About Nicaragua
Over the last 25 years, Nicaragua endured a revolution, civil war, environmental disasters, and a president that embezzled over $100 million from his people. This maelstrom of events left 50 percent of the country below the poverty line and without sufficient employment, infrastructure, health care, and education. Although the nation is rich with biodiversity, much of the land continues to be decimated by unsustainable agriculture and landmines left during the Contra War. Human rights violations, child labor, and intra-familial abuse are commonplace and emblematic of the nation's pain due to war and corruption.
Click here to read an overview about development issues in Nicaragua.
FSD has two programs in Nicaragua. With headquarters in Ciudad Sandino since 1995, the founding site of FSD has been working with community partners in Masaya, Ciudad Sandino, Jinotepe, and Chagüitillo. Ciudad Sandino (pop. 75,000) lies 13 kilometers from Managua and is the poorest district in Nicaragua, with refugees settling from various natural disasters. It is characterized by poor infrastructure, high unemployment, and extreme poverty. Jinotepe and Masaya, cities of approximately 100,000 people, offer better infrastructure than Ciudad Sandino. Chagüitillo is a rural town in northern Nicaragua that is known for coffee growing.
FSD’s newest program site is in Tola, Nicaragua in Rivas State, a small city positioned in southwestern Nicaragua along the Pacific coast. With a population of nearly 20,000, Tola extends over 477 sq. kms. and contains more than 60 communities of subsistence farmers, salt miners, and fisherpersons. Mired with poor infrastructure, low socioeconomic indicators, and few sustainable development opportunities, Tola is the municipal seat of a primarily rural area. FSD launched its program here with the intention of catalyzing the sustainable development opportunities that are abounding in the region. It is an exciting location for more advanced participants seeking to contribute to baseline community and organizational development by implementing innovative approaches, key practices, and pilot programs.
Through its two primary site locations, FSD works with nearly 50 NGOs throughout Nicaragua to address a spectrum of development issues at the grassroots level. Interns, volunteers, and donors combine efforts with FSD to engage community-driven development in a sustainable manner. Read about our Community Partners to learn more about their work in Nicaragua and how you can get involved.
For a description of the opportunities available in each development subject addressed by FSD in Nicaragua, click on the links below:
Microfinance • Environment • Health • Youth and Education
Women's Empowerment • Community Development • Human Rights
