The harmful use of pesticides in Nicaragua
In the Nicaraguan agriculture community there are a number of different pesticides which are used across the industry, in the tropical fruit and farming work that the country is known for exporting around the world. The problem with this pesticide use is that it is not subject to the strict regulations that are seen in some other countries. As a result of this great lack of regulations on pesticide use there are a number of injuries, sickness and sometimes even fatalities related to the pesticide... Read More
Some of the major issues surrounding Nicaragua
Nicaragua is surrounded by a number of Environmental Issues, Social Issues, human Rights Issues & Health Issues which are the major problems faced by people of Nicaragua. We will go one by one. Environment Issue is a major concern not only for Nicaragua but for the whole world. As Nicaragua is largest country in Central America and the least populated, it has the opportunity to enforce environmental protection and conserve a relatively large mount of natural resources from number of threats.... Read More
Lack of medical care for children in rural areas of Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a country that is seriously suffering from a critical lack of available medical care for its citizens. Many of the rural communities do not have a health care facility available to them and the facilities that are available in the cities have proven to be too expensive for a family that has an average income of only $1,031.62 per year. Because of the cost and unavailability, many of the people choose to either push on or unfortunately succumb to diseases and ailments that could be... Read More
The malnutrition problem in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is ranked as the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and according to figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization, 27% of the population are suffering from undernourishment. This is a very disturbing figure and one which the authorities are seeking to address through a variety of health education programs designed to reach the most affected sectors of the population. Malnourishment is a consequence of poverty and is caused by a number of factors, not least of which is... Read More
Nicaragua’s milk program for school children
The Vaso de Leche Escolar (a glass of milk for school children) program in Nicaragua was first introduced in 2002 when the Agrarian Reform Minister, Jaime Wheelock announced to a food policy meeting with representatives of various national and international organizations that a pilot scheme was about to be introduced that involved the provision of a glass of milk per day to preschool, first and second grade school children. The glass of milk for school children began in April of that year with milk... Read More
Current minimum wage for farming sector in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the Americas for a number of reasons. For those who are fortunate enough to find gainful employment, this is largely due to the lack of permanent jobs in rural areas coupled with wages that are below the minimum wage. The majority of the Nicaraguan economy is based in agriculture. Large swathes of the fertile land are devoted to farming, coffee and tobacco plantations, and beef production. But despite the many natural resources in Nicaragua, levels of... Read More
Current minimum wage for 2011 in Nicaragua
The issue of a legal minimum wage in Nicaragua has been a subject of much debate of late in the light of a working paper published by Tim H. Grindling and Katherine Terrell. But what does ‘minimum wage’ actually mean and why is it so important? The definition of a minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily, or monthly wage that an employer is allowed to pay. There is a very large chasm of opinion amongst experts as to whether (or not) a minimum wage is capable of improving the standard of living... Read More
Why Nicaraguan children need to drink milk daily
Drinking milk as part of a healthy diet has long been proven to offer a number of significant health benefits for children in all countries, not just in the developing world. However, including milk in a diet that is otherwise poor in essential nutrients is also an important weapon in the fight against malnutrition in countries such as Nicaragua. Malnutrition in Nicaragua is a major problem, particularly in the rural areas of the country, and it is one problem area that the government are trying... Read More
The illiteracy problem in Nicaragua
As little as thirty years ago, illiteracy in Nicaragua was a huge problem and an estimated 50% of the population were illiterate. In rural areas, this figure was even higher with levels of illiteracy at between 75% and 90%. Following the Sandinista Revolution in 1979, a program was put in place to try and deal with the enormous problem of illiteracy in Nicaragua and the national literacy campaign was implemented. Between March 3 and August 23, 1980, 60,000 young people and 30,000 adults were educated... Read More
Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Americas
If we look at all the countries that fall within the Western Hemisphere, you will notice there are some sharp differences in economic prosperity. The United States and Canada are quite clearly at the bottom of any list of poor countries, whereas Nicaragua is at the other end of the scale and is currently the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The Western Hemisphere consists of countries lying to the west of the Prime Meridian. It is a term that usually refers to countries in the Americas,... Read More
Life is tough for children in rural areas of Nicaragua
There comes a point when children in the countryside realize that their family is unable support them any longer or the abuse is too much to handle. This leaves them only 2 options: they can run away from home or stay in their current predicament. Life at home Life at home means being forced to work by their parents on plantations or in the street markets (mercados ambulantes). I am not talking about easy work… I am talking about hard physical labor. It’s amazing what these kids can lift... Read More
List of the 17 departments or cities of Nicaragua
Nicaragua is divided up into 15 departments or cities and 2 self-governing regions, or autonomous communities. Each department is further sub-divided into smaller municipalities for the purposes of administration. For a more detailed information about the 17 cities, please check out my Blog as I will go though them one by one. The departments (cities) of Nicaragua are: Boaco is comprised of six municipalities. It is located in central Nicaragua and is a very productive agricultural region dominated... Read More
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