What is NicaMade?
NicaMade is a business begun by
FH/Nicaragua staff Shannon Ahern
(right) to help Nicaraguan families
earn a "livable income" by working
with others in their community to
produce and sell quality products
throughout the world using Christian
business practices.
While every community has resources
and talent, what they often do not
know is what they can produce at a
profit, and how to finance and
market these products. NicaMade
partners with communities where
FH/Nicaragua and the Nehemiah Center
are working in order to provide
guidance and resources, including
workshops addressing such topics as
Christian business principles, the
importance of savings, and technical
skill development.
Who are NicaMade's Partners?
Cafe
San Juan, Boaco:
The Nehemiah Center has been
involved in the mountainous region
of Boaco for years in the area of
community health evangelism. In
these mountains there are over 180
small organic coffee farmers who
have formed the San Isidro
Cooperative to improve the quality,
production, and marketing of their
coffee beans. NicaMade currently
sells the coffee from San Juan, one
of the communities where 40 of these
farmers live, including Don Chico,
pictured here.
Verbo Church, Santa Maria
The members of the Verbo church in
Santa Maria have struggled to feed
their families, so the pastor has
sought out ways to increase their
income. They have chosen to grow
hibiscus plants and sell the
flowers, which can be used to make a
delicious, fruity drink. NicaMade's
goal is to grow the market for the
Rosa de Jamaica both in Nicaragua
and North America.
Familias de Fe y Esperanza,
Santa Maria: 
Approximately 40 families in this
community, created to house the
survivors of the 1998 Casitas
mudslide, are participating in the
development of a variety of
embroidered products, including
Christmas ornaments, handbags,
bookcovers, and coffee bags.
Families that formerly could not
send their children to school are
now saving instead of relying on
local moneylenders, and tithing
regularly in their local churches.
Potters of El Ojoche
For generations, residents
of this tiny village near the
Honduran border have been making
pottery from the plentiful clay that
surrounds them, but lacked a market
for their pots, chickens, and other
creative designs. NicaMade now
partners with a small cooperative of
women in the area to raise interest
and support for their work through
sales of this unique pottery.
Pueblos
de Las Montanas and Wings of Angels
Experienced metal artists Jader and
Carla of Wings of Angels have
partnered with NicaMade to help
develop the skills of small
communities near Boaco, who are now
selling cards, keychains,
wallhangers, and boxes featuring
handpainted metal artwork. At left,
Carla (left) and a community member
admire the results of their work.
