Casa Pueblito
As the product of two sister organizations coming together, Casa Canadiense and Pueblito Canada, Casa Pueblito was officially formed in 2014. This organization focuses on five main issues: gender equity, food and water security, education and culture, health and sanitation, as well as environmental justice. Casa Pueblito supports the improvement of equitable educational opportunities for children in Latin America and Canada. They work to encourage community development by focusing on intercultural youth education. The organization achieves this work through donations, youth community partners, volunteering and employment.
***Categories: Education, Local Communities, Equity
Centro Humboldt
Since 1990, the Alexander Von Humboldt Center has been dedicated to sustainable development through proper management of the environment and natural resources. Working in alliance with other organizations and local groups has led the organization towards working in protecting those most vulnerable to climate change’s negative impacts.The organization also provides daily weather forecasts to help locals prepare for changing weather events that are affected by climate disruption. Working in partnership with well known organizations like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has given them international accreditation while continuing to focus on equitable solutions and actions for local Nicaraguan communities. Their main efforts involve providing technical assistance to rural communities to protect the long term survival and success of their subsistent lifestyles.
***Categories: Natural Resources Management, Local Communities, Equity
Centro Nicaragüense de Conservación Ambiental (CENICA)
CENICA, a Nicaraguan-based NGO, promotes environmental education and conservation in especially rural communities throughout the country, working actively to implement sustainable practices that benefit the people. Their 2019 Dump to Garden project partnered with local communities around the region to convert dump sites around the region into sustainable food gardens. CENICA also distributed conservation resources and workshops to community members on ways to reduce plastic consumption and prevent freshwater plastic pollution. LCOY is another annual initiative that organizes groups of students from across the country to discuss various fields of environmental conservation efforts, reaching over 1800 students across online meetings and in-person events. Through these projects and their continued activity in activities of similar merit, CENICA continues to increase awareness of environmental conservation needs in Nicaragua and works to ensure that they are being pursued in rural areas.
***Categories: Natural Resources Management, Local Communities, Plastic Pollution, Education
EcoHuertos Nicaragua
EcoHuertos Nicaragua, named after gardens, is an NGO that promotes organic agriculture and provides spaces for community gardening and nurseries. EcoHuertos seeks to create sustainable and productive garden systems using organic methods in educational settings. Through experimental activities and proper curriculum, the NGO seeks to improve the natural science curriculum, offer students a space for recreation and relaxation, and teach methods of sustainable and eco-friendly practices for recycling and sustainable gardening. They have also partnered with the Planting Change Foundation, among other Nicaraguan NGOs, in an effort to increase the capacity of Latin American communities and grassroots environmental organizations to protect natural ecosystems and promote sustainable human development.
***Categories: Natural Resources Management, Local Communities, Gardening, Education
El Porvenir
Established in 1990, El Porvenir is an NGO that is dedicated to enhancing access to clean drinking water for the people of Nicaragua. It takes a thorough approach to fulfill these aims, with an emphasis on education for safe and sustainable water usage, implementing improved waste management practices, working on reforestation efforts and assisting in building wells and irrigation systems. El Porvenir not only helps construct household double pit latrines and community wash stations but also educates locals on the water cycle and environmental sustainability. Throughout the duration of its initiatives, the organization has assisted 649 clean-water projects, constructed 14,311 latrines/toilets and improved living conditions for more than 240,000 Nicaraguans. The Watershed Restoration project, for example, is one in which individuals came together to learn and practice sustainable methods of agroforestry in their communities.
***Categories: Education, Water Conservation, Local Communities, Natural Resources Management
Fundenic
Founded in 1992, Fundenic – Nicaragua Foundation for Sustainable Development – works to promote Water Management, Conservation of Lake Nicaragua, Climate Change, Forests and Soils, Sustainable Cities, CSR initiatives, Fishing and Ocean Management, and Protected Areas. Understanding that Nicaragua is the 4th country in the world with the highest level of risk from the impacts of climate change, Fundenic works to remedy these threats through monitoring and analyzing the spread and loss of forests from wildfires using GIS technology, as well as monitoring and recording fluctuations in rainfall and temperature across the region. Through these aforementioned initiatives as well as various others, this organization seeks to educate the public on water harvesting systems, nursery management, recognizing animal habitats and socio-economic fluctuations, all while staying true to their mission of mitigating the effects of climate change and promoting sustainability.
***Categories: Education, Coastal Issues, Forest Protection
Paso Pacifico
Paso Pacifico is a non-profit organization based in Nicaragua. This organization seeks to restore and protect the Pacific Slope ecosystems of Mesoamerica and assist in the creation of wildlife corridors that protect biodiversity and help individuals in these local communities connect to their land and ocean. By strengthening the Paso de Istmo and other corridors across a region-wide network, Paso Pacifico is reaching its goal of reconnecting people and wildlife across western Mesoamerica. Through its collaboration working with local communities, landowners, and partner organizations, Paso Pacifico is able to restore and protect the habitats that form the building block for wildlife corridors.
***Categories: Local Communities, Forest Protection, Coastal Issues
SosteNica
Founded in 2000, SosteNica is a non-profit that helps support smallholder farms in Nicaragua. SosteNica’s three main branches are providing credit, tools and technology, and regenerative agriculture. Using these pillars, they work together with rural farming communities in farms, homes and schools to provide assistance with intended goals of: sustainable development, food security, reduced economic risk, healthier soil, more equitable clean water access, reduced chemical use in farms, and overall improvement of health. Roughly translating to ‘sustainable Nicaragua’, SosteNica helps direct capital to impoverished areas that rely on subsistence farming and are at high risk for the negative impacts of climate change.
***Categories: Agriculture, Sustainable Development, Local Communities
National Organizations
