Esperanza en Acción Fair Trade Organization

Mission Esperanza en Acción, ("Hope through Action"), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Fair Trade organization based in Nicaragua that provides Nicaraguan artisans with the tools to lift themselves out of poverty by offering technical assistance and quality consultation in addition to education and practice in calculating a fair wage. Esperanza en Acción also works to connect these artisans to local and international fair trade markets so that they receive a living wage for their work. Additionally, we strive to educate people of the 'First World' to empower us all to help transform the global economic system into one that is fair for ALL people. Our Story Esperanza en Acción was founded in 2002 in response to a request from two Nicaraguan artisans for help in finding fair markets for their work. That first year we had one volunteer that worked with a family of stone-carvers, a women’s pottery collective and an organization that supports fair trade coffee farmers. While we started with two artisans, we have expanded to working with more than 25 different groups of artisans. Many fair trade organizations restrict their work to groups that are formal cooperatives, but Esperanza en Acción is committed to working with artisans living in poverty, whether they are organized in cooperatives, collectives or work out of their homes with their families. When we consider all involved, today we are economically empowering approximately 1000 people in the artisan families through fair trade. These artisans make beautiful handmade pottery, pine needle baskets, bamboo baskets, stone carvings, paintings, weavings, jewelry, cards, animal whistles and more. In addition, we work with a Nicaraguan non-profit that facilitates the development of farming cooperatives throughout the country and we have facilitated the sale of over a thousand pounds of their fair trade, organic, shade-grown coffee. In addition to our direct work with the artisans, since our inception Esperanza en Acción has been promoting the education of citizens of the ‘First World.’ We provide social and economic justice education both in Nicaragua through our Economic Justice Education Center and Fair Trade shop as well as through tours in the United States. One of the greatest succeses of Esperanza en Acción has been to connect the artisans with fair markets beyond Nicaragua by working with them to ship a container of more than 5000 pieces of their artwork to the United States. As a result of this collaborative effort, Esperanza has increased our sustainability and contributed to significant improvements that the artisan families have made in their homes, nutrition, health care and education. Esperanza en Accion has always been supported by a broad base of volunteer support both in Nicaragua and the United States that makes our continued support of Nicaraguan Social & Economic Justice Education Esperanza en Acción has facilitated economic justice education for over two thousand people from all over the world. We have established our Economic Justice Education Center/Fair Trade Shop in Managua and we receive social justice education delegations, mission teams of the interfaith community, and other groups, visitors and locals who come here to learn about economic justice and to help to economically empower our producers by shopping for a better world. We also offer fair trade internships both in Nicaragua and the U.S. Shop for a Better World Esperanza en Acción utililzes a social entrepreunership approach to fund our work of economic empowerment. We hold fair trade sales at faith communities, conferences, universities, fairs, festivals and other community events where we set up tables filled with the artesanias and volunteers provide education to shoppers. 100% of the proceeds are reinvested into the mission. Bring a fair trade sale to your community! Contact us at info@esperanzaenaccion.org