Nicaragua project profile

Tlilican ADP

Education
There is a lack of classrooms, furniture and teachers in Telica. Many children drop out of school early.

Tlilican ADP is working with the Ministry of Education to improve the quality of schooling, by supplying educational materials for community kindergartens, repairing school buildings and providing library books. The ADP awards school packs to high school students, to encourage attendance and achievement.

Community meetings motivate parents to keep their children in schools. Out-of-school teenagers are supported to learn vocational skills.

Health
Household sanitation is poor, and only half the villages in Telica have access to safe drinking water. The main health problems are malnutrition, respiratory infections and diarrhoea. There have also been many cases of leishmaniasis, an infectious disease carried by sandflies. Health centres are poorly equipped and staffed.

Tlilican ADP’s first health priority is improving nutrition, especially for infants, children and pregnant women. World Vision supports a community-based organisation that involves local leaders, health volunteers and mothers, to monitor the growth and development of young children. Nutritional training emphasises the use of locally available nutritional food resources. Breast-feeding is also promoted.

The ADP supports the Health Ministry’s immunisation programme and is working with the ministry on a school health campaign. Teenagers learn to educate their peers about sexuality and HIV/AIDS.

Latrines are constructed to prevent diarrhoea. Community wells are dug, and existing water sources are protected from contamination. Community and school environmental committees plant trees and promote environmental cleanliness to prevent sandflies.

Agriculture
Ninety per cent of the people are engaged in agriculture, either owning small farms or working as labourers. The main crops grown for domestic use are corn, beans, rice and soya beans, while export crops include sesame, peanuts and cotton. Some people raise cattle.

Farmers use traditional methods of cultivation. They have little access to financial or technical assistance to improve crop quality and production, lack adequate storage facilities and have difficulties transporting their harvests to market.

World Vision is training key farmers to teach their neighbours modern techniques. Producer groups formed by World Vision help farmers share information and market their goods more effectively. The ADP distributes seeds, tools and fertiliser, and arranges loans through World Vision Nicaragua’s parallel micro-finance organisation.

Community leadership
Tlilican ADP has a formal agreement with the local community board to jointly plan and manage development activities. The ADP trains the community leaders so they can report and be financially accountable to World Vision and the community.

A disaster prevention network has been created and its members are preparing a disaster plan and learning techniques, such as disaster preparedness and first aid, to pass on to community members.

Strengthening families is an important part of development activities. The ADP works with families to prevent domestic violence and promote the rights and responsibilities of children. Children are encouraged to participate in all community development activities.

Sustainable development
It is envisaged that by September 2019 the community will be resourced and able to continue managing development initiatives without World Vision’s direct assistance. We will keep you updated on their progress.