Meeting with the boss

So today, our communication commission got together and met with the CEO, to discuss our progress, next steps and some of the things I had done in conjunction with some of their objectives. The truth is it went extremely well as I presented my report of the position and structure of the website. I hadn’t realized the amount of progress we’ve actually accomplished. I am excited for the next couple of final weeks to see everything piece together. PRODECOOP is working on expanding their services to manage and assist their triple bottom line of social improvements, like environmental protection and minimal impact. Currently they are working on diversification of products, gender ethics, education, health and protection of the environment.  It’s a pleasure to be working with such an intelligent and welcoming family. In PRODECOOP, they live their slogan, ALL of the workers, are working to improving the life’s and conditions of lives for their associates, and their families.

However this past week, has been, good, very relaxing, and emerging more in the culture, after four weeks I don’t want this experience to be over, and I am going to miss Estelí.  Monday, I started Yoga classes with a fellow coworker, which actually, has me feeling a bit more revived. However Wednesday, during Yoga, the lights went out and there we were, the 8 of us in butterfly position, doing deep breathing exercises, for 15 minutes in the pitch black. It was quite an experience.

This past Sunday, I had my second visit to La Casita, where, it’s the only place in Nicaragua probably that you can find Chai tea, from herbs instead of powder. I had a merienda, which consist a loaf of whole wheat bread, a slice of cheese, and sliced tomato and cucumber, including yogurt of Melocoton, which is a natural exotic fruit that grows in Nicaragua. Its citric, and a bit sweet, well that’s all I can pretty much say, its family of the Rosáceas. Its one of the fruit one has to try if they come to Nicaragua, along Pitaya, Papaya del campo (which is different than the ones, one finds in a supermarket), Sapote and can’t forget Mamones.

Inclusive, this week I was invited to tag along with a visit of a professor from Milwaukee Fair Trade USA. Through my gained knowledge of the coffee process and the process of cooperatives I was able to translate and assist him in understanding the process of coffee and its route to final producers. Meeting with the producers and cooperative of Vicente Talaveraz  located in Miraflor, was incredible intriguing as to their structure of a cooperative and their story of how Fair Trade has helped them improve not only their lives but of their community, as well as through the different services and assistance PRODECOOP has aided them in acquiring a Medical post, where they can get consultation once a week from a medic and prescriptions.

Furthermore this weekend I will be given the chance to meet Paul Rice here in Esteli.

Again, thank you to everyone who has helped to create this amazing program which allows one to accomplish miracles, and meet an amazing network of people, I am blessed to be here, and I appreciate all the hard work that has gone into making this program a possibility for us.