News in from two of our projects this morning, both dealing with children. In Leon, El Barrilete is stressed and the children are very anxious and frightened. Maria reports that life is hard there. In San Marcos, at Los Quinchos, there are endless roadblocks which make day to day life […]
The Fund Blog
24 posts
The unrest in Nicaragua continues. There have been more deaths on the streets. The President blames the mounting body count vaguely on “delinquents” and “criminal groups”. However, those who do not support the government blame the police and irregular militias for the deaths. A recent article in The Guardian reports that […]
For almost a month, political unrest has been the norm in Nicaragua. After years of the Ortega government, people are coming out onto the streets to protest against poverty, lack of economic progress and corruption. The trigger was an increase in the tax on pensions, linked to a reduction in […]
It is over a week since we came back from Nicaragua. Getting re-accustomed to Europe always takes a moment – the clock has to readjust itself, and we have to get used again to the winter chill and the rural quiet in our little corner of France. It is now […]
A fund raising event for a cook at El Barrilete was a great success. It was a lovely sunny day in France and guests brought amazing cakes and gave lots of money, with more pledged. By the time the it all comes in there is enough to pay the cook three months wages, which is […]
A recent article in the UK Guardian newspaper reports that child poverty in Nicaragua is linked to educational underachievement. The UN children’s agency, Unicef, estimates that 500,000 Nicaraguan children aged three to 17 are not in the educational system. Currently the country has the largest youth bulge in Latin America, […]
It is ten years since Kate and I visited Nicaragua for the first time, and while a lot has changed in the country in that time, the organisations that the Mayagna Children’s Fund helps are still doing sterling work with some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in Central […]
Here is a selection of photos taken during the past two weeks. We have visited El Barrilete in Leon, Mama Licha’s clinic and Las Muralistas in Esteli, Los Quinchos in San Marcos and finally the women’s refuge run by CeCamo in Leon.
It seems that the majority of mainstream definitions of “play” identify an activity that is participatory, entertaining but essentially not serious. Play is something children do when they need to be diverted, perhaps so adults can get on with the serious business of life. “Why don’t you go off and […]
We met up with Julio Moreno again yesterday, he is the leader of the collective de muralistas in Esteli. Several of his young colleagues were exhibiting work in the parque central, and it was especially exciting to see a large group of young children painting in the square, Julio is […]