The arts and traditions of indigenous people and people of African descent in Nicaragua have historically been the least funded cultural communities of the country.

To address the lack of funding, training, production and distribution infrastructure in these communities the government of Nicaragua worked with the United Nations, through the Millennium Development Goals Fund, to develop the ProCulture Fund to provide micro-credit and business administration training for cultural and tourism related small businesses.

ProCulture Fund’s microcredit schemes target women and men who seek to launch start-ups in handicrafts, visual arts, embroidery, dance and music. Prior to receiving funds workshops and seminars are organized to provide potential entrepreneurs with coaching and technical training.

Modules include marketing, planning, budgeting and management of small and medium enterprises. Upon completion entrepreneurs are invited to submit business plans and proposals to potentially receive revolving microcredit financing depending on the sustainability of their proposal as reviewed by an institutional committee.

Julio Lopez, a success story of the Fund, stands at his Barrio 19 stall at the El Payo de Mayo Celebrations market in Bluefields. He is a Garifuna rosewood sculptor originally from Orinoco who lives in the Caribbean port city of 87 000. He is a regular participant of the annual market where dozens of local entrepreneurs come together to sell their creations and artwork to the local community and growing tourist population. Although his small cultural production business is currently on the up, it was not always the case.

Julio Lopez received training and micro credit from the Fund. With his new knowledge, finishing techniques, design processes and a small capital credit he was able to expand his workshop and increase production. He also hired more people to keep up with growing interest and requests for his rosewood based works of art.