Nicaraguan Development Colleague as Special Guest in honour of 40th Anniversary
September 2, 2016
Julio Espinoza knows good development. Julio is an energetic, passionate person; a peace lover; a justice seeker; and a humanist who believes that the active participation of the people he works with is essential to successful development.
Before leaving his native Nicaragua in 2015 for a position with Oxfam America, Julio worked for Change for Children’s partner organization, Centro Humboldt in the BOSAWAS biosphere reserve in Nicaragua.
Julio Espinoza had just graduated from business school at the University of Central America in 1999 when Lorraine Swift (Change for Children’s Executive Director – who was working at Centro Humboldt in Nicaragua as a CUSO Cooperant) convinced Julio to come along on a trip into the BOSAWAS jungle to help the Miskito peoples with disaster recovery post-Hurricane Mitch.
Soon after, Julio quit his job in sales in favor of a position in community development. For 11 years, he worked hand in hand with indigenous people and grassroots organizations to address such issues as land protection, economic alternatives, women’s rights, and cultural revaluation.
Julio came to Canada as part of Change for Children’s 40th Anniversary celebrations and shared stories of good development at Change for Children’s Development Dinner fundraising event. He and Executive Director, Lorraine Swift, were also featured on CTV and World FM.
