Nicaragua

With education in nutrition, gardening, and environmental awareness, students in 20 village schools will develop more positive approaches to working with natural ecosystems, rather than against them. They will value the skills and tools they develop by working with an SHI field trainer. As part of the 20 school programs, funding from Annie's would greatly enhance the already funded plans for an education project on nutrition and organic gardening benefiting local street children who want to learn to plant vegetables and enjoy the nutritious benefits of their efforts.

To help support Annie’s-SHI’s work in this country, please enter the Annie’s Free Year Sweepstakes and vote for Nicaragua.

Nicaragua Quick Facts (Source: World Food Program)

• Nicaragua remains one of the poorest countries in Latin America with a gross domestic product per capita of US$960.

• 48% of the populations live below the poverty line, 17% in extreme poverty.

• 1.5 million people are identified as undernourished.

• Chronic malnutrition affects 20% of children under 5; the figure is 50% in some areas.

• 80% of the rural poor depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

• Wealth distribution is highly unequal in Nicaragua, as the richest 20% own 60% of wealth.  The poorest 20% own 3%.

• Poverty and inequality are shown in low attendance at schools and health centers.

• Primary school enrolment has increased, but growth is unbalanced. In the Atlantic north, where SHI works, 25% of children between 7 and 12 are not attending school.

• Adults have only 2.7 years of education compared with the national average of 4.7 years.
• Primary school completion rates are declining.

• Because of chronic poverty, children aged 8 and above work on farms during harvests, which coincide with the final two months of the academic year. Therefore most students fail to take the examination to pass to the next grade.

• Despite increases in revenue, the Government invests only 3 % of its budget in primary education, one of the lowest rates in Latin America.
 

• Limited access to education is reflected in poor health. Educated mothers are less likely to have malnourished children compared with those with no formal education. In households with “extremely poor consumption”, 75 % have heads that have not finished primary school.