There’s nothing that feels better than helping others while you help yourself…

And attendees at International Living’s Import/Export Workshop in Managua, Nicaragua this past July 11-14 got to do a little of both. While at the workshop learning how to turn their travel into money-making opportunities, they raised over $1,000 and donated three large bags of supplies to the Roberto Clemente-Rancho Santana hospital clinic. The non-profit clinic serves patients in the impoverished Tola region of Nicaragua.

And they had fun doing it-the clinic’s fundraiser was a raffle. "We thought that a raffle was a great way to raise money," says Juan Muñoz, who helped organize the event. "Everyone enjoys having the chance to win something."

The clinic, which opened in 2004, serves 750 to 1,000 patients a month and is already operating at capacity. It will use the funds to buy new equipment and to expand services.

Raffle tickets were $50 each or five for $200, and participants did not have to be present to win. The grand prize was a two-night beach stay at Rancho Santana. Other prizes included handicrafts and a coffee-table book entitled Nicaraguan Riviera: Rancho Santana & Los Perros.

Your Latin America Insider,

Suzan Haskins
for International Living

P.S. Nicaragua is one of the most beautiful and affordable countries in Latin America. If you’ve ever wondered about living there, you can’t do better than Nicaragua: The Owner’s Manual . It tells you everything you need to know to set up a new life in Nicaragua.