Portland State University students visit Esperanza en Acción

Recently we had a group of students from Portland State University visit our shop in Managua. After we welcomed the ten students to Esperanza en Acción we talked about the work that we do, our connection with artisans, the importance of fair price, and our partners in the international fair trade market. We also took the students to meet directly with a few of our artisans, where they were able to hear their stories and see them work first hand. We hope that through these experiences the students gain a greater understanding of the work the artisans put into their products and the difficulties they face in getting their products to consumers. This is one of the reasons why the connection between artisans and Esperanza en Acción is key. Esperanza en Acción spent the week working with five students in a variety of capacities. Together we met with an organization in hopes of expanding our current partnerships. Esperanza en Acción worked directly with students in creating additional marketing materials, such as brochures and banners. The students have also assisted with updating our website and creating social media connections.

Working with students from Portland State University has been a good experience that has helped us increase our current knowledge and uses of technology with social media. We will continue to utilize these tools to manage the organization.

Thank you to our partner, Portland State University. 

Here are the students listening to the Board of Director member and Portland State University professor Dr. White talk about the importance of fair trade and artisan crafts. Yamileth Perez, Director of the Artisan Program is to the left of the Professor. 

The students also had the pleasure of giving a presentation to the General Director, Samuel Reyes, of Rainbow Network organization in hopes of expanding our current partnerships.