​​This February, Pennywise Executive Director, Laura Subin, visited Agua Para La Vida (APLV) in Rio Blanco, Nicaragua.  Rio Blanco is located among the beautiful mountains and cloud forests of northern Nicaragua.  The city is also on the edge of the country’s most rural communities- less than half of which have access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Laura began her visit at the APLV offices where she met with staff and heard about the organization directly from those leading its work. Next she toured APLV’s Escuela Tecnica de Agua Potable (ETAP). The technical school offers a unique opportunity for high achieving, young Nicaraguans from underserved, rural communities.  ETAP students are trained in all of the technical aspects of designing, installing, operating and maintaining gravity based water systems. After completing the two-year program, which is paid for by APLV, they have highly marketable skills and will be eligible for employment that can help lift their families out of poverty.