with cultural rescue”, funded by the European Union, enabled 10 of these economic initiatives to take off.
The project is now finished and our three development workers have helped to plant the seed of innovation. Galo Muñoz says: "The people involved did everything they could to make sure it would be a success." José Elizalde says: "At the end of the project we have witnessed positive changes through the initiatives set in place and consolidated thanks to the empowerment of the people who believe in them."
Read a summary of the achievements of this project in Spanish (download PDF 866)
