Help Nicaragua's Poor Climb out of Poverty

In Nicaragua, 2014 marked a time of expansion for Opportunity International. During this time of growth, we are strengthening our staff with leadership and development training, making improvements to schools, and focusing on engaging more than 1,000 farmer families during our expansions into the eastern region of Nueva Guinea in 2015.

Opportunity is currently providing 687 Nicaraguan with the technical support they need to succeed. The location of the recent expansion in Nueva Guinea will also be the site of our first satellite processing plant in 2016, which will process raw yucca into a cake form. This will extend the time the yucca stays fresh from 24 hours to seven days, allowing us to reach farmers in some of the most remote and poorest parts of the country. After experiencing a drought in 2014, many farmers continue to experience negative impacts to production, but Opportunity has supported farmers with modified loan terms, as well as new seeds to replace lost crops. We have also introduced a new planting technique, macro propagation, which results in 15 new seeds per yucca plant, up from the usual five seeds, in the hopes that this will help ease the burden on farmers from last year’s drought.

Opportunity International is also focused on improving and building upon the successes of schools throughout Nicaragua. The Emprendedora Technical School engages students in a mix of classroom work and experiential learning related to agriculture and environmental awareness. The school teaches students life skills while instilling core values that ensure self-reliance and improved potential for income-generating livelihoods when they reach adulthood. Not only did the school achieve full enrollment of 240 students for the 2014-2015 school year, but all students are thriving and testing above the national average. This success is attributed to excellent school leadership and dedicated teachers. New classrooms have been added and students are benefitting from world-class curriculum, nutritious meals and access to clean water from a new well.

By providing farmers with training and resources to improve their harvests, and by giving schools the tools they need to provide children with quality educations, Opportunity is creating holistic change in communities throughout Nicaragua.

Opportunity is making an impact in Nicaragua where micro entrepreneurs support more than 80% of the economy. Opportunity partners with the Association of Economic Development and Opportunity (ASODENIC), a local microfinance institution, to provide critical financial services to clients in Nicaragua. Through the Nicaragua Community Economic Development (NCED) program in Granada, Opportunity invests in agriculture, education and community development. Established in 2006, NCED has improved the wellbeing of community members ranging from students to rural, smallholder farmers.

The NCED program provides loans, technical assistance, seeds and training to help farmers transform their lives. Nearly 400 farmers are gaining valuable skills and have access to financial services. Many clients sell their goods to an Opportunity-supported processing plant. This plant adds value to crops like yucca and connects farmers to the market. Plans are underway to expand and improve the plant to provide processing and packaging services on an industrial scale for smallholder farmers.

Opportunity supports the Emprededora (Entrepreneurship) Technical School established in 2012. This school currently serves 180 students in 7-9^th grade, and by 2016, with the addition of two classrooms and seven faculty members, the school plans to enroll 300 students in 7-11^th grade. Classes and school-operated businesses prepare youth for employment in tourism and agricultural sectors and support the school financially. Students at the Emprededora Technical School outperform their peers in public schools; 81% of students maintain a grade level of 80 or higher while 60-65% of students at surrounding public schools earn grade of levels 60 or higher. The school continues to evolve to improve educational services. In 2014, for the first time, students enjoyed a new computer lab with 30 laptops and internet access. Plans are in place to add 30 more laptops in 2015, and the school is developing e-learning courses to enhance the curriculum and increase technological literacy among students. A new basic computer course called Information and Communication Technology is offered for students to generate marketable computer skills. Opportunity continues to invest in the Emprededora Technical School to help students realize a brighter future for themselves, their families and their communities. 

Links:

• Opportunity Website