Nicaragua: The Challenge
Setting
Located in Central America, Nicaragua is bordered by Costa Rica in the south and Honduras and El Salvador in the north. The Spanish language dominates the country. Nicaragua is the biggest country in Central America but features the smallest population – a mere 5.5 million people. The population is made up of 97 per cent people of mixed Spanish and Indian decent, or Mestizos. The country’s climate is hot and humid and features two main seasons. There is a rainy season from July to December and an arid season from January to June. Nicaragua’s landscape is beautiful and varied. Tropical, sandy beaches give way to more mountainous regions – some being volcanic. The main exports of Nicaragua are coffee, meat, and sugar.
Nicaragua Overview
The country is rich and beautiful to the eye, but many of its people lack the basic necessities for a good quality of life. From 1978-1990 Nicaragua was engaged in a violent civil war that left the country in ruins. Land was taken away from people and they were displaced from their homes with children left traumatized. In November 1998, Hurricane Mitch hit the country. It destroyed buildings and bridges. It completely washed out roads and was responsible for many mudslides. Over 10,000 people died as a result of the hurricane that devastated much of the region. According to the United States Department of State, Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere. 70 per cent of its people live below the poverty line and there is widespread unemployment. Nicaragua also suffers from persistent trade and budget deficits and a high debt-service burden. There are clear opportunities for improvement, even at the level of basic local services. Project Nicaragua has the ability to be a catalyst for positive change, but like Nicaragua it needs support.
The Challenge
Project Nicaragua is multi-faceted and has great dynamic potential to help address the needs of the rural citizens in Nicaragua. The government of Nicaragua cannot begin to meet the needs of its own citizens for clean water, food, and adequate shelter because it is so poor. Climate is part of the problem because during the arid season, water can be hard to come by because of dried-up rivers, and a depleted underground water table.
Most people in Nicaragua rely on a traditional, hand dug well. This can be problematic in the dry season, as the level of the underground water table changes. Alternative sources to well water are natural springs. Unfortunately these springs are often contaminated by bathing and laundry. People who drink contaminated water often get sick.
Most of the rural communities in Nicaragua lack access to running water, they have no electricity, and access to basic health care is quite poor. Women often walk for hours to see a doctor and many communities have never seen a dentist. In the rainy season, many communities are inaccessible by vehicle because the roads are not equipped to handle the rain. Some communities access in the dry season is through the dry river bed therefore are completely cut off during the rainy season. These are obstacles that must be factored into the overall development of improvement schemes within the country. There is the need to have the ground work laid out so when the roads dry, the initiatives are ready.