Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere, second only to Haiti.

More than 80 percent of the poverty in Nicaragua exists in rural areas where 43 percent of the population lives and 68 percent of them are surviving on little more than $1 per day. Overall, 46.2 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has decreased to only one-third of what it was in 1977.

Unemployment across the entire country is at 12 percent, but among the poor rural families, it is over 20 percent, so many rural families are migrating to other countries or urban areas within Nicaragua to find work. Remittances are vital sources of income for one in every five families and account for 20 percent of the country’s GDP.

We believe the need we see in rural Nicaragua is representative of the living challenges faced by 80% of the world’s population.

Nicaragua is relatively easy to reach from all parts of Canada, making it feasible for volunteers to participate in a one-week service learning experience.

Our sister organization, Bridges to Community Inc., based in Westchester County, New York, has worked in Nicaragua for over 25 years and has built a robust infrastructure including a staff of nearly 50 people, mostly Nicaraguans. This allows our volunteer trips to function extremely well.

We can’t eradicate poverty in Nicaragua, but we can certainly make a difference. The outcome of our work is very real, and the appreciation of the community and homeowners makes all the hard work worth it, tenfold.

We truly are making a concrete difference, one house at a time!