WCCN Study Tours of Nicaragua
WCCN study tours of Nicaragua enable North American participants to learn firsthand about the history, politics, culture and social issues in Nicaragua. They also offer a unique opportunity to travel through different parts of Nicaragua while gaining insight into current Nicaraguan realities. By structuring our tours to allow dialogue with Nicaraguans from a variety of social sectors, participants are able to experience Nicaragua from the perspective of Nicaraguans themselves.
WCCN sponsors two study tours of Nicaragua each year. Our January tour focuses on microcredit, fair trade, and housing in Nicaragua while the June tour addresses women's empowerment through women's access to economic resources.
"Without doubt, this [study tour] was one of the most educational, rich, and empowering experiences of my life." -- June 2005 study tour participant Shelly Grabe, above, during a visit to the Fundacion Entre Mujeres in Esteli.Upcoming Study Tours to Nicaragua
Empowering Communities through Alternative Economic Projects: Microcredit, Fair Trade and Housing in Nicaragua, January 16 - 24, 2010
Join Working Capital for Community Needs as we visit Nicaraguan organizations that empower communities and improve the quality of life of thousands of people through alternative economic projects. Witness the effect of providing microcredit to small urban and rural producers, cooperatives involved in the fair-trade coffee movement, and organizations working with the urban poor.
Participants will talk with leaders of these organizations and people who participate in or benefit from them.
Study tour participants visit the La Esperanza coffee cooperative in Coyola.Our study tours build on 24 years of experience in Nicaragua, and more than 17 years supporting alternative credit organizations and fair-trade cooperatives. The cost of the tour is on a sliding scale, $900-$1200 (plus airfare to/from Managua), depending on what you can afford. Individuals of all backgrounds are welcome!
Please feel free to contact WCCN with any questions you have regarding our study tours or to request a study tour information packet.
Past Participant Experiences
You can read the impressions of past tour participants by clicking on the links below.- Seven Days in Nicaragua by Mary Ann Fahl
- Reflections on Feminism and Social Movements by Marc Becker
- Trip Report by Marc Becker
- Snapshots from the Economic Development Study Tour by Frances Smith