I had the privilege of interning with a church in Granada, Nicaragua the summer after my sophomore year of college. One of the programs the church ran is called the Jicaro Project. The project started as a way to fund the YoungLife Club that meets at church (called Vida Joven). The Vida Joven kids and the church really wanted to participate in more outreach possibilities and grow their ministry, but found that they couldn’t because of a lack of finances. So, they got creative. In 2007, they looked at the trees on the property of the church, and realized some of them w
ere Jicaro trees. These trees grow gourd like things on their trunks that fall off on to the ground when ripe. After many months of experimentation, they developed a process that allows them to sand and finish the Jicaros to be smooth and shiny. The Jicaros are then painted and sold to short term teams that come down as well as in local businesses in Granada. Since then, the project has grown and they are now making necklaces, bracelets, bowls, earring, and wind chimes out of Jicaros. Those who began Vida Joven desired to see life in the barrios made better. The Jicaro Project is doing just that. By providing jobs sanding and painting the Jicaros to teenagers desperate for work in the barrio, employing women in the barrio, supporting Vida Joven, and encouraging the local economy, The Jicaro Project has lasting impact on the barrio and all of Granada. Who knew a simple gourd on a tree could become a business venture.?
http://www.thejicaroproject.org/
I think that it is awesome that they are using one of the countries natural resources and turning it into a business that impacts people. I love organizations like these.