Jorge Capelán, Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, December 16th 2021
Over November 21st and 22nd, thousands of Nicaraguans participated in the fourth ‘Nicaragua Business Start-ups’ Fair at the Olof Palme Convention Centre in Managua. The fair brings together all expressions of the social economy where hundreds of small businesses present their products and establish contacts with clients and colleagues to develop their businesses
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The fair was also an opportunity for entrepreneurs to find out more about state support available to them, for example, through the Ministry of Family, Community, Co-operative and Associative Economy (MEFCCA) and the National Technological Institute (INATEC).
The ‘Nicaragua Business Start-ups’ fair includes some well established companies and others that are just starting out.
Xochilt, from Café Sontule which markets coffee from a women's co-operative in Estelí, explains that members of the co-operative have a set up a project with a roaster and a grinding mill in their community.
She goes on to explain that Café Sontule is participating in Nicaragua Emprende as part of the support the co-operative receives from MEFCCA after having qualified in a national contest to design the project's logo.
"It is a great opportunity because, after only being set up four months ago, it is the first time we are at a national event of this quality," says Xochilt.
Regarding the fair, she commented that "it is very important because in these spaces there is an exchange of knowledge. Not only do we raise awareness of our enterprises but we also learn … that is very important because every day we learn something new".
Mirna María González Gutiérrez is from Exagro, a family business in the municipality of Nueva Guinea. She explains that traditionally they focused on exporting roots, tubers and snacks based on breadfruit and banana, but thanks to the development of their venture they have launched into producing coconut-based liqueurs and rum.
"Many liqueur tasters who have said yes to us. They have told us that our liqueur is unique and it also comes packaged directly in the coconut itself. We are already exporting it abroad, we already have our brand and our sanitary registration", she explains.
Mirna says that MEFCCA’s has been "fundamental" since her company previously exported products so was not known in Nicaragua. The ministry's officials "went looking for us in our little corner, took us by the hand to different events" including Nicaragua Business Start-ups fairs. Through this and national competitions where we won prizes our products have become known.
Kanya Campos Espinoza represents the enterprise Joyas del Sabor Caribeño based on the added value of cocoa and robusta coffee grown in Bluefields. These products are used to produce coffee and handmade liqueur. In addition, and starting with this Nicaragua emprende, they are offering a new product: cocoa cream.
Kanya says that in a year and a half her enterprise has participated in several platforms organised by MEFCCA where she has been able to promote her products which have been very well received by the public. She is currently one step away from obtaining the sanitary registration which will enable her to sell prodcts in large supermarket chains. At the moment she is only marketing them through social media networks.
"Last year I participated in Nicaragua Design(a platform especially designed to promote design and the creative economy) and this year I have had the opportunity to participate in this fourth Nicaragua Busines Start-ups," she explains.
About her enterprise, she explains that it is a family one, since "I am a single mother, I have teenage children, and I am involving my family in the processing of our products".
Kanya is an agroforestry engineer who graduated from the Autonomous University of the Caribbean URACCAN. She learned to make chocolate thanks to speciality courses she took two years ago at the National Chocolate School located in Bluefields, part of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA). "I took a course as a field technician in cocoa and graduated as a chocolatier, so that's where the idea for my business comes…I am putting into practice and developing the knowledge I gained at school," she says.
Humberto Castilla from Chontales has a well-known brand Señora Cususa, a high-proof maize liqueur (48 proof) for a long time persecuted by a Nicaraguan State more interested in promoting the interests of the big sugar monopolies than in protecting public health. Since maize liqueur competed with rum from the sugar mills and did not generate tax revenues, the State prohibited it. However, that has been changing and today cususa is a legal beverage and subject to all quality control standards.
"Señora Cususa is a natural, organic and 100% Nicaraguan product," explains Don Humberto. He has contracts with farmers who are experts in the production of this liqueur, which is then purified, bottled and labelled in Managua. "We have been working with MEFCCA for two years and we enjoy enormous benefits in terms of promoting the brand”, he explains.
For her part, Ileana Raskin, explains that her family business Mermeladas y Conservas El Chaná "was born at the end of 2018 when with my dad and my mom we were at home and Compañera Rosario Murillo said that one good prospect for this country was via business start-ups and so we were encouraged to bring out jams with Uruguayan recipes adapted to Nicaraguan fruits. We started little by little, steadily reaching one goal after another and now we have more than 10 flavors, such as chiltoma jam, banana, mango, all the national Central American fruits".
"Our goal is to grow and teach people that sweet products can be made from fruit. We want to encourage young people not to be afraid of starting a business, every beginning is difficult, but today the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity is giving us a lot of support in the creative area, it arranges fairs for us and gives us all the training to be able to improve".