Equip 200 women in Managua with life & job skills

“When women learn to strengthen their self-esteem, we can accomplish our dreams.” Ivania has helped accompany women here as the Empowerment Program Psychologist for the past five and a half years and has seen first-hand what they have accomplished. She recently shared with me how she became a passionate advocate for community outreach and accompaniment. The first step lies in critically studying the situation she and other women find themselves in.

“We live in a country where women are made invisible. From childhood, we’re taught that women should be submissive and that marriage is the most important goal to achieve. We’re rarely taught to develop our potential or to seek professional goals.”

Before coming to the Cultural Center, Ivania worked with women facing violence to help them navigate the Nicaraguan legal system and find justice. She recalls that her role was based on resolving issues as fast as possible and then sending the women on their way.

Over her time at the Cultural Center, Ivania has become focused more on steady, long-term accompaniment. “It’s not like in my past job, where we were just this bright shooting star for others, that burns brilliantly and then fades away as quickly as it came. Here we are a constant light.”

She holds leadership and self-esteem workshops for particularly vulnerable women in Batahola. Many are economically dependent on spouses, parents or other family members, which limits their options and puts them at risk. The close-knit groups she organizes focus on providing a safe space for women where they begin to recognize their rights, reflect on what it means to be a woman and a citizen, and then learn from others in the group.

“These women have never thought about their own dreams, they’ve just given their lives to their children and husbands. That’s okay, and my focus is on helping them think ‘Ok, I’ve reached this point, and that’s valuable, but now I can achieve more’.”

Through your continued support – that steady, bright light – women leave the Cultural Center empowered with new knowledge of their selves, their surroundings, and their future goals. They find value within themselves and then turn to spread that word to their neighbors. They enroll in higher education or embark on a new professional journey. And as the women have made changes, Ivania has changed as well.

“These women see me as an example, as both a psychologist and a woman. Thus, I’m constantly striving find balance and be well both in my professional and personal life. I’m showing how I care for myself, how I accompany others in their long, human process of discovery, and how I fight for justice.”

Just as Ivania accompanies the women in our program, through your gifts and prayers you provide constant support to help our program grow stronger and reach more women with life-changing reflection, self-esteem and skills building spaces. One way you can do that more easily is through recurring monthly donations -- if you haven't seen that option yet, check it out here. Thank you for accompanying us on this journey!