Our plan in Nicaragua

Plan is working at the grassroots level in Nicaragua to help communities make real and lasting change, so that their children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Plan began working in Nicaragua in 1994 and currently has programs in six departments, 26 municipalities and 255 communities which aim to address the following issues affecting children:

• Domestic and street violence
• Child labour and sexual exploitation
• Unemployment
• Low quality education
• Poor quality health services
• High adolescent pregnancy rates
• Lack of transparency in government management
• Poverty and malnutrition
• Lack of cultural identity

Plan's programs and strategies to address these issues include:

Health

With limited access to quality health services and medicine, Plan Nicaragua works to provide the communities in which it works access to the highest possible level of health services.

Education

With 49% of Nicaraguans under the age of 17 years old, Nicaragua has low quality education resulting in a high level of illiteracy, costs of school supplies and examination fees and the mistreatment of students from many of their teachers.  Plan Nicaragua works to improve the quality of schools and teaching, including strengthening the local government in the delivery of quality education services.

Household economic security

As the second poorest nation in Latin America, the majority of the population in Nicaragua survives on less than US$1 per day and as a result the country has one of the highest emigration rates in Central America.  Plan Nicaragua works to reduce the high unemployment rates to provide a family environment that ensures food security.

Child rights, protection and participation

There have been advances in child and adolescent legal and policy frameworks in Nicaragua, however, governmental services still fail to cover all needs relating to child protection.  Working children and adolescents and gang membership are prevalent. Plan Nicaragua provides advocacy and public awareness services towards defense of child rights, promotes an effective application of child and adolescent protection code and encourages citizen participation and community development, particularly amongst children.

Country Facts

Country	Nicaragua	Australia
Flag
Population	5.4 Million	21 Million
Language	Spanish	English
Capital	Managua	Canberra
GDP per capita (USD/year)	847	$37,300
Life expectancy	70	81.5
Access to safe drinking water	79%	100%
Literacy	76.7%	100%
Source:	United Nations: Millennium Development Goals Report 2006