Help Nicaragua's Poor Climb out of Poverty

AGRICULTURAL PROGRAM

In 2012, the agricultural program achieved notable growth. The yucca processing plant reached $250,000 in sales, confirming the demand for our products and surpassing the established goal by more than 20%. During the year, 125 new farm loans were disbursed. Opportunity’s approach of co-investing provides farmers with seeds, farm loans and technical assistance plus market solutions including the use of our processing plant which adds value to the products, garnering farmers a higher price at market. Opportunity’s profit sharing and ownership model produces multiple impacts: increased income, asset accumulation, job creation and access to new markets – all dynamic economic indicators that create a sustainable, cycle of development. Highlights include:  

• Through community awareness, the staff reached out to 121 new farmers by conducting orientation sessions regarding Opportunity’s farm and processing services.
• Currently, we are serving 365 farmers, of whom 45 are women and 66 are now linked to markets through Opportunity’s yucca plant. 
• The plant processed 2.4 million pounds of product and generated $255,797 in sales revenue.
• 15 farmers earned $7,000 by selling their harvest to the yucca processing plant. 
• Farmers increased yields by 30-50%, resulting in a significant increase in net income.
• Last fall, Opportunity received a generous donation of a tractor that is used to groom both Opportunity’s and our client’s fields. 
• The Inter-American Development Bank approved a grant to provide technical assistance, research, program expansion and evaluation of our agricultural program over the next 3.5 years. 
• In 2012, Opportunity launched a new loan product to help families acquire piglets to address cyclical cash flow problems between harvests. On average, pigs are sold at market for a profit of $56. 

COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 

Dedicated to helping families with a strong desire to help themselves and their neighbors, Opportunity’s Community Infrastructure projects finished 2012 strong by completing the largest community-led infrastructure project to date – the repairing of the La Laguna road. This was the first project that included Opportunity International, the community and the local municipality. 

• More than 12,000 people are direct beneficiaries of these community projects. 18 loans were provided to repair houses and 48 loans to women for purchasing pigs. 
• There are 24 active libraries in our network that are receiving training.
• The La Laguna road is fully repaired. The community is now working to change the electrical system to reduce costs in pumping water for the aqueduct. The entire community now has access to water!
• 65 efficiency stoves were purchased by our clients and installed in the area.

• There are more than 400 active youth in the three established Young Life clubs serving the poorest barrios in Granada. More than 30 youth were fully funded to attend leadership camp this quarter.