Home MF Trees MF History Hikes MF Resources MF Film Books & Art Press Brad Site Map Contact

Nueva Esperanza, a Village in Nicaragua

Nueva Esperanza is a village in North Central Nicaragua near Matagalpa. It is the home to 33 families, just over 200 people, who moved there in 2008 under a program with Agros International from Seattle, WA. Agros teamed the people in Nueva Esperanza with a group of donors, many from the Genie division of Terex in Redmond, WA, for a 5-8 year Journey With A Village. Working together with resources, while developing relationships, all those involved are working hard to transform the life of Nueva Esperanza to a vibrant, independent, and self-sustaining community. Through the grace of God, this process is working well.

Link to the Agros website

Link to Agros video (Titled "Ending Rural Poverty"), much of which was filmed in Nueva Esperanza in 2009

Link to Agros Nueva Esperanza update page.

A book about middle life and how I ended up in a forested valley in Nicaragua

Click above to learn more about The Middle Fork book.

Maria Jesus, a special leader	One of the 33 new houses they are building	Cooking on an open, indoor stove. New houses have separate cooking areas.
The Coffee House. The processing machine allows them to sell their crops at a higher price.	Water tank and filter is attached to a pipeline to bring fresh water to all homes.	A coffee field with bananas and other crops amongst the coffee trees.

Nueva Esperanza sits in a Jungle Valley east of El Tuma, Nicaragua at about 2,500 feet above sea level. Click on the link to see a map of the village (aldea). This is a rough map drawn from GPS coordinates taken in 2010. The panoramic photo below is taken from the NW corner (rincon), which can be seen on the map looking back into the village. If you click on the panoramic photo, you can download a high-resolution photo to zoom in. Just left of center in the photo is an obvious group of banana trees. These sit up the hill from the coffee house near the point marked (002) on the map.

      In 2010 we met Carlos and Julio, Nicaraguan Policemen patrolling the area around Nueva Esperanza. At first we were a bit nervous to be around them but as we began to see both their professionalism as police as well as their human side we all warmed up. Carlos and Julio reflected well on the people of Nicaragua and the Nicaraguan Police force.

      This also reminded me why it is so important for Agros teams to go to see the people we are working with. It is not just about relationships within a village, it is about relationships with an area, a countryside, and even a country. I have, since the 1980's, had some strong stereotypes about Nicaragua, the Sandinistas, and Central America. Being there, getting to know the people, and seeing the country is producing a change of heart which will probably play out over many years. That is why Agros is so much more than just a mission, or a service, or a charity. It is people coming together in such a way that it changes lives for everyone involved.

      This journey with a village is transforming poverty in many ways, the poverty of things, the poverty of relationships, and the poverty of spirit. Not all of the poverty that is being addressed is in Central America. Being part of an Agros Journey With a Village is truly transforming.

Questions? Feel free to contact me (Brad Allen) directly at mfgiants@gmail.com

Home MF Trees MF History Hikes MF Resources MF Film Books and Art Press Resources Brad Site Map Contact