CoCoDA

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📰 Subscribe and stay updated on CoCoDA’s work and projects in Central American communities.

📌 Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/46TusTF

📚 | The students of our scholarship program in coordination with our partner in El Salvador ADES Santa Marta, were part of a Youth Exchange with students from the scholarship association of in order to share their experiences and knowledge.

4️⃣0️⃣ students were part of the event, sharing their experiences and talking about the importance of scholarship programs in their student life.

📌 https://bit.ly/3yFyvWZ

☀️ This summer CoCoDA resumed our Friends of CoCoDA trips to and , with 25 North Americans visiting Central American communities to see, hear and learn about the projects CoCoDA has supported in both countries.

Participants from age 9 to 79 learned Central American history and culture, visited CoCoDA projects, lived with Central American families, and visited tourist sites. 🏖️

Read more in our newsletter above ⬆️

CoCoDA – Connecting communities to communities; connecting peopleto people. Your donations can make a difference in the creation of opportunities for young people in Central America who want to continue studying, solar panel projects to pump water to the communities, and the support for health systems with which CoCoDA works alongside our partners in Nicaragua and El Salvad...

Our partner in El Salvador CRC Suchitoto is promoting the implementation of organic gardens using the permaculture technique in the school of the community of Las Delicias, in .

🗨️ Discover some of the comments from our partners in and , about the appointment of Deborah Payne as CoCoDA's next executive director.

💡 Deborah Payne will become the first woman to assume the position of Executive Director at CoCoDA. She will start working alongside the current Executive Director, Jim Mulholland, in October of this year and take over as the new Executive Director when Jim retires on October 1st, 2025.

📌 Read more about the next executive director in our lastest newsletter: https://bit.ly/4cMBawX

CRC Suchitoto ADES Santa Marta

🗨️ Descubre algunos de los comentarios de nuestras contrapartes en y , acerca del nombramiento de Deborah Payne como próxima directora ejecutiva de CoCoDA.

💡 Deborah se convertirá en la primera mujer en asumir el cargo de directora ejecutiva de CoCoDA. Iniciará trabajando en conjunto con el actual director ejecutivo Jim Mulholland, en octubre de este año, y tomará el rol como nueva directora el 1 de octubre de 2025.

ADES Santa Marta CRC Suchitoto Comunidad Santa Marta

🙌 First words from CoCoDA's next executive director, Deborah Payne. She will start working alongside the current Executive Director in October of this year and take over as the new Executive Director on October 1st, 2025.

▶️ Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/qUo3Cg7cPeE


Primeras palabras de la próxima directora ejecutiva de CoCoDA, Deborah Payne. Ella iniciará a trabajar junto al actual director ejecutivo en octubre de este año e iniciará como nueva directora ejecutiva el 1 de octubre 2025.

▶️ Mira el video aquí: https://youtu.be/qUo3Cg7cPeE

CRC Suchitoto ADES Santa Marta

Welcoming CoCoDA's New Executive Director! | ¡Presentando a la Nueva Directora Ejecutiva de CoCoDA! CoCoDA's new Executive Director, Deborah Payne, talks about working in coordination with the CoCoDA staff, the Board of Directors and our partners in El Salv...

With the coordination of ADES Santa Marta, we supported the construction of 18 environmental sanitation devices in the Santa Marta community.

💧 These Biogardens have the function of returning wastewater to the ecosystem with less contamination.

🌱 We are happy to support initiatives coming from the communities that promote sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions to environmental problems.

🌟At CoCoDA we are proud to contribute to community development thanks to our donors. You can be part of this community effort and support more projects like this one by making a donation at: https://cocoda.org/donate/

📢 CoCoDA is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Deborah Payne as CoCoDA's Next Executive Director.

After a nine-month-long recruitment and selection process, CoCoDA was fortunate to identify excellent and highly qualified candidates to succeed Jim Mulholland as Executive Director of CoCoDA.

💡 Deborah Payne will become the first woman to assume the position of Executive Director at CoCoDA. She will start working alongside the current Executive Director, Jim Mulholland, in October of this year and take over as the new Executive Director when Jim retires on October 1st, 2025.

📌 https://bit.ly/4cMBawX

Get to know CoCoDA's Next Executive Director!

After a nine-month-long recruitment and selection process, CoCoDA was fortunate to identify two excellent and highly qualified candidates to succeed Jim Mulholland as Executive Director of CoCoDA.

Read about the elected candidate and the welcome messages from our partners in our newsletter! ⬆️

🇸🇻 The medical students of the ENLACE program of the Indiana University School of Medicine, concluded last weekend their one month stay in . A month full of cultural immersion and learning. The last week included some activities such as:

✅ Completion of medical rotations and visit to communities together with the Association of Midwives of Suchitoto.
✅ Completion of Spanish classes at Spanish School Pajaro Flor with the final presentation.
✅ Visit to the Tazumal archaeological site as part of the weekend activities.
✅ Farewell party in the host community.

We congratulate the students, Elizabeth and Kaylen, for successfully completing their stay, and we thank the community of San Antonio and our partner CRC Suchitoto for the coordination and organization during the month.


Las estudiantes de medicina del programa ENLACE de la Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad de Indiana, concluyeron el pasado fin de semana su mes de estadía en . Un mes lleno de inmersión cultural y aprendizaje. La última semana incluyó algunas actividades como:

✅ Finalización de rotaciones médicas y visita a comunidades junto a la Asociación de parteras de Suchitoto
✅ Finalización de clases de español con la presentación final
✅ Visita al sitio arqueológico Tazumal como parte de las actividades de fin de semana
✅ Fiesta de despedida en la comunidad anfitriona

Felicitamos a las estudiantes, Elizabeth y Kaylen, por completar con éxito su estancia, y agradecemos a la comunidad de San Antonio de Suchitoto y a nuestra contraparte CRC por la coordinación y organización durante el mes.

The Friends of CoCoDA delegation met with our counterpart ADES Santa Marta to learn about the projects in which CoCoDA collaborates in the community of Santa Marta, .

The delegation visited the facilities of our counterpart, and in addition:
➕ the student residence of the scholarship program (in San Salvador).
➕ the community solar-powered water system
➕ the community greenhouse
➕ the facilities of Radio Victoria

🏠In addition, the delegation stayed for one night with host families in the community of Santa Marta, learning first-hand about the impact of the projects.

¡Amigos de CoCoDA en !

Profundamente agradecidos por el tiempo de la Delegación en El Salvador.

Del 17 al 23 de junio, la delegación visitó lugares muy importantes relacionados con el trabajo de CoCoDA en el país, tales como:

✅ La Residencia estudiantil en San Salvador, parte del programa de Becas coordinado por ADES
✅ El sistema de agua comunitario ACRASAME en
✅ El sistema de agua comunitario de El Rodeo
✅Las instalaciones de nuestras contrapartes: CRC en Suchitoto, ADES en Santa Marta y la Asociación de Parteras de Suchitoto
✅ la delegación también visitó el Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen y el Hospital Divina Providencia en el marco de los días de orientación sobre historia
Friends of CoCoDA in !

Deeply grateful for the time of the Delegation in El Salvador.

From June 17-23, the delegation visited very important places related to CoCoDA's work in the country, such as:

✅ The Student House in San Salvador, part of the Scholarship program coordinated by ADES.
✅ The ACRASAME community water system in
✅ El Rodeo community water system
✅ The facilities of our partners: CRC, ADES and the Association of Midwives of Suchitoto
✅ the delegation also visited the Word and Image Museum and Divina Providencia Hospital as part of the history orientation days

CRC Suchitoto ADES Santa Marta Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen, MUPI

¡Amigos de CoCoDA en ! 🇳🇮

El viaje de los en Nicaragua fue todo un éxito. 🤩

Del 7 al 14 de junio, la delegación Amigos de CoCoDA visitó muchos de los proyectos y comunidades con los que CoCoDA trabaja, como la comunidad indígena de El Cacao y la comunidad de Somoto.

La delegación fue parte de varias reuniones con los líderes de las comunidades con el fin de ampliar nuestras conexiones, presentar la delegación a nuestros socios y fortalecer nuestro compromiso con los proyectos en el país.
Friends of CoCoDA in Nicaragua!

The Friends of CoCoDA trip to Nicaragua was a success. From June 7 to 14, the delegation visited many of the projects and communities that CoCoDA works with, such as the community of Somoto and the indigenous community of El Cacao,

The delegation was part of multiple meetings with community leaders in order to expand our connections, introduce the delegation to our partners and strengthen our commitment to the projects in the country.

¡ celebra hoy el ́aDelMaestro!

Y que mejor manera de conmemorar el día que con la visita realizada ayer por la delegación de Friends of CoCoDA, junto al equipo de nuestra contraparte CRC Suchitoto, a la escuela de la comunidad Las Delicias, en .

La delegación conoció a la nueva profesora de inglés contratada gracias a nuestro Fondo de Maestros "Teresa Batto". Los estudiantes recibieron a la delegación y demostraron su talento con diferentes expresiones artísticas.

Para finalizar, se hizo la siembra de dos árboles para simbolizar el compromiso de CoCoDA con la escuela, y la educación en las comunidades.


celebrates teacher's day today!

And what better way to commemorate the day than with the visit made yesterday by the Friends of CoCoDA delegation, together with our partner CRC, to Las Delicias community school in .

The delegation met the new English teacher hired thanks to our "Teresa Batto" Teacher Fund. The students welcomed the delegation and demonstrated their talent with different artistic expressions.

Finally, two trees were planted to symbolize CoCoDA's commitment to the school and education in the communities.

Last weekend, during their visit to , CoCoDA's board of directors attended the presentations and interviewed the candidates for CoCoDA's executive director position, with the rest of the board connected virtually.

✅ CoCoDA's operations team was also present and conducted interviews with each of the candidates.

✅ Our counterparts in El Salvador also participated in the presentations and discussed the strengths of each candidate.


El pasado fin de semana, durante su visita a , la junta directiva de CoCoDA presenció las presentaciones y entrevistó a las candidatas al puesto de director ejecutivo de CoCoDA, con el resto de la junta conectada virtualmente.

El equipo de operaciones de CoCoDA también estuvo presente y realizó entrevistas a cada una de las candidatas.

Nuestras contrapartes en El Salvador también participaron de las presentaciones y dialogaron sobre las fortalezas de cada candidata.

CRC Suchitoto ADES Santa Marta

Board Meeting in ! 🇸🇻

Last Saturday a delegation of the Board of Directors came to , El Salvador and held the Board meeting with the rest of the Board via Zoom.

Also present in El Salvador were our Executive Director Jim Mulholland, our Nicaragua Consultant Richard Sanchéz, El Salvador Director Karilyn Vides and El Salvador Assistant Director Enrique Pineda.


Reunión de la Junta Directiva en El Salvador

El sábado pasado una delegación de la Junta Directiva vino a El Salvador y celebró la reunión de la Junta Directiva con el resto de la Junta vía Zoom.

También estuvieron presentes en El Salvador nuestro Director Ejecutivo Jim Mulholland; nuestro consultor de Nicaragua, Richard Sanchéz; la Directora en El Salvador, Karilyn Vides; y el Asistente de la directora en El Salvador, Enrique Pineda.

🍽️ Making pupusas!

Medical students from Indiana University School of Medicine learned how to make and tasted pupusas as part of the activities with their Spanish teachers at the Spanish School Pajaro Flor, during their stay in , .

🍽️ ¡Tarde de pupusas!

Las estudiantes de medicina de la Universidad de Indiana, aprendieron a hacer y degustaron pupusas como parte de las actividades junto a sus profesores de español en la Escuela de Español Pájaro Flor, durante su estadía en Suchitoto, El Salvador.

Last June 11, marked the second anniversary of the inauguration of our retrofit project to for the ACRASAME water system in , together with our partner in CRC Suchitoto.

Sistema de agua Acrasame-Zp Suchitoto

Sabías que? El 11 de junio de 2022 junto a nuestra socia CoCoDA inauguramos el proyecto de Bombeo de Agua 💧 a base de energía Solar en el Sistema de agua Acrasame-Zp Suchitoto

Our partner CRC Suchitoto, together with the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of El Salvador, presented the technical folder for the remodeling and equipping of the school in the community of Las Delicias, .

Read about how CoCoDA and CRC are working in favor of education in the community of Las Delicias — https://cocoda.org/the-newly-launched-teresa-batto-teacher-fund/

✅🩺Medical rotations have started!

Indiana University School of Medicine students started this week their medical rotations in , , as part of the ENLACE program.

Previously the students, accompanied by our director in El Salvador, Karilyn Vides, and the president of our partner CRC Suchitoto, Edgardo Molina, visited the different places where the rotations will take place throughout the month.

📍 This included the Suchitoto National Hospital, the La Mora community clinic, the clinic of the United for Health Association ASUSA. They also visited the offices of our partner CRC and participated in the monthly general assembly of the Association of Midwives of Suchitoto.
✅🩺 ¡Las rotaciones médicas iniciaron!

Las estudiantes de medicina de la universidad de Indiana, iniciaron esta semana sus rotaciones médicas en Suchitoto, El Salvador.

Previamente las estudiantes, acompañadas por nuestra directora en El Salvador, Karilyn Vides, y por el presidente de nuestra contraparte CRC, Edgardo Molina, visitaron los diferentes lugares donde las rotaciones se realizarán durante todo el mes.

Esto incluyo el Hospital Nacional de Suchitoto, la clínica comunal La Mora, la clínica de la Asociación Unidos por la Salud ASUSA. Además se realizó una visita a las oficinas de nuestra contraparte CRC y se participó de la Asamble general mensual de la Asociación de parteras de Suchitoto.

¡Bienvenidas a la comunidad!

La comunidad de San Antonio, en Suchitoto, El Salvador, recibió a las estudiantes de medicina de la universidad de Indiana.

La delegación es recibida principalmente por el comité de ahorro y crédito organizado por las mujeres líderes de San Antonio.

Las estudiantes, Elizabeth y Kaylen vivirán un mes con familias de la comunidad mientras realizan sus rotaciones en los centros médicos de Suchitoto.
Welcome to the community!

The community of San Antonio, in Suchitoto, El Salvador, welcomed medical students from Indiana University.

The delegation is welcomed mainly by the savings and credit committee organized by the women leaders of San Antonio.

The students, Elizabeth and Kaylen, will spend a month living with families in the community while doing their rotations in Suchitoto's medical centers.

CRC Suchitoto

2️⃣/2️⃣ Orientation days in

The Indiana University medical students ended their orientation days in the capital of El Salvador by touring the historic center of San Salvador and visiting the Monument to Memory and Truth in honor of the victims of the civil war.
Las estudiantes de medicina de la universidad de Indiana terminaron sus días de orientación en la capital de El Salvador haciendo un recorrido por centro histórico de San Salvador y visitando el Monumento a la Memoria y la Verdad en honor a las víctimas de la guerra civil.

1️⃣/2️⃣ Orientation days in

Indiana University School of Medicine students visited key sites to learn about the history of El Salvador, its civil war and leaders such as Monsignor Romero. The sites visited were the Monseñor Romero Center at the University of Central America UCA, the Divina Providencia Hospital, and the Word and Image Museum MUPI.

Centro Monseñor Romero UCA Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen, MUPI
̃orromero

We are pleased to welcome to , the medical students from Indiana University School of Medicine, Elizabeth and Kaylen, who will be doing their medical rotations starting next week in the medical centers of . The students will spend the first couple of days in the capital city of San Salvador to receive orientation days on from the CoCoDA staff.
Nos complace recibir en El Salvador, a las estudiantes de medicina de la Universidad de Indiana, Elizabeth y Kaylen, quienes realizaran sus rotaciones médicas a partir de la próxima semana en los centros médicos de Suchitoto. Las estudiantes estarán los primeros días en la capital San Salvador para recibir los días de orientación sobre historia a cargo del equipo de CoCoDA.

CRC Suchitoto

🔄 CoCoDA Board Chair Nate Addington discusses Jim Mulholland's legacy as CoCoDA's executive director and the collaborative process between the Board, staff and our partners to find the best successor.

▶️ Watch the video here — https://youtu.be/X0wMVr0NiG8
El presidente de a Junta Directiva de CoCoDA, Nate Addington, habla sobre el legado de Jim Mulholland como director ejecutivo de CoCoDA y el proceso colaborativo entre la Junta, el personal y nuestras contrapartes para encontrar el mejor sucesor.

▶️ Mira el video subtitulado aquí — https://youtu.be/X0wMVr0NiG8

The legacy of CoCoDA Executive Director Jim Mulholland CoCoDA Board Chair, Nate Addington, talks about the legacy of Executive Director Jim Mulholland and the importance of the search for his successor to CoCoDA'...

CoCoDA Executive Director Jim Mulholland discusses the need of a succession plan in nonprofits and the importance of transferring knowledge and leadership after a period of success.

Watch the video here — ▶️ https://youtu.be/Z6Ocz2BbaYY
El director ejecutivo de CoCoDA, Jim Mulholland, habla de la necesidad de un plan de sucesión en organizaciones sin fines de lucro y la importancia de la tranferencia de conocimientos y liderazgo luego de un período de éxito.

Mira el video aquí (subtitulado en español) — ▶️ https://youtu.be/Z6Ocz2BbaYY

CoCoDA's Executive Director Transition Plan CoCoDA Executive Director, Jim Mulholland, talks about his goal in finding his successor and the importance of a transition plan in non profit organizations....

📈🏆 Many accomplishments and successes have marked the more than a decade of Jim Mulholland's leadership as Executive Director of CoCoDA.

A change in leadership is no small undertaking, especially for a small international organization like CoCoDA. Anticipating this, Jim has worked with CoCoDA's Board of Directors, staff, and partners in Central America to develop a multi-year transition plan to find his successor.

📌 Read more about Jim's accomplishments and the transition plan in our latest newsletter — https://bit.ly/3wITJCi

📢 Tras 10 años como director ejecutivo de CoCoDA, Jim Mulholland ha anunciado su retiro.

Fue en el verano de 2014 que Iván Villasboa, Director Ejecutivo de CoCoDA se acercó a Jim Mulholland, quien era el Presidente de la Junta de CoCoDA en ese momento, y le dijo: "¿Consideraría reemplazarme como Director Ejecutivo de CoCoDA?".

Ahora, no solo el trabajo de la Junta Directiva y del personal de CoCoDA es necesario, sino también el de nuestras contrapartes en y , para encontrar a un excelente sucesor.

CRC Suchitoto ADES Santa Marta

📆 It was in the summer of 2014 that Ivan Villasboa, CoCoDA’s Executive Director came to Jim Mulholland, who was the President of the CoCoDA Board at that time, and said, “Would you consider replacing me as Executive Director of CoCoDA?”

After 10 years as CoCoDA's executive director, Jim Mulholland has announced his retirement.

📌 Read our latest newsletter and learn about Jim's legacy at CoCoDA and the transition plan to find an excellent successor — https://bit.ly/3wITJCi