THE

COUNCIL OF PROTESTANT CHURCHES OF NICARAGUA

CEPADREPORT
Issue 3, October 2013

INSIDE THIS EDITION

Page 1, 4: Read about how your support has helped farmers to improve their crops!

Irrigation Systems Give Farmers New Hope in Spite of Drought

Climate change poses a challenge for Nicaraguan farmers who rely on consistent weather patterns to plant their crops. Your support funds irrigation systems that help farmers like Luis Robles increase production, which means higher income and greater food security. An intense drought during the amazing when CEPAD brought us the first half of 2013 left many Nicaraguirrigation system and trained us how an farmers in despair as crops and to use it. animals died. But Luis The long dry spell Robles has hope for the CEPAD has ended in May with the future after CEPAD of the rainy season, trained us a lot, and arrival installed an irrigation but many farmers still system to help farmers in this is just the start. struggle with an inconhis community. sistent water supply and With this training Luis, 23, leads the fields and crops damaged people from our Community Developby the severe drought. ment Committee in community can go CEPAD has placed irrigaMalacatoya, a rural forward with better tion systems in 17 comcommunity outside of munities thanks to support health and better San Jose de los Remates, from people like you. The some 96 kms from hope is to put in at least lives. Managua, the capital city. 22 more, but right now This year, he and two there are not funds to other farmers were able to irrigate install them. Each irrigation system their crops thanks to a motorized irricosts just over $2,000. gation system that pumps water to Many farmers in Nicaragua can their farms. This system will allow only grow enough to feed their them to harvest basic crops year families, but Luis has plenty of round to provide food for their famiproduce to sell most of his crops at a lies and to increase their income. shop in San Jose and at the main Because of climate change, the market in the department of Boaco. drought this year was long and hard, He attributes this to training in topics Luis said. We had enough clean like crop diversification and resources water to drink, but we didnt have like the irrigation system. enough water to cultivate. So, it was (continued on pg. 4)

Page 2: What do my donations fund anyway? Open up and find out!

Page 3: See how you have helped give farmer Tita Rocha the tools to better support her family!

What do my donations fund, anyway?

When you support CEPAD you are helping farmers, families, pastors and students! Take a look at how many people we helped together in 2012. Thanks to your continued support were helping more people this year and together are ready to take on 2014. Train Farmers to Protect the Environment

Help Communies Organize Themselves

151 farmers participated in CEPADs trainings to protect the environment and diversify their crops. 81 producers learned about producing and marketing plantains to increase their income.

Provide Educaonal Opportunies for Young People

253 people participated in Community Development Committees implementing 52 projects in road repair, installing latrines, creating access to potable water and improving infrastructure.

YOU
Make all this possible!
Provide Support for Immigrants

223 students finished the school year at the Marcos Mendieta school in Leon. Three students from the center represented the city of Leon at a country-wide academic competition in Managua.

Strengthen Pastoral Leadership

Support Families and Young People

180 pastors from 15 denominations worked together to help carry out work plans throughout Nicaragua. 186 pastors participated in biblical training.

In partnership with the United Nations CEPAD helps immigrants get refugee status in Nicaragua. Most of these are women and children escaping gang violence in other Central American countries.

43 community groups provided psychosocial attention for 285 cases of alcoholism, interfamily violence, depression, drug addiction and low selfesteem in family settings. 117 women received loans to support their small businesses.

You are Helping one Farmer Provide a Better Life for her Children
Thanks to your generous support in 2012, Tita Rocha and 515 other farmers in Nicaragua learned new techniques to protect the environment and diversify their crops. Like Tita these farmers now have better resources to provide for their families.

s the only breadwinner in her home Tita Rocha was delighted when she was chosen to be a Community Agriculture Promoter to learn about conservation techniques as well how to diversify her crops and improve the type of food that her family can eat throughout the year. I am happy because I am changing the way I work the land. I am now planting different crops that will yield food for my children in different times of the year, making use of techniques of soil and water conservation to protect my land and my plants. Tita participated in three trainings provided by CEPAD and learned conservation techniques which included preventing soil erosion through the use of live and dead barriers, making natural pesticides and making organic fertilizer. As a Community Agriculture Promoter Tita also has other farmers who she is sharing the information she learned with to help them also improve their crops and protect the environment.

Tita Rocha weeds a living pineapple barrier to prevent soil erosion on her farm. This important new technique will prevent soil runoff on her land due to heavy rainfalls.

For Tita the value of these trainings extends to her children as well. She is teaching them what she has learned which is helping them to be more involved in the work that she does. In the future Tita hopes to plant all of her land to reap the benefits of her newly diversified crops. In the future I hope to plant the rest of my land, putting into practice what I have learned through the trainings. Thanks to your support of CEPADs programs together we were able to train 516 farmers in 2012 in these farming techniques, improving their food security as well as their treatment of the environment.

Connect with us online at www.cepad.org.ni, on facebook at facebook.com/cepadnica, twitter at @cepadnica or sign-up for our blog at cepadnica.org/blog.html for more constant updates on our work together in Nicaragua!

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(continued from pg. 1) The best result of the changes, he said, is ensuring a healthier future for his 16month-old daughter Ingrid Alexa. Her health is going to be better, her life is going to be better, Luis said with a smile. Although CEPADs time in Malacatoya is coming to

an end, Luis says the progress in his community is just beginning. CEPAD has trained us a lot, and this is just the start, he said. With this training, people from our community can go forward with better health and better lives. And thanks to improved irrigation, he doesnt have to be afraid of what the next dry season will bring.

Report

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We need your prayers and help! Tierra Blanca, one of our partner communities in the San Jose de Los Remates region, is experiencing devastating impacts from a landslide earlier this month.

CEPAD

COUNCIL OF PROTESTANT CHURCHES OF NICARAGUA

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Thirteen families have had to evacuate, and at least six homes are destroyed. Many acres of farmland and the community's school are also affected. CEPAD is working alongside government agencies to identify the cause of this disaster and support the rebuilding process in Tierra Blanca. Please make a donation today to help with this relief effort.