NICARAGUA

 

Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, following closely behind Haiti.  In the last three decades, Nicaragua has seen dictatorship, Marxism, and Capitalism – all promising better things but leaving the country destitute.  They have suffered mightily as a result of natural disasters.  Out of a total of 5.7 million people, 54% of the population is unemployed or underemployed, and the average income for a family of 4 is $120/month.

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In a country that belongs to its youth (half of Nicaraguans are under the age of 20), Nicaragua’s public education system is broken.  Officially, 20% of the population is illiterate, although among rural poor the rate is 41%.  Teachers are underpaid, class sizes are large, and schools lack basic teaching materials and supplies.  50% of students do not pass grade 4.  31% of girls and 45% of boys do not pass grade 6.  Only 30% of the nation finishes high school.  Even those who do graduate receive a poor education at best, from an education plagued by a socialist mentality.  Often, even college graduates never learn higher order thinking skills.



This incredible suffering has created a nation full of people who are starving for answers that previous ideologies have failed to provide.  There is great openness to the Gospel message, and it is an exciting time to be working in Nicaragua.