Nicaragua is the second poorest country on the American continent: almost 80% of its six million people live in poverty on less than US $2 per day; 45% live in extreme poverty on less than US $1 per day (UNDP 2007/08). 53% of their population is under 18 years old, yet they spend the least on health and education per person in all of Latin America. Women and children are most severely affected by poverty – only 29% of children finish primary school; many have to work to help make ends meet.

Our Work in Nicaragua

We have partnered with the Nicaraguan people since 1980, when the country began a process of reconstruction following the  Somoza dictatorship. Our support has focused  largely on strengthening the co-op movement, promoting the rights of women and workers, providing opportunities to youth and, more recently, working with Miskitu communities on the Atlantic coast. Read about our partners in Nicaragua.