Friends of Kairos Nicaragua Inc

We are not about giving or charity. We are focused on the path of justice - how to enable all of our brothers and sisters to achieve their full potential, so that they can contribute to the wealth and richness of all of us. Our goal is the elimination of poverty, working with one small community at a time.

Help from outside is too often given as a hand out, or even a hand up, without changing the roots of the problem. When the external help stops, the good work often stops as well. Our goal is a self sufficient community that can continue its growth and development long after we have moved on. And they will say, "We did it ourselves". (Lao Tzu)

Community Building - Our primary work - creating a community of common interest that can work to improve the health and well being of all members.

Intercultural Exchanges - We sponsor and facilitate delegations from South to North and North to South. These visits accomplish many things:
-Create and sustain long lasting relationships.
-Educate participants in the history and richness of a different culture.
-Engage in the work of changing the world to enable all of us to reach our full potential.
-Always regarded as "life changing" events.

Organizational Training - To enable a community create a functioning organization to achieve their goals. It can help them to to set up a co-op or a legal entity, to construct a oven for firing pottery, to organize to install a water project, or to repair a road.

Leadership Training - We provide training to enable local leaders to organize and create community structures that will endure, that can advocate on behalf of their entire community.

Small loan program - Our micro finance effort enables local entrepreneurs to run small businesses. It helps families acquire things to improve their lives, such as appliances, tools, and means of tansportation.

We bring together a number of small communities in Nicaragua and in North America to support these initiatives. You can find a list of them on our website: https://www.friends-of-kairos-nicaragua.org/about-us/
Our team members in Nicaragua are employed through a Nicaragua Foundation, Escuela AKF. The team members visit regularly with the members and leaders in every community we assist. We help them organize, create legal entities, advocate for their rights and assistance from local governments - whatever they need to prosper and succeed. Our communities have created businesses, such as pottery and jewelry, they have created small loan funds, energized water projects, and many other endeavors.

The small communities in Nicaragua are also team members, even our family members. Some have been working with us for many years, and continue to grow and prosper. Others are brand new ventures, with exciting tasks ahead of them.

The Kairos Center
This center on the outskirts of Managua serves as a resource for all of the initiatives of Kairos. It is a place for retreat and education, where visitors can be immersed in nature in the beautiful setting. The center offers hospitality services, including meals and lodging. It is open to all who are committed to the goal of peace in our world.
In a typical year, the Center will serve over 30 delegations from the North, from 20 different organizations.

Full Participants:
- Christian Base Community; San Pablo del Apostel, barrio 14ce de Septiembre.
- Sectorial Organization Hermanamiento Angeles de la Guarda, Sta. Rita, Teustepe.
- Sectorial Organization Mujeres Ceramistas del Ojoche (Women Potters of Ojoche), Ojoche Somotillo.
- Geographical community of El Corozo, Niquinomo
- APIEAT: Association of Wholistic Promotores Educating with Tenderness and Love, Jalapa.
- Children's Program of Los Ampies
- Eagle's Wings: Women's sewing cooperatives from Nandasmo and Managua.

Partners throughout the year for specific programs:
- Casa Materna Matagalpa
- Centro Cultural Batahola Norte
- Hermanamiento Esquipulas Matagalpa

United States:
Full Participants
- Guardian Angels Catholic Church, Oakdale MN.
- Rotary District 5960, Metropolitan Twin Cities and Wisc.
- Federated UCC, Asheville, North Carolina
- Spirit Winds, Methodist group from New England Conference working with Fair Trade.

Yearly partnership or when requested:
- Williams College, JTerm, through the Campus Ministry program
- Saint Louis University Department of Theological Studies

We have several thriving cooperatives and functioning small communities which are assisting newer members to define and accomplish their dreams and goals.