The Aguas Azules community programme
The Aguas Azules community comprises 365 small islands at the
foot of Mombacho volcano in Lake Nicaragua. The name 'Aguas Azules'
means 'blue waters' and the school children who live on these
islands attend class each day by boat. World Vision's partnership
with Aguas Azules started in 1999 and is envisaged to continue
until 2014, when the community will be fully equipped with the
resources and skills to take ownership of its own development. In
the past year, significant improvements were made in the areas of
nutrition and food security, and education.
Issues covered: Education, Nutrition
and food security
Updates on World Vision's work
Nutrition and food security
- World Vision and the University of Nicaragua collaborated to
teach community women healthy ways of cooking to improve the
nutrition of their families, and support them to sell their
products to increase their household income.
- Through a community health project, the health of 60 children
suffering from mild to severe malnutrition improved after they
received treatment from World Vision, and families were supported
to start kitchen gardens.
Education
- To help reduce school dropout rates, 1750 parents and teachers
attended awareness-raising sessions on the importance of education,
200 students were supported with school materials, such as
stationery and school uniforms, and 15 schools were provided with
46 whiteboards.
- 110 young people received vocational training, as well as seed
capital, to start small businesses like sandal and cabinet-making
to help them support themselves and their families.
The Aguas Azules community is in the fourteenth year of its
development journey with World Vision.
Life on
the ground in Aguas Azules
Young entrepreneur has big plans
Some of the pieces of jewellery sold by
17-year-old Luis Carlos and his group of young entrepreneurs.
A small business development group started by World Vision at
the school of 17-year-old Luis Carlos, has turned him into a
confident entrepreneur who is not only supporting his family, but
also his community. Luis Carlos said when World Vision first
started training programmes for students at his school, he helped
out in the story corner for younger children. Then he became
involved in jewellery making. Luis Carlos is currently president of
the jewellery group. His group sells handmade jewellery at a local
store, and with the proceeds the members have plans to expand the
business. "We make products that are sold as far as Granada. Our
earnings will allow us to stay in business when World Vision
completes its work in our community. The group has helped me to do
an activity that helps me have an income and independence. I am
also happy to share my knowledge with other young people, so that
they can become productive citizens," explained Luis Carlos.
Nicaragua at a glance
Nicaragua, Central America's largest republic, is known as 'the
land of lakes and volcanoes'. Frequent natural disasters have
exacerbated the country's widespread poverty. The United Nations
Development Programme ranked Nicaragua 115th out of 177 nations in
its 2010 Human Development Index. The index measures a country's
achievements in four aspects of human development: life expectancy,
adult literacy, combined primary, secondary and tertiary enrolment
ratios and GDP per capita. By comparison New Zealand was rated
18th.
