Expedition Nicaragua November 2023

Nicaragua Expedition (20 to 30 November 2023)

Gratitude for an unforgettable time – the unanimous conclusion after a 10-day journey to the birthplace of Buy Food with Plastic: Nicaragua. The poorest country in all of Latin America, which originally had no place on the travel wishlist of the majority of participants.

Nevertheless, 10 curious people from Switzerland and Germany decided to see Buy Food with Plastic Nicaragua with their own eyes from 20 to 30 November 2023. They were accompanied and supported by co-founders and members of the management board Anna Gracia Herbst and Khalil Radi, volunteer Vanessa Lochbaum, Nicaragua Country Manager Frank Sarria, project manager Blanca Lopez and myself, Murielle Galliker, long-time volunteer and part-time employee in Legal & Operations since August 2023.

Together we were able to discover the most beautiful and the saddest sides of a country which in the meantime all participants had grown deeply fond of:

While the Explorer group was able to climb a volcano on the island of Ometepe and experience a canoe trip, the Charity team lent a hand in the workshop and supported recyclers Luis and Yerlanes in sorting, washing and processing the caps and bottles. Regardless of the chosen travel package, all participants could additionally take part in yoga, surfing, golf and horse riding sessions at their leisure. Culinarially, the expedition was accompanied by our BFWP chefs Brenda and Johanna, who usually cook for the community at our Buy Food with Plastic events in San Ignacio. It was very nice that we could include the whole team in our program and that the expedition participants could build a close bond with them.

The undisputed highlights were certainly the preparation and follow-up as well as the effective implementation of the BFWP community event in El Higueral: On a moving afternoon, we were able to support 125 people in need together with the local team on site. The local population had collected an incredible 14,295 (!) plastic bottles and received a warm meal in exchange. It was absolutely overwhelming to experience the joy and gratitude that our help brought to the locals.

The expedition showed all participants in a remarkable way what transformative impact we can achieve when we stand together, as the touching statement by participant Yvonne proves: “The unity and commitment of Buy Food with Plastic are truly admirable. My sincere thanks go to the founders Khalil Radi and Anna Gracia Herbst, who brought this extraordinary initiative to life with their vision and commitment. Their work is a source of inspiration, and I am proud to be part of this team.”

Testimonials like this speak for themselves and are a clear expression of interpersonal success, which in turn has an impact on the economic aspect: Apart from the fact that we were able to gain 10 new BFWP ambassadors through the expedition, we were also able to collect CHF 5,929 (USD 6,751) for the project in Nicaragua.

This balance sheet proves once again: Together we can make the world a better place and the more people come together, the greater the impact.