Nicaragua – Youth Leadership

Project: Leadership, Self-esteem And Human Rights With Youth And Children In Esteli And Managua, Nicaragua (2004-2006)
Leadership, self-esteem and human rights with youth and children in Esteli and Managua, Nicaragua
Partners: FUNARTE, INPRHU


INPRHU promotes social change, creating projects and models for development aimed at transforming social structures, promoting participatory democracy in Nicaragua and educating about human rights.

http://www.compasnet.org/espanol/miembros/inprhu.htm

FUNARTE is an innovative organization, based in Esteli and drawing on the regions long tradition of muralismo. Children and youth gain self-esteem, learn about human rights and Nicaraguan history in mural workshops and teachers are trained to bring art and creativity into the class room.

This project (2004-2006) brought together two of CFCA’s long term partners in a collaborative effort.
This project provided human rights and self-esteem training to children and youth in difficult circumstances including youth working on the street and living in poverty. It applies the understanding that addressing the self-esteem and self-awareness of these children and youth will lead the empowerment necessary for them to take a leadership role in advocating for and protecting their human rights. The project uses art and creativity as tools to promote learning about self-esteem and human rights and to give participants the confidence to become vocal advocates. The project proposes to cross-pollinate two established and effective programs and extend their reach into new communities, and to bring the project partners together in a national Nicaraguan campaign to promote the Rights of the Child.

This project will reach over 2,500 children in Managua and Esteli and involve inner city youth in Edmonton. Alberta Youth will visit in 2005 to explore art-therapy and activism through art!
This project is supported by CIDA funding and a grant from the Wild Rose Foundation

PAJARITO AZUL, NICARAGUA

Other past projects
CFCA has also worked in Nicaragua with: Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (UCA)

UCA was founded in 1989 to combat the effects of Hurrican Joan and support small producers on the Island of Ometepe, Nicaragua. The mandate of the organization is to promote, through the participatory work of its members, alternatives in agricultural production which will result in improved income for rural families in order that they may meet their social necessities and improve their quality of life.

Change for Children began working with UCA in 1993. Our first project saw the erection of a building to be used as a community centre and for agricultural training and capacity-building workshops. This was followed in 1997 with the Revolving Loan Fund project which made funds available to small producers, enabling them to purchase seed and plant their crops without need for bank credit or for selling their crops as futures for a reduced income. Our most recent project supported the purchase of a cleaner and classifier for sesame, the predominant crop on the island, and the building of a structure to house the machines.

Primary Health Care (APS)
APS’ principal aim is to revolutionize the way health care is offered in Nicaragua’s poor communities by ensuring its accessibility, self-sufficiency, and high-quality of care. Since its inception in 1995, APS has established community-run health posts and it has offered regular professional consultations in poor communities throughout Nicaragua. Additionally, it has done a substantial amount of research into the health care needs of various communities.

In 1997, CFCA supported a APS project, which trained health promoters and established community health posts in 12 poor communities in Managua and with our partner communities on the island of Ometepe. Since that time, APS has continued to expand their programming to various communities around the country.

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