A Life of Transformation - World Evangelical Alliance

A Festschrift for Colonel Doner
Nicaragua: For decades, Nicaragua was ravaged by oppressive,
godless dictators and the devastation of civil war. Somoza, the
Sandinistas, and the Contras took turns raping this Central American
country until it seemed as though, like the Levite’s concubine
in Judges 19, there would be no life left and the dead body remaining
cut into pieces. As Nicaragua suffered, and tens of thousands
died, Americans expressed a variety of useless opinions. Many
supported the Communists and shrieked “bloody murder” at any
who opposed the Marxist hell hounds; others hailed the Contras
as the democratic saviors of Central America. Then Americans
stomped their feet in disgust, but could not look away as the Iran/
Contra scandal effectively ended Reagan’s support of the freedom
fighters in Nicaragua.
Nevertheless, in a sovereign act of God, the Marxist yoke was
broken. In 1990, Violeta Chamorro, a Christian conservative, was
elected to the presidency of Nicaragua. Through Mario Aviles, a
childhood friend of Mrs. Chamorro, ICRF had an open door to
minister among the ruins of the second poorest country in the Western
Hemisphere. With the extremely talented Mario as their
spearhead, ICRF selected Nicaragua to be a prototype for The
Samaritan Strategy.
Beginning with its unique micro-enterprise fund strategy, ICRF
began to award small loans of $500 to $1000 to families so they
could start businesses. By American standards, these small amounts
seem too insignificant to be of help. However, in Nicaragua it is
enough to open up a fruit or vegetable stand or buy a sewing machine
and fabric to start a seamstress business. One seamstress
became so profitable, she was able to buy twenty more machines
and hire twenty more seamstresses with her profits. One recipient
opened a pizzeria; a young man who knew the family also received
a micro-enterprise loan to buy a motorcycle so he could deliver
the pizzas! Recipients of these loans have obviously shown great
resourcefulness and creativity in choosing their businesses.
Currently, in Nicaragua alone, these micro-enterprise loans
have created over 300 new businesses. Each year the program
grows exponentially, creating thousands of jobs. Some enterprises
now employ as many as 20 or 30 people. Loans are paid back in
six months with 99% of the recipients repaying the loans. The
money is then loaned to other entrepreneurs.
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