1. Microfinance and Financial Inclusion in Nicaragua<br />During June and July, I worked with a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) to sustainably further the economic development of Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua, by helping local female microentrepreneurs who had taken out microloans from my organization grow their businesses and achieve financial security. I first learned about the obstacles to saving that exist locally through 27 interviews conducted in Spanish with female microentrepreneurs and two meetings with officials from local banks. I then designed and provided a series of workshops in Spanish that helped the women overcome these obstacles by providing advice and skills to empower them to improve accounting, make a budget, and create a realistic savings plan that included opening a savings account. In total, 38 microentrepreneurs attended the three workshops. <br />I also developed and implemented three follow-up meetings for the participants of the workshops. From these meetings, I learned that most participants had begun to systematically calculate their expenses and earnings and were planning to develop a budget for the month of August. However, very few participants had begun a savings plan and none of those who attended the follow-up meetings had tried to open a savings account. This is attributable to a desire to prioritize growth over stability by reinvesting all profits and a mindset that saving is impossible given their current economic situation. The meetings were organized so that women who worked in similar businesses attended the same meeting, with the goal of encouraging the women to continue to collaborate and build a sustainable network of support and friendship. However, the women did not decide to continue meeting as a group. This could be attributed to individualism and poor infrastructure that makes communication and transportation difficult. <br />My experience was enriching because of the culture and language immersion I received at work and in my host family, since I was the only English speaker in both contexts. In following sustainable development techniques, I learned the importance of focusing on locally available resources and cultivating community participation and ownership. I developed and administered my workshops individually but was in constant and close consultation with my supervisor and co-workers. Learning to strike this balance contributed significantly to my personal and professional development. <br />My project started as exploration and I achieved my initial goal of learning about how a local NGO functions. However, seeing not only the needs that exist in Ciudad Sandino but the opportunities as well, such as the entrepreneurial drive of the women I met, motivated me to continue to work to further the economic development of Central America. It solidified my decision to pursue degrees in Spanish and Economics and sparked the vision of ultimately working to end financial exclusion among the poorest in Central America, and thus improve their quality of life, by applying developmental economics and sustainable techniques. I will continue to pursue this vision through research or field work in the area of developmental economics during the summer of 2012.<br />