Nicaragua

For the children of Central America, education is the key to a viable future. While public school attendance is free in most Central American countries, many students are unable to attend due to the cost of uniforms, books and other supplies.

In 2003 the school enrollment rate for the poorest Honduran children was almost 40% lower than the enrollment rate for the wealthier neighbors. Attending school is especially difficult in the rural areas, where children typically spend less than five years enrolled in classes.

Since 2000 the governments of Central America have realized that developing education is a good strategy for reducing poverty. National educational systems have made great gains. But the specter of poverty has continued to hinder this effort. Almost half of the 7–12 year-old Nicaraguan and Guatemalan children who do not attend school do so because of financial reasons.

Each year One World Care helps these children by supplying some of the basics needed for attending school: clothes, books, writing utensils and other supplies. When a child obtains an education, doors and possibilities open up. We seek to build a brighter future for Central America, one child at a time.