MICRO-CREDITS FOR SMALL BUSINESS PROJECTS
Giving micro-credits we are helping the residents to create several new micro-enterprises:
textiles for a group of women, a moto-taxi, a small cafeteria, handicrafts, etc.
Health Clinic
Thanks to Patricia, a medicine student, we have an agreement with the
Palmira Clinic, which is in charge of La Prusia, and once a week a doctor and
nurses of the Nicaraguan Public Health System come to our Health clinic to
attend patients; sometimes they bring free drugs for the most common
needs. Other volunteers from Spain, doctors like Jose Luis, Alejandro, Luisa,
or nurses like Sabina, Pilar, have done also great work detecting the health
problems of the families and helping them in multiple ways. They have also
given talks on first aid, accident prevention and the use of contraceptives.

LA PRUSIA NEEDS MORE DOCTORS AND NURSES.
Casas de La Esperanza
ACE
Adult Education, English and Computer Classes
We have co-organized with the Ministry of Education courses of literacy for adults and teenagers, with materials
and a television facilitated by the Ministry (the program “Yo sí puedo”).
Some adults are learning to read and to write, and some young people improve their knowledge.
For the most advanced students, we also offer English and computer classes

Casas de la Esperanza,
La Esperanza Housing & Development
(ACE)
is a non denominational, non political
NGO, tax exempt: 501 (c) (3).  
It develops housing and provides technical
education to families who are currently
squatters, living on the outskirts of
Granada, Nicaragua.


















admin@casas-de-la-esperanza.org


  • ACE helps families, who live on the outskirts of Granada, Nicaragua,  and  who are currently squatting, to build
    their own houses,  providing to them micro-credits without interest.

  • ACE is also supporting these families with volunteer's assistance for getting a sustainable development through
    courses and professional training, small business and cooperatives, thereby increasing their expectation of
    a better future. Our goal is to create a model of integral and sustainable development for these districts.

  • This project was started in Cambridge, MA (USA) by several people from USA, Spain and  Nicaragua.

  • The executive officers are: Angel Sáenz-Badillos and Judit Targarona, Professors of the Universidad Complutense
    of Madrid, who from the beginning promoted this project. The supporters of ACE are: in USA,  Prof. David
    Kennedy, Director of the Institute for Global Law and Policy of Harvard Law School, Prof. Tony Gomez-Ibañez,
    Prof. Brad Epps, Eleanor and Miles Shore, Prof. Luis Girón Negrón, Prof. M. Gaylord, Prof. Merilee Grindle, from
    Harvard University. Teresa (Guillén) Gilman, Teresa Márquez, Doug Laidlaw, Angel Ramon Sáenz-Badillos, Teddy
    Cruz, Matías Irigoyen and David del Villar.

  • In Nicaragua, María Auxiliadora Martínez, lawyer, Rosalía Carmen Castillo Sevilla, former Mayor of the city of
    Granada, Angélica Rivas, a resident of the quarter of La Prusia, Manuel Arana Rochar, Hazel Almanza Hernández,
    Julia Cano and Carlos Arana Alvarado, from the Ministry of Education.

  • Our current  projects focus on families of La Prusia that live as squatters on a land that is not their own. We
    support them to full develop themselves in a way that can be also applied to other poor areas.

  • ACE has helped these families to build their own houses, providing them with a piece of land with roads, water,  
    electricity, and building materials in form of a non-interest micro-credit that they will be paying back in very
    small monthly amounts. Our first project, 36 houses with common spaces, school, professional workshop, clinic,
    radio, etc. is already finished and 36 families are already living in their new houses.
    We are starting the second project, 80 houses. Ten houses are already built.

  • The project has been inspired by M. Yunus, recently awarded with the 2006 Nobel Peace prize due to his efforts   
    in the fight against poverty. In consonance with the local situation, our micro-credits  are without interest.

  • ACE has also started to provide these families with direct assistance and technical education thanks to volunteers
    that are coming from all over the world. We are helping in the local school and working with children and adults in
    many cultural programs.

  • We are trying to create jobs, help to start micro-business, etc.

  • ACE does not forget the aged persons of the community. It tries to improve their living conditions.  

ACE'S MAIN GUIDING PRINCIPLES

ACE is a group of volunteers, with a minimum of organization, that has come to La Prusia to be shoulder to shoulder
with its families, supporting them in their efforts to overcome poverty and achieve a self-sustaining development.  

ACE has no administrative costs. It depends exclusively on the voluntary, non-remunerated work of its promoters,
partners and volunteers and the collaboration of Nicaraguan families involved in their projects.  
The only ACE revenue comes from donations: institutional, personal and private entities. 100% of donations
entirely reverts in the projects. ACE certifies and personally informs on the destination of the donations.
We greatly appreciate the generosity of institutions and private entities, but we are particularly grateful
for small personal donations that make us feel the support and appreciation of our work.

Paid work is only given to some local persons that help in the administration or do the needed professional work:
preferibly, residents of La Prusia, and those who have collaborated generously with ACE in previous projects.
Only recently, and due to the need to give continuity to the projects we have accepted a specific donation
to pay to a Coordinator of volunteers needed for organizing the work.

THE HOUSES
At the end of January, 2009, we completed ACE1: 36 families are living in their new houses.
ACE bought two plots of land in La Prusia:  ACE 1, 100,000 sq. ft, and ACE 2 of 360,000 sq. feet. With the help
of our volunteers and micro-credits 36 families have built their homes, about 420 sq. ft on plots of about 1700 sq. ft.
The common areas have been finished and are being used for the needs of the community. Three classrooms have bueen
built for activities in favor of the sustainable development of the community: courses, meetings, etc. In a second building
we are offering professional training to young members of the community. The model house is being used as clinic.
There are also green spaces and a playground for the children. The Neighborhood association is already operating.

  •                 















Hay espacios verdes y sitios de juego para los niños. La Comunidad de vecinos  está ya constituida.
Ellos son los responsables de la convivencia, mantenimiento y buen estado de las zonas comunes.
Casas de La Esperanza
ACE, February 2012
Come to  La Prusia
Help us
SPANISH
The school schedule is very reduced and insufficient; we help the teachers at the school,
and after the school time our volunteers help the school children in our school-workshop.
Throughout the week they help them with their homework and preparation for examinations, etc.
We also organize other activities with the children, like sport, movies, theater, short trips, etc.
ACE searchs a better future for La Prusia
COMPLETED WORK
Although ACE is a young organization (we started to operate in 2006), much has been completed.
The agents of the change have to be the neighbours of La Prusia.
ACE and its volunteers are providing them the tools and giving them the required support.
These are some of the concrete activities of ACE in La Prusia:


A better future for all of them,
based on no-discrimination, study,
professional training
and well-done work.
We are starting in our second plot ACE2, 80 more houses, with help of The PARC
Foundation, La Caixa, Microsoft, Desi and other friends, under the direction of
Architect Teddy Cruz, Quilian Riano, César Fabela and other architects.
.   
COMMUNITY BUILDINGS:
THREE CLASSROOMS FOR ADULT EDUCATION,
AFTER SCHOOL WORK WITH KIDS
AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
The Welding, Mechanics & Carpentry School
Thanks to Patricia, José Luis,
Luisa, Alejandro, Eva, Sabina,
Pilar and many others
COMMUNITY CENTER OF LA PRUSIA. THE GROUP OF ANONYM ALCOHOLICS OF THE
QUARTER HAS ITS MEETING EVERY EVENING.
WE USE IT ALSO FOR LECTURES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
Computer courses
Why Casas de la Esperanza (ACE)?
First visit of the Organization María Elena Cuadra to the women of La Prusia,
for supporting them in the fight against gender violence,
providing them with psychological and legal assistance.
MICRO-ENTERPRISE: EMPRESA DE SERVICIOS LA PRUSIA

One of the most urgent problems of the quarter is the lack of jobs.
Many residents have to leave and search for some work in Costa Rica.
ACE and The Parc Foundation have signed an agreement for starting the first micro-enterprise,
"Servicios La Prusia", with two excavators and a truck for repairing roads and paths.
Oscar and Arantxa have organized this enterprise that is creating jobs for some families of La Prusia.
Casas de La Esperanza provides homes, micro-loans, medical care, education, job creation, hope and
dignity to the slum dwellers of La Prusia, Nicaragua. This is our practical way to work for
eradicating extreme poverty and hunger (UN Millennium Development Goals # 1)