Why Work in Nicaragua?

1.19 million people (19%) in rural Nicaragua don’t have access to safe water²

1.7 million people (27%) in rural Nicaragua don’t have access to adequate sanitation² 

Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, with 24.9% of the population living below the poverty line. The country has a history of dictatorship and civil war. The 1979 revolution was followed by a decade of bitter conflict and a devastating trade embargo, which claimed the lives of 30,000 people and brought the economy to the point of collapse. Significant progress towards reconciliation has been made since 1990. However, although Nicaragua is water-rich, water accessibility and efficiency is poor due to the widespread destruction of much of the country’s infrastructure during this period.

Nicaragua is prone to natural disasters, and has been severely affected by earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, floods, tsunamis and drought. The country has lost 49% of its forest in 50 years, and has seen land consolidated into huge plantations, dispossessing small farmers and depleting the land of nutrients, and contaminating both land and water with pesticides.

² WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme 2021 report (based on estimates on the use of water sources and sanitation facilities)

What We Do in Nicaragua

In Nicaragua we support marginalised, hard to reach communities in the drought-prone area of El Sauce, and the remote region of Waslala, through the construction of water distribution systems which bring water directly to households, via taps.  We also support schools in El Sauce with school latrines and hygiene training.

Explore our Nicaraguan projects on our Project Map

Take a look at what we've been up to in Los Guacimos, Nicaragua:

Background Nicaragua 

Capital: Managua

Population: 6.5 Million¹

Area: 130,375 km2 (about 1/2 size of UK)

Other Main Cities: Leon, Masaya, Tipitapa

HDI Index 2018: 0.651²

Life expectancy at birth: 74 years¹

Under-five Mortality rate (per 1,000 live births): 18¹

¹ World Bank Nicaragua Data Report

² 2019 Human Development Report