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Spark Ventures   |   Allowance for Good, community programs, girls, nicaragua, partnership trip, report from the field, social good, travel, women's empowerment   |   No comment

Guest Blog: Reflections on Reciprocity

Karin Scott is the Program Manager at Allowance for Good. She recently returned from traveling with Spark Ventures and Allowance for Good youth to Nicaragua on our August Partnership Trip. Karen wrote these reflections on day 3 of the trip, and agreed to share them...

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12 August
2
Spark Ventures   |   Allowance for Good, community programs, education, nicaragua, nutrition, partnership trip, report from the field, social good, spark ventures, travel   |   No comment

So, what did YOU do on your summer vacation?

The students from Allowance for Good and other youth who joined us for our August Partnership Trip to Nicaragua are leaving a powerful impact on the lives of the children they met at Las Tías. The trip, as with all Spark Ventures Partnership Trips, incorporated lots...

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11 August
2
Spark Ventures   |   Allowance for Good, community programs, education, nicaragua, partnership trip, report from the field, travel   |   No comment

Youth in Nicaragua, meet youth from Chicago!

Our Partnership Trip to Nicaragua this August is unique - in addition to travelers who have been part of the Spark Ventures community for years, we're also traveling with 10+ travelers from Allowance for Good, a fabulous Evanston-based non-profit we have formed a powerful partnership...

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08 August
3
Spark Ventures   |   business development, partnership trip, report from the field, socent, social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, social good, spark ventures, travel, zambia   |   No comment

Field trip to the farm… to visit our fluffy friends!

After spending 5 days in Ndola at Hope Ministries, our partnership trip travelers headed south to Lusaka, the capital and largest city in Zambia, to visit the poultry farm. The poultry farm was established in collaboration between Spark and Hope Ministries to serve as a...

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23 July
2
Spark Ventures   |   #girleffect, community programs, education, girls, healthcare, partnership trip, public health, report from the field, social good, spark ventures, travel, women's empowerment, zambia   |   No comment

Sharon’s Transformation Story

Transformation stories are important to the fabric of our partnership trips in Zambia. During this segment of the itinerary, we highlight one of the students at Hope Community School and allow our travelers to get a glimpse at life outside of Hope - and to...

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22 July
2
Spark Ventures   |   education, healthcare, nutrition, partnership trip, public health, report from the field, social good, spark, spark ventures, travel, zambia   |   No comment

Goings on in Zambia

Every day in Zambia is new and exciting, even for those who have made the trip to visit our partner in Ndola many times before. It's wonderful to see Ndola develop economically over the years.Ndola development - new mall with a Subway, grocery store and...

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18 July
3
Spark Ventures   |   community programs, education, partnership trip, report from the field, spark ventures, travel, zambia   |   No comment

The Warmest Welcome from our Zambian Friends

Our first full day in Zambia began early and (as always) was filled with learning, dancing, and eating with the children and staff at Hope Ministries. Upon arrival at the Hope campus, we were greeted with a joyous welcome program. Staff and students alike enjoy...

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16 July
2
Spark Ventures   |   community programs, education, nutrition, organization, partnership trip, report from the field, spark, spark ventures, travel, zambia   |   No comment

News from Ndola!

Before our partnership trip participants arrived in Zambia, Spark CEO, Rich and Finance Manager, Marcia, met with our partners at Hope Ministries and at the Poultry farm to carry out a financial audit and take care of other Spark work. They also spent time preparing...

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15 July
2
Spark Ventures   |   community programs, education, nutrition, organization, partnership trip, report from the field, spark ventures, travel, zambia   |   No comment

…And They’re Off!

After months of planning and preparation, the time has finally come! Spark CEO, Rich, and our Finance Manager, Marcia, have bid farewell to America and are finally on their way to Zambia for our July Partnership trip. Although our 14 trip participants won’t be arriving...

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08 July
2
Spark Ventures   |   business development, community programs, nicaragua, report from the field, socent, social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, social good, spark ventures, travel   |   No comment

Launching an Agribusiness in Nicaragua

*Updated May 2020. Please note that the most recent information regarding our farm initiative in Nicaragua can be found here.   We are at a critical phase in our launch of the Nicaraguan agribusiness, so I was in the country for a few days last week. Lucy,...

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08 July
2
Spark Ventures   |   business development, community programs, nicaragua, organization, report from the field, socent, social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, social good, travel   |   No comment

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words…

Spark Ventures partners with local organizations that help vulnerable children, with current partnerships in Zambia and Nicaragua. Spark's unique partnership model focuses on sustaining the organizations it works with. Spark's partners receive on-going training and consultation in areas of personnel management, infrastructure, organizational growth and...

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06 June
3
Spark Ventures   |   community programs, healthcare, nutrition, public health, report from the field, zambia   |   No comment

North Park University Students Venture to Zambia to Host Clinic

A team of nursing students from North Park University have just completed one of the biannual clinics at our partner organization in Zambia supported by Spark. The nursing students, working alongside a Zambian doctor and nurses treated over 350 children from Hope House Orphanage and...

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04 June
2
Spark Ventures   |   Board of Directors, chicago, news, non-profit, nonprofit, NPTalk, organization, socent, spark, spark ventures   |   No comment

New Directors Join Spark Board

With only four full-time employees, Spark’s board members play an incredibly important role in expanding our capacity as an organization. That’s one reason we are very excited to have added four new directors in the last year. Let us introduce you to them….Jeff Plaisted has...

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08 May
3