Update - in less than 24 hours we received the necessary 100 votes to become eligible for tax-free donations through GiveMeaning.com!! Many thanks to all those who voted and made this possible.

To contribute to Nica HOPE, click here:

Donate to Nica HOPE

Many thanks for all your support!!

Please visit our page at GiveMeaning.com and vote 'yes' for our project so that we will be able to work under an umbrella organization and accept donations tax free while our 501(c)3 status is pending. This will only take a minute of your time to show your support and does NOT require any type of monetary contribution. We are, however, starting to accept pledges for donations and would appreciate your support to help make this project a reality.

Please visit us here:
nicahope

Thanks!

Background and Project Opportunity

La Chureca: Over 175 families live in the Managua city dump, known as La Chureca. Many more come daily to comb through the piles of trash to find enough recycleables to sell to pay for food and other necessities. There are severe respiratory and other health problems from breathing in the fumes of the smoking and burning piles of trash. Malnutrition is widespread and evident in the children’s swelled bellies and blond hair, a result of a lack in nutrients that maintain its natural dark color. STDs and prostitution are also a problem, and girls of all ages sell their bodies for money or trade them for other commodities. Many children and adults are addicted to sniffing shoe-glue, which helps suppress hunger and allows them to escape the reality of the life and the landfill they are trapped in. There are limited employment or living opportunities for these families outside of the dump, which results in a debilitating lack of motivation to take advantage of the rare opportunities that do exist, having become complacent with now dependent on their existence in the dump.

Employment constraints: Alarmingly high unemployment/underemployment coupled with insufficient education and training opportunities inhibit the abilities of Nicaraguans to improve their own lives through self-motivated effort and hard work. Untrained workers are left to compete for limited opportunities at subsistence levels of pay. Many Nicaraguans have the creative talent and drive to be reliable and skilled workers but lack the education and training to cultivate this potential. Foreign investment is bolstering the growth of various business industries in the country, promising a future with more job opportunity. A study by Bancomex has indicated the strong potential for successful production of wood and metal products in Central America. However, unless impoverished Nicaraguans are taught business fundamentals and the skills necessary to perform these jobs, they will be unable to utilize this opportunity to pull themselves up out of poverty.

Opportunity: Vocational training and education will provide the necessary skills to access opportunities for employment and income-generation for these communities. Increased coordination and networking will allow marginalized groups to better access existing opportunities. Project Nica HOPE will leverage available resources in financial, human, and social capital in order to provide opportunities for these communities to improve their own lives through socioeconomic advancement.

For starters...

Welcome to Haciendo Oportunidades, the official blog of Project Nica HOPE (Haciendo Oportunidades por Educacion). Visit regularly for updates regarding the development and implementation of our newly formed non-profit organization that aims to alleviate poverty and change the unfortunate circumstances of those living in Managua, Nicaragua.