Funding agreements in the community Puerto Momotombo
Faustino Salcedo | May 17, 2012
Microentrepreneurs tourism from that rural zone received improvement plans for their businesses.
Puerto Momotombo community, located on shores of the Lake of Managua in the municipality of La Paz Centro (Leon) is a site that is gaining tourist value in recent days. There are small businesses there that need to be developed. Because of this, yesterday there were surrendered financing arrangements for local micro-entrepreneurs, as part of a Project made in responsability along with the “Andaluza” (Andalusian) Agency for Cooperation and the “Instituto Nicaragüense de Turismo (INTUR).” (Nicaraguan Tourism Board).
The agreement will be benefiting 18 micro-entrepreneurs in the community of rural environment, of which 14 are women. This project is for each owner to make improvements in local infrastructure, of which each had to structure a plan of improvements and give it to INTUR. Once the plan was analized, visits to each location were made by a commission to evaluate the budget they were going to give to each one. It shoul be noted that the amounts are not delivered in cash, but it will be given in its equivalent in construction materials.
The Andalusian Agency for Cooperation donated U.S. $ 42,000 to fund projects and purchase the materials that each employer requested, however, among the 18 recipients must complete an additional U.S. $ 29.500, destined to labor and end the discussion in each plan. Rene Gomez, owner of the Recreational Center Momotombo, reported that he formulated a plan for $ 7,000, but that the commission only approved U.S. $ 2.500, this implies that in order to make all of the improvements designed by him, he will have to invest his own money, but that likewise he is grateful for this help, he said.
Lesbia Abarca, mayor of the municipality of La Paz Centro, said that this project is taking another step towards so small businesses can provide good quality service, and thus attract more tourists to the area. She also said that among the beneficiaries there are owners of accommodation owners of cafes, restaurants, bars and recreational facilities. The construction will start soon.
During the event they also held a small cultural event in honor of the mothers benefited the project. There was a song dedicated to mothers by Ana Maria Martinez, one of the beneficiaries, and dances by the dance group Leon Im
Translated by Aída Pichardo