During 2008, WCCN commemorated its 24th anniversary of working in solidarity with Nicaragua. A lot of things have changed in Nicaragua and at WCCN during these years. However, something that has remained consistent at WCCN is our commitment to work hard and effectively on an everyday basis to benefit the Nicaraguan people.
It is clear that our organization has been able to significantly expand its projects. For instance, if we consider the current size of our NICA Fund portfolio, we are reaching approximately 13,000 small urban and rural entrepreneurs and producers. However, we don’t measure or value our projects only on a quantitative basis. WCCN gives equal value to our holistic approach to development, which is possible by also having women’s empowerment, housing rights and fair trade projects. Last year, WCCN was able to expand the scope of our work on women’s empowerment, through initiatives such as a scholarship program that benefited 19 girls from rural areas in Malpaisillo. We were also able to increase our rotating fund for housing improvement, allowing additional 20 families in Managua to improve the sanitary conditions of their houses. Additionally, we started providing capital to a fair-trade coffee cooperative. An organization like WCCN is only possible because of the commitment of so many people — people like you — each one playing an important role, as an investor, a donor or volunteer. Thank you for continuing to support WCCN as we prepare to commemorate our 25th anniversary next year.
In this edition of Nicaraguan Developments, we have articles on three main topics. The first one is Daniel Ortega’s first anniversary in office. We have asked Nicaraguan political analyst José Luis Rocha, who regularly speaks to our study tour delegations, to share his analysis of Ortega’s performance. I also contributed with a short overview of housing issues during Ortega’s first year in office. Next, we address some of WCCN’s projects. Susan Frisbie interviewed Derrick Gee, President of the Richland Center-Santa Teresa Sister City Project on a recently established partnership between that organization and WCCN. We also included an article on the successful closure of WCCN’s first loan program, the Nicaraguan Community Development Loan Fund (NCDLF), and information about the NICA Fund portfolio. Finally, we have an article expressing our concern about several acts of judicial harassment towards several leaders in the women’s movement, some of whom have partnered with us. WCCN expresses our solidarity with the struggle of the women’s movement in Nicaragua in this difficult moment. We will keep our readers informed about any further developments on this very delicate topic.
In solidarity,
Carlos Arenas
WCCN Executive Director
