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 | Nicaragua, the largest country in Central America with more than 5.4 million people, is the second poorest country in the Northern Hemisphere. Over 50% of the population is below the poverty line and more than 7% of the population is unemployed with more than 46% underemployed. More than 30% of the population over age 15 cannot read and write. Nicaragua overall has more than $4.6 billion in external debt, leaving the GDP per capita income at only $2,300. Income distribution is extremely skewed, with the top 10% of the population earning more than 45% of the country's income, and the lower 10% earning 1.2%. In addition to these economic indicators, Nicaragua has had a very unsettled history, with a civil war lasting from 1979 to 1990, Hurricane Mitch destroying a large part of the country in 1998, and an earthquake and volcanic eruptions further destroying the capital in 1999. |
| Due to these events, Nicaragua currently faces huge social, political, health, and economic problems. Most of these problems are so large and complicated that an individual person or community does not have a way to make significant improvements in their own life. The lack of infrastructure, access to education and healthcare, employment opportunities and the presence of an honest government create a frustrating environment that has caused many Nicaraguans to live day by day without a plan for the future or any hope that things can change and that the quality of life can be improved. |
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