Nicaragua Estelí
$38,766 needed of $100,000
Implementing Organization
Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
Program Summary
Estelí is located in Central America’s Dry Corridor, a region that stretches from Guatemala to Western Nicaragua. This area represents one of the places most affected by climate change over the last two decades. Seasons are getting both hotter and drier. Precipitation is increasingly sporadic and when it does come it is intense, washing away topsoil and providing little benefit to the crops small holder farmers are growing.
Catholic Relief Services and local partner INSFOP (Instituto de Formación Permanente Felipe y Mary Barreda) are working with families to help them adapt to these changes through the promotion of water smart agricultural practices and practices that increase the organic matter content in soils. These techniques build soil health over time leading to increased yields. Crop diversification will improve families’ diets. Training on marketing surplus crops and the formation of savings and lending groups will help families improve their incomes and launch new small businesses.
Yefri's Story - Nicaragua Estelí
Carolina's Story - Nicaragua Estelí
Elvis' Story - Nicaragua Estelí
Elizabeth's Story - Nicaragua Estelí
Success Stories
When Women Learn, Lead and Share
For Rosibel, farming in her community was always very difficult. It required a lot of physical effort with unreliable results.
Everything changed when she began participating in the “We Are Resilient Estelí” initiative. Seeing an opportunity to improve her family’s livelihood, Rosibel embraced the challenge of leading her community by example. “For me, leading is motivating others to believe that we can improve our conditions when we work together.”
Her first big change began when she joined the “Oasis of Knowledge” Farmer Field School. There, she learned new techniques to take care of the soil. After applying what she learned to her own plot, the results quickly inspired her neighbors, and Rosibel organized a group of 28 producers, creating a space to learn and support one another.
Rosibel also joined the “Blessing of God” Seed Bank, where she learned to save corn, bean, and canavalia seeds. “To take care of our seeds is to take care of our history and ensure that future generations have something to plant with,” she shares.
Alongside her progress in the field, she also strengthened her family’s financial stability by joining the “La Esperanza” Savings and Loans Group. This initiative helped Rosibel learn to manage money more effectively and build a safety net for emergencies. In the community, this group has shown that meeting together fosters much more than just financial savings; it strengthens the social fabric, building trust and unity.
Today, Rosibel can see the fruits of her labor: improved harvests, a stable income, and newfound peace of mind for her family. Her greatest pride is seeing how her efforts have uplifted many other families throughout the community. Her story offers a valuable lesson: when a woman learns, leads, and shares, she becomes the seed of hope that can transform an entire community.
Nicaragua Estelí is led by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and local partner Instituto de Formación Permanente Felipe y Mary Barreda (INSFOP)