Accomplishment: Better Health, Quality Education

Everyday life has improved in many ways in this community — and access to clean water is among the most important.
People no longer have to use the shallow, hand-dug wells to collect water that often made them sick.

“Before, with the wells, my kids always had parasites,” one mother explained. “We had to walk there and carry those big buckets. It caused me back pain. When I was sick I should look for somebody to carry the water. It was tiring.”

In the past 12 months, a new water system of tanks, pumps, and pipelines has made clean water available to many more families. Community water boards manage the water supply and collect a small fee to cover maintenance costs.

Children also have better school classrooms, new uniforms, and school supplies — and teacher training programs have greatly improved the quality of education.

Meanwhile, leadership training programs are teaching young people how to take initiative for development activities in their community. They are also learning how to protect themselves from the threat of sexual exploitation in this growing tourist destination.

As we near the end of our child sponsorship journey with the people of Nueva Esperanza, we celebrate their commitment to building a better life for themselves and their children.

Story: New Crops Lead to More Income

“People pass by, see the papayas and buy them. When they enter and see yucca and tangerine they also buy,” says Mrs. Maribel, who is among the participants in a hydroponic gardening project.

This innovative project — a partnership between World Vision and the government —helps families with very little land to grow short-term cash crops to support their families.

The hydroponic approach lets them stagger and rotate crops so they have income year-round.

The entrepreneurs work together to establish small companies and co-ordinate the production, distribution, and marketing of their products. In this way, they can demand a better price for their products at fairs and expositions.

“I plan to grow more and move the products every eight days,” Mrs. Maribel explains. “When World Vision leaves I will continue. It will be hard at the beginning but we received the training to go on.”

In Closing: Toward a Better Future for Nueva Esperanza

As we near the end of our child sponsorship journey with the people of Nueva Esperanza, we celebrate their commitment to building a better life for themselves and their children.

They have overcome many challenges. Today, the people have the tools and skills to continue working toward independence and sustainability.

Over the past 11 years, World Vision has invested to strengthen leadership, build networks and organizations, improve infrastructure, and provide the resources that Nueva Esperanza needs to continue its development journey. 

The confidence to set and achieve their own development goals has brought tremendous change for families and children.

This final phase is part of the lifecycle of a World Vision-supported community — one that, as hard as it is to end a relationship, we can celebrate as the people move on to the next stage of their journey.

The example that Nueva Esperanza has set gives us hope for other vulnerable communities, and we hope you will join us soon on another sponsorship journey.