Written by: Ivette Rivera

To get to Roberto’s house in the community of Mina de Agua, Nicaragua, during the dry season, you have to drive along a long dirt road that leads to a dry, rocky riverbed. During the rainy season, it is practically impossible to get to his house. 

Don Roberto’s story illustrates the impact the Microcredit Program can have on the lives of rural Nicaraguan families. At 52, Roberto is strong, diligent, innovative, and cheerful. He has worked hard and successfully grown corn, dragon fruit, and raised pigs. 

Today, Roberto’s family’s fields are thriving and green. There are fruit trees and corn growing as far as the eye can see. However, there was a time when his fields were empty. When his children finished high school, they faced the possibility of never going to college because there were no schools nearby and his family had fallen on hard times. His children’s futures seemed bleak, but everything changed when staff members from Amigos for Christ visited Mina de Agua to introduce the Microcredit Program, a program that works to bring financial stability and independence to farmers and small business owners. With that kind of stability, families can go from simply surviving to thriving. 

“Amigos has been with me in good times and bad times. When I had nothing, they came to my community and offered me the Pig Project. I started raising pigs, selling them, and I began to earn a steady income since I received them.” 

Shortly after Roberto and his family received their microcredit loan at the end of 2017, their family began to make money, and in a year, they were able to raise and sell 22 pigs, which helped them earn enough to pay for their children to go to college and to begin planting crops. 

With his remarkable drive, cheerful optimism, and resilience, we are sure that this family will continue to thrive and enjoy sustainable economic stability.