Bayardo has been working with Outreach International through Alcance Nicaragua (AN) for 25 years. His quarter-century of dedication to the people around him has led to greater prosperity and independence for so many. And the difference he makes can be seen in the communities and families in the country he calls home.
Humble Beginnings
Like many of us, Bayardo started small, learning as he forged ahead, making life better for himself and his family.
“In 1993 I started as a part-time community leader for Outreach in the Las Brisas community in Santa Lucia, Boaco,” Bayardo shared with us. “I also worked in agriculture, growing beans, corn and sometimes traveled to Costa Rica to work in construction.”
Soon, the success of his efforts got noticed.
“Due to my development as a community leader, I was leading 100 families. This caused the director of AN at that time to think about a full-time job opportunity for me. I started as a community leader, then a facilitator, and in July 2005 I was appointed the Alcance Nicaragua Country Coordinator.”
Empowering Change
Bayardo’s dedication to his neighbors earned him his own exciting opportunities. He credits these opportunities to his focus on his family and his faith.
“Working with OI has been a wonderful opportunity that God gave me. I remember my daughter was only a few months old and I had great difficulty in supporting my family. When they told me of the opportunity to work with them, I cried with joy that day. I knew that it was no longer necessary to abandon my family in search of money to support them.”
Reaping Rewards
Bayardo not only instilled his community with dedication and perseverance. He also began to see the rewards of his hard work in his own life.
“My big dream was to have a house of my own to live in with my wife and children. Little by little as time progressed, we saved to build a small house where we live without worries and feel safe.”
Years of steady effort and focus on helping others empowered Bayardo to grow his own prosperity. He has empowered himself and his family as he worked to empower those around him.
“I am now the father of 3 adult children (2 men and a woman) and have been happily married for 27 years. My whole family attends church and my children are part of the musical ministry there, thanks to God.”
Day-to-Day Life
Just like any happy family man, Bayardo’s life is not all work and no play. He always makes time for his family, and finds respite in hobbies at home.
“My free time is spent helping my wife tend the garden, planting fruit plants and watching sports on television. I enjoy mainly baseball and boxing. I also like to spend time with my family at the river and visit friends.”
Bayardo has spent a career teaching people to lift themselves out of poverty. He teaches them to learn and grow, and develop their own solutions to whatever obstacles they may face. Then, they make their own lives more prosperous and content. As we can imagine, he has found his life’s work deeply rewarding.
“This work is wonderful. I feel useful to help people who are in the same condition that I was once in. Seeing the smiles of the children and families fills me with the satisfaction that I am doing the right thing.”
Successful Outreach
Bayardo, and people like him, are the reason why the work of Outreach succeeds around the world. A career of selfless dedication to communities, coordinating development efforts for his country gives him a sense of pride. This feeling can only come from seeing his hard work and success reflected in the improved lives of his neighbors.
How to Help
To see the work we do at Outreach to help people lift themselves out of poverty, visit our website. You can learn more, meet more good people like Bayardo, and find out ways you can help be part of the solution to poverty related issues for people all over the world.
