Nicaragua

Recent estimates indicates Nicaragua with a total population of 5,487,500 and having a per capita National Gross Income (NGI) of US$770 dollars and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$20,996 billion making this Central American country ranked as the third poorest country in the Americas. 27% of Nicaragua’s population lives in extreme poverty. Its poverty is so high due to many circumstances including natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions, and iniquitous distribution of income, among others. Having its economy mainly based on the exportation of cash crops akin to bananas, coffee and tobacco, makes its development even more difficult, especially after the Coffee Crisis where the price of coffee had dropped to the point where it was not worthwhile to pick it up: from US$120 for 100 pounds to US$40. And competing against Vietnam and Brazil does not really help.

Poverty in Nicaragua is characterized not only by low income and consumption, but also for its poor nutritional status, low educational level, less access to public services including school and health services, less access to economic opportunities, high adolescent pregnancies (one of every four births nationally), child labor and sexual exploitation and drug use and violence.

Even though Nicaragua is a Democratic institution, it is far away of being considered a just and fair country. The constitution provides for an independent judiciary; however, the judiciary as well as the whole government is susceptible to political influence and corruption. Lately, the government signed an impunity agreement with the UnitedStates providing that Nicaragua will not surrender United States’ nationals to the International Criminal Court (ICC) accused of crimes against humanity, including genocide and war crimes. And it still did not sign the Rome Statute of the ICC. It is considered a “partly free” nation but it still lacks a lot to become part of the “free countries” group. Because of the human rights abuses made by the National Police, freedom of expression among others, are difficult to have. Their image also continues to worsen because of the involvement of several officers in illegal activities including drug trafficking. Current abuses continue to happen such as the involvement of a police officer in the death of a man while arrestment took place. The man was brutally hurt and was not able to make it to the hospital on time. And the officer continues to be free and went into hiding. Oppression and human rights abuses have also occurred in the past, when peasants together with other sectors of society organized marches toward the capital, Managua, regarding their lack of food and other injustices in the system, which resulted in several deaths, including children.

Recently, the Human Rights Watch condemned the elimination of Therapeutic Abortion from the Penal Code. The congressional vote eliminated all exceptions to the general penalization of abortion in Nicaragua which constitutes a direct threat to Human Rights, and the new penal code penalizes abortion even when it is carried out to save the pregnant woman’s life, or when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. “The new Penal Code doesn’t just go against basic Human Rights: it goes against fundamental principles of humanity.” And “instead of protecting the rights of the citizens they represent, Political Parties have used women’s bodies as electoral battle ground,” said Vivaco, the Director of Human Rights Watch America’s division.

Nicaragua still has many problems regarding health issues. Its medical services are extremely basic and are mainly available, if so, in Managua. There is only one main testing place and it does not really help because it takes an average of six months for the people to get their results.

Nicaragua’s high rates of HIV and other diseases is basically because of the low services available, a huge percentage of people living below the poverty line with only US$2 a day, and the lack of educational programs such as of how and why to use condoms.

Housewives’ HIV and STDs rates are higher than female sex workers, which is very problematic because the transmission of diseases continues to increase between husband and wife and mother to child. And those forced into sex slavery and trafficking, especially children, are not encouraged to practice safe sex, contributing a lot to the disease struggle.

Together with HIV/AIDS, local diseases include Malaria, Dengue fever, Hepatitis A & B and Cholera, among others.

Recent studies show Nicaragua as one of the most abundant countries in natural resources and having one of the largest forest reserves in Central America even though Nicaragua loses an average of 2.5% of its forest and woodland each year mainly because of its need of wood for fuel. Other problems include: soil erosion, caused in part by cultivation of annual crops on steep slopes, depletion of upland pine forests for lumber, fuel and human settlement. Even though conservation measures were taken, they were not permanent due to corruption and the local wars in the past.

Unfortunately, local industries contribute to massive pollution, especially in lakes and rivers, which many depend on for living. Only 59% of the population has access to safe drinking water. And endangered or extinct species include the tundra peregrine falcon, four species of turtle, the spectacle caiman and the American Crocodile.

Hopefully, the Nicaraguan Institute of Natural Resources and Environment established in 1979 will continue to pursue resource conservation as their primary responsibility.

Since 1947, UNESCO and other organizations have made major effort in Nicaragua to improve the cover and quality of primary education, with emphasis on reading and writing and school literacy. One of the many projects was The project of the Sandinista People’s Revolution, which considered literacy to be a human right that was fundamental to every human being and to his or her freedom and self-affirmation.

Nicaragua is one of the least literate countries in world, ranking 121 out of 175 countries. Having as a definition: age 15 and over, only 67.5% of Nicaragua’s population is able to read and write. Being them 67.2% male and 67.8% female, which is very interesting when comparing to its neighbors, usually having higher rates for males.

A huge concern and reason for the low literacy rates is due to the malnutrition of many, especially children. Without food and a minimal diet makes it more difficult to attend school and study. Access to education is very limited also because of transportation difficulties, such as highway constructions being abandoned for years.

Asociacion de Padres de Familia con Hijos Discapacitados "Los Pipitos" - We work with people with disabilities country-wide in Nicaragua.

ADESJ (Aid San Jorge) - Our formal Non-Profit is registered in Nicaragua, with small diverse sustainable projects in aid and practical economic development directed towards the very poorest. Hands-on grass roots, and designed to accommodate any kind of aid and interest in helping the region. Our group is located on Lake Nicaragua in the county of Rivas. We are one American and several mature Nicaraguans who have a combined history of outreach and volunteer aid.

ATRAVES - Asociaciòn TransAmericana de Voluntarios En Solidaridad - Asociaciòn TransAmericana de Voluntarios En Solidaridad (ATRAVES) is a Nicaraguan nonprofit association that has established, and provides services to a network of small Nicaraguan organizations that work to reduce the causes and effects of poverty in the communities they serve. This network includes schools, orphanages, a micro-credit union, an agricultural cooperative, women’s rights groups and others. Our mission is to establish ourselves as a powerful tool in these groups’ success. To this end, our main service is to provide the groups with international volunteers we recruit, orient and distribute. We use the volunteer experience to build a broad community of people with a personal stake in equitable development in Nicaragua. We actively use this network to develop political, intellectual and financial resources for our affiliates.

Bainbridge-Ometepe Sister Islands Association - To promote friendship and mutual understanding between the residents of Ometepe and Bainbridge islands through peaceful exchanges of all sorts. Our friendship will be mindful of human dignity and the necessity of expanding co-operation among peoples of the earth, irrespective of political philosophies. Specifically, we plan to:
- Develop people-to-people contacts
- Support educational, technical and cultural exchange
- Carry out projects of mutual interest and benefit
- Increase awareness on Bainbridge Island of the problems confronting developing countries
- Promote understanding of the special problems faced by the people of Ometepe, and by Nicaragua in general.

Building New Hope of Nicaragua - Our focus is education for Nicaraguan children in need. We have a day school and residence for boys from ages 6 to 16 in a barrio, and a learning center for truant street children.

CANTERA of Nicaragua - CANTERA's mission is to enable people, united in their diversity, to be protagonists in the building of a more human, egalitarian and sustainable society. Our concept of popular education (with a gender perspective) is a dynamic framework for analysing reality and transforming current concepts, practises, styles and ways of relating to each other.
Main Objectives - Contribute to processes of social transformation through the promotion of systematic reflection, analysis, re-elaboration and dissemination of the philosophy and practise of popular education. Contribute to local development proposals that take into account and promote cultural identities, egalitarian relationships and the integral development of all human beings.

Center for Development in Central America - Center for Development in Central America (CDCA) is a non-profit organization working in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua, that seeks to address human needs created by poverty by educating communities the need to become self-sufficient, sustainable and helping democratic entities. CDCA helps these communities identify their needs and their priorities so that CDCA is not imposing "outside" values or ideas on them. The Center helps them plan, identify resources and carry out their goals. For people to not become completely dependent on aid, the Center works in five main areas: Sustainable Economic Development, Community Development, Sustainable Agriculture, Education and Training, and Public Health.

Centro de Idiomas/The Language Center - The vision of Centro de Idiomas/The Language Center is to create lasting social change by integrating “intercambio” – exchange - in the education and experiences of North American participants, Nicaraguan students, and their teachers. The founders of the Center are committed to an exchange program where participants and students begin dialogue and have the potential to improve the way that both individuals and nations communicate across differences and cultures. The Center recognizes the difficulties of a globalizing world and reflects the need for a better understanding between different societies.
Website: http://www.centronuevasegovia.com

Esperanza en Acción Fair Trade Organization - Economic empowerment of Nicaraguan families living in poverty -- artisans, fair trade garment factory workers (former sweatshop workers) and fair trade coffee farming cooperatives -- through fair trade Empowering people in the "First World" to help transform our global economic system into one that is fair for everyone.

Esperanza en Acción's commitment is to buy directly from the producers and pay a fair price for their work, thus empowering them to cover basic needs including food, shelter, education, and health care for their families. We desire to establish long-term relationships with these producers and promote their talents in a way that preserves their cultural identity. We strive to educate consumers about the often hidden human costs of our "bargains." By providing information about producers' history, culture and living conditions, we hope to enhance cross-cultural understanding and respect between consumers and communities in the developing world.

Fundacion Casa de los Tres Mundos - The foundation "Casa de Los Tres Mundos" is an institution created to initiate, support and promote cultural projects in Nicaragua and Central America. Besides these artistic, musical and educational activities, which emphasize support for the poorer segments of Nicaraguan society, the foundation finances and coordinates an integrative rural development project in Malacatoya.

FENIX - The mission of Grupo Fenix is to contribute to the well-being of rural communities, creating an awareness of sustainable lifestyles through technical and cultural exchange, promotion and research of renewable energy opportunities in rural areas. Our guiding principles are community participation, respect for the environment and for human dignity.

Hogar Luceros del Amanecer - This nonprofit project provides social and educational services to "street children" in Camoapa, Nicaragua. We serve children ages six through twelve who are living in extreme poverty or suffer from abuse, exploitation or lack of supervision and are at risk for serious problems including delinquency.

We are operating as a day program with plans to expand to a residential program. We provide three meals a day and enroll the children in public school. We provide school supplies and uniforms to help with homework and tutoring if needed. We work with the family to improve family functioning so the child can re-integrate into her/his own family and the larger community.

La Asociación Civil Mutua del Campo - We are a non-profit organization that promotes access to healthcare for Nicaraguan families, especially those situated in rural areas. We promote a mutual system of healthcare in which both education and medical provisions are provided to community members in an effort to raise the overall standard of living. Our approach highlights our belief in appropriate primary healthcare services of the highest quality.

Our goal is to thus form a national healthcare system that promotes health and wellbeing and improves the quality of life of our associates and their families. Furthermore, we also aim to aid in the eradication of marginalizing factors and profound inequalities that effect in particular rural workers in Nicaragua.

La Esperanza Granada - By providing opportunities and resources for the long term educational advancement and community development of a few small pueblos in Nicaragua, we hope to brighten the future of the children and empower the pueblos, located on the outskirts of the colonial city of Granada, to improve their current living conditions. Our volunteers work mainly in the schools assisting the teachers and tutoring individuals and small groups helping them with writing, reading and basic mathematics. In our community centre we assist a group of women making handicrafts, give adult educations classes in English and computer lessons.

Learning in Community of Nicaragua - To contribute to the transformation of individuals and communities who struggle to understand injustice and who together wish to create alternative ways of living based on faith and human solidarity.

Nicaragua Network - The Nicaragua Network was founded in 1979 to support the Sandinista revolutionary government of Nicaragua. Since the government's 1990 fall, we have worked with Nicaraguan civil society on issues of economic justice, gender, labor, environment, and indigenous rights.

Nicaragua Spanish Schools - NSS is a non-profit organization that has opened opportunities for dignified, fair paying employment in Nicaragua for Nicaraguans while providing a unique and valuable learning experience for international students. Our program includes activities with the local community and content courses on Nicaraguan culture.

PROLENA - PROLENA is the Association for Woodenergy Development. We have activities in two central American countries: Honduras and Nicaragua. Our mission is to promote the modern use of wood as a source of energy. Our goals includes promoting the sustainable use of the forest as energy source (natural forest management and/or plantations), rational and efficient use of wood as household energy source (less contaminating and more efficient wood stoves), and to promote new and modern applications of wood and other biomass as renewable source of energy for power generation (residues and biomass crops). Our expectations are that promoting the sustainable and efficient use of wood and other biomass, our focus countries like Honduras and Nicaragua can be less dependent in foreign energy sources, besides generating more local jobs, with minimal or no environmental impact, and aggregate value to the rural economy.

Quetzaltrekkers Nicaragua - Quetzaltrekkers Nicaragua's mission is to raise money to help streetkids and children at risk in Leòn. We support programs run by Las Tias (The Aunties), a local organization that has been working with children in need for over 14 years. Las Tias operates two centers where children are provided with food and additional schooling, as well as a dormitory where children have a safe place to eat, sleep and shower. The money is raised by offering adventurous hikes to the Western Nicaraguan volcanoes and lakes. All profits are given to Las Tias. Volunteer opportunities exist as a hiking guide or childcare worker.

RAICES - (Red de las Americas Indigenas Contribuyendo al Empoderamiento en la Salud)
We're an indoamerican network that contributes to indigenous peoples' empowerment in achieving health and taking cultural diversity into account.

Salto Adelante al Desarrollo (S.A.D) - Salto Adelante al Desarrollo (SAD) is a pilot group based in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua committed to sustainable economic development, community development and gender equality. Currently, we are working on a business course, a rotating loan fund to stimulate women-owned micro enterprises, and within women's groups in San Juan.

Si a la Vida - Si a la Vida is an NGO which has two residential centers for rescued street youth in both Managua and Ometepe Island, Nicaragua. Our organization works to better the future of Nicaragua by reintegrating dilinquent youth back into society. A three-phase process of rehabilitation takes place through education, work trainning, psychological attention, legal aid, and community interaction. Volunteers may help in various ways: recruiting children from the streets, outdoor and art activities, fund raising and office work, construction and project development activities.

Stones and Waves Wildlife Rescue Center - Stones and Waves Wildlife Rescue Center (SWVC) is the Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Education component of Pelican Eyes Hotel. Goals embrace preventing the destruction of endangered species through education, wildlife rehabilitation, and the construction and/or re-newel of protected areas. Organizations and corporate sponsors such as The London Zoo, FedEx Corp., Delta Airlines, DHL, and numerous medical and pharmaceutical companies support the organization.

SWVC are located in San Juan del Sur on the southern tip of Nicaragua on the Pacific coast. Their work deals with numerous wildlife species including sea turtles, ocelots, primates, reptiles, and many more.

The Ben Linder House - Ben Linder House works in solidarity with the poor majority of Nicaragua by opposing U.S. policies that adversely impact Nicaragua and by strengthening the international work for social justice and peace. We do this through learning from the realities in Nicaragua; providing opportunities for US, Nicaraguans and Internationals to meet together; organizing politically to change our government's policies; and supporting the social justice work of Nicaraguan organizations.

The Benjamin Linder House is a meeting place for the North American and International community living and working for the short and long term in Nicaragua. The house, named in 1988 for US engineer Ben Linder who was killed while bringing electricity to the people of El Cuá, provides a space for learning, reflection and continued opportunities for challenging policies that negatively affect the poor in Nicaragua and around the world.

Projects for People - To develop projects for the poor enabling them to learn marketable skills to obtain jobs and develop "cottage industries". We have a new vocational school in a small poor village in Nicaragua with 200 registered students and growing daily. Currently teaching ESL, Computer, Sewing, Woodworking, Small Business & Beauty/Hairstyling. The training is offered at minimal cost to students. Upon certification, students are able to use the machines, tools and equipment for making items for sale or for their own personal well-being. It is our hope that this will incubate small businesses, help strengthen the economy and pull people out of poverty.

Nicaraguan Children's Fund - We are a volunteer humanitarian group working to improve health care in remote, impoverished, and isolated regions in Nicaragua. Through ongoing material, educational, and facility improvement collaboration with local partners we hope to bring desperately needed improvements in health care delivery to underserved populations in Nicaragua, primarily on the north Atlantic coast presently. Our fundamental overriding principle is; It is better to teach, than to do.

Friends of the Orphans - Friends of the Orphans is a non for profit organization. The mission of Friends of the Orphans is to provide funds and awareness for Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (NPH). NPH serves orphaned and abandoned children in 9 countries (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Peru, Bolivia, Haiti and the Dominican Republic). The mission is to provide shelter, food, clothing, healthcare and education in a family environment based on unconditional love. A worldwide community of donors, staff (Friends of the Orphans) and volunteers enable NPH to help the children become caring and productive citizens in their countries.

Projects for People - To develop projects for the poor enabling them to learn marketable skills to obtain jobs and develop "cottage industries". We have a new vocational school in a small poor village in Nicaragua with 200 registered students and growing daily. Currently teaching ESL, Computer, Sewing, Woodworking, Small Business & Beauty/Hairstyling. The training is offered at minimal cost to students. Upon certification, students are able to use the machines, tools and equipment for making items for sale or for their own personal well-being. It is our hope that this will incubate small businesses, help strengthen the economy and pull people out of poverty.

La Esperanza Housing & Development / Casas de la Esperanza - is a non profit, non denominational, non political organization that develops housing for families who are currently squatters, living on the outskirts of Granada, Nicaragua.

Our first task focused on acquiring land and offering non-interest micro-credits for building their own houses to groups of families who have no property in the “pueblo” of La Prusia, Granada, NI. Technical training will be provided to adults from the community, so that they can improve their living conditions.

Our projects include: Housing, Water supply, Professional and Technical education, cultural and educational activities, Micro-credits for small business and a Volunteer's program for helping the people of very poor areas close to Granada, Nicaragua. Our project's goal is to help fight against poverty.

Sinai Wildlife Projects (SWP) - SWP is a nonprofit that works in eight countries (Nicaragua, Haiti, Columbia, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Congo) supporting local wildlife conservation and food security programs. SWP utilizes volunteer medical doctors, vets, teachers, engineers, and others interested in providing a one-year volunteer period to help with development assistance in rural areas and in areas of low-intensity conflict.

SWP works in association with local government ministries,international bodies and local foundations to develop sustainable long term solutions to problems ranging from illegal wildlife poaching, water resource management,plastic waste recycling,marine conservation, refugee support programs, rural health care assistance projects, and women in development.

Sustainable Harvest International - Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) is building a global network of local partners working toward environmental, economic and social sustainability. SHI facilitates long-term collaboration among trained local staff, farmers and communities to implement sustainable land-use practices that alleviate poverty by restoring ecological stability.

STUDENT WORLD ASSEMBLY - The Student World Assembly is a non-governmental, non-partisan organization created to represent students globally. It provides a deliberative assembly where students around the world can exchange views, vote on global issues through online discussion forums and in annual international conventions, and translate these views into meaningful actions.