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Nuevas Esperanzas UK is registered in the UK as a charity and in Nicaragua as an International NGO.  Nuevas Esperanzas UK makes grants and provides technical assistance to the Nuevas Esperanzas programme in Nicaragua. The charity has three staff based in León, Nicaragua and a Board of Trustees in the UK.

Nuevas Esperanzas UK - staff profiles

Andrew Longley (UK) is the Director of Nuevas Esperanzas UK.  Andrew is an experienced programme manager and has a PhD in Geology, a Masters degree in Groundwater Engineering and further training in technical and managerial aspects of relief and development work.  Previously he managed a wide range of water and environmental projects for the UK Environment Agency and consulting engineers WS Atkins, and has worked on water-related development projects in Nicaragua, India and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  His technical experience includes water supply, sanitation, environmental management and design and implementation of training programmes.  Andrew was the Country Director for Mercy Ships in Nicaragua and managed programmes which included water, health, agriculture, the environment and housing before founding Nuevas Esperanzas in 2005.

Gilma Del Posso (Ecuador) is responsible for Administration.  Gilma has worked for eleven years in administration for various organisations including the United Nations in León, Nicaragua, the World Conservation Union in Quito, Ecuador and several businesses.  She is trained as a bilingual executive secretary and her wide-ranging experience includes logistics, interpreting, website design and organisation of seminars and conferences.  Gilma is responsible for liaison with Government departments, ensuring compliance with all legal responsibilities, negotiation of contracts, procurement, translation, marketing, publicity and office administration.  She also provides professional advice and training to our local partners and assists with the coordination and administration of projects.

Jane Longley (UK) is responsible for Communications.  Jane has a degree in Modern Languages and further qualifications in education, therapeutic counselling and pastoral care.  She moved to Nicaragua in 2003 after nine years teaching and running residential boarding houses in schools in the UK.  Her experience includes programme administration and management of financial and human resources as well as the organisation and implementation of training courses and exchange visits.  Jane speaks English, French, German and Spanish and is responsible for internal and external reporting as well as communication with current and potential international donors.  She also provides training to local partners and advises on human resources and pastoral care. 

Nuevas Esperanzas UK - Board of Trustees

Emma Higham (Chair) is a medical doctor working in General Practice in London.  Emma’s medical training was complemented by a year of theological study and some experience of working in hospitals in southern India, and she qualified as a doctor in Oxford in 1995.  After working for a number of years in a wide variety of hospital posts in Oxford, Stoke on Trent and London, she gained a postgraduate qualification in Child Health and started General Practice training in a deprived area of South East London.  She worked there for several years, becoming a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners in the process.  Emma is married with three small children, and now works part time at a Practice in Central London. She is an active member of the local Catholic Church and a keen musician.

Liz Buchanan (Treasurer) is a hydrologist/hydrogeologist working for environmental and engineering consultancy firm Entec in London.  She has a degree in Physics and a Masters in Water Management.  Her experience includes catchment management and wetland hydrology, and she has also undertaken environmental impact assessments for a wide variety of projects including wind farms, mines and quarries and London’s Heathrow airport.  Liz has been involved with Nuevas Esperanzas and its predecessor since 2002 when she spent four months on a work placement in Nicaragua.  She has continued her involvement since that time, visiting Nicaragua again in 2006 to undertake field surveys of community water supplies and to set up a Geographical Information System as part of a feasibility study for a rainwater harvesting project.

Allie Schwaar (Secretary) is Communications Manager for SIM-UK, a Christian mission agency, with whom she has worked for the past 10 years.  Allie’s experience includes business administration, editing and writing newsletters and press releases, conference organisation and training of volunteers.  She has developed a new system for networking supporters and has represented SIM-UK on visits to Ethiopia and Thailand.  Allie has a degree in History as well as further training in Theology and Freelance Journalism.  Before joining SIM, she worked in the academic and private sectors in business administration, and for a church in the UK and the Central European Bible Institute in Hungary in pastoral and leadership roles.  She has visited Nicaragua on a number of occasions and is actively involved in fundraising activities.

Peter Dockree (Trustee) is a social worker working in an assessment team in Abingdon which covers child protection investigations and family support.   He has also worked as an instructor for the learning disabled.  Peter has a degree in History and Politics, a Masters degree in Applied Social Studies and a diploma in social work, as well as additional training in Project Management.   He spent three years working in South East Nigeria establishing a Community Based Rehabilitation programme for disabled children, Project Comfort, as part of a long established programme in mental health and has continued to support the programme as Trustee.  Peter has travelled widely in Africa and has undertaken a number of short-term assignments in The Gambia, Nigeria, South Africa, Eritrea and Nepal. He has recently been accepted for training into the ordained Anglican ministry.

Alan Reed (Trustee) is a retired water engineer with extensive international experience.  Alan spent 29 years in engineering consultancy, including 17 years with WS Atkins, specialising in distribution system analysis.  His experience includes World Bank projects in Greater Algiers and Greater Colombo as well as two years on the Great Man Made River Project.  After leaving consultancy work, Alan joined Oxfam for 8 years, working in Vietnam, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Mozambique, Angola, Tanzania, Ghana and Nicaragua.  Alan has also acted as a consultant to a number of aid organisations including Tearfund, Farm Africa, EEC, BESO and Oxfam, and has served on Tearfund’s Disaster Response Committee.  He is currently Vice Chair of his local Community Association.

Simon Pitkin (Trustee) is an experienced manager and qualified social worker.  He has worked in the charity sector for 20 years, mainly with homeless people, and is currently the Operations Manager of the Oxford Night Shelter, responsible for around 40 staff.  As well as managing the Night Shelter itself, Simon oversees 13 ‘Move On’ houses and a resettlement programme which provides long-term housing solutions.  He has a degree in Social Work and a Masters degree in Charity Management.  His is currently a trustee of the Agnes Smith Advice Centre in Oxford, and Treasurer for the Church of the Holy Family in Blackbird Lees, Oxford’s only ecumenical church.   He has worked in India and travelled widely, visiting Central America on a number of occasions including Nicaragua in 2004.