About Us: Nicaraguan Context

Nicaragua is known as the land of lakes and volcanoes. Nicaraguans have many beautiful cultural traditions. The country's economic situation has forced many people to find informal employment.   1 of 4

Historical/Geographical Context

The Republic of Nicaragua is located in Central America and is home to 5.5 million people. It is the largest Central American country with a surface area of 129,494 Sq.Km. (49,997 Sq. Mi.), making it slightly smaller than the state of New York. It contains the largest body of freshwater in Central America. The country has three distinct regions that naturally divide the country geographically and demographically in a north-south fashion. The Pacific region runs along the coast and is flat other than a ridge of astounding volcanoes that are part of the ‘Rim of Fire’. The Pacific region is home to two thirds of the population, the capital of Managua, and most of the country’s infrastructure. The Mountainous Central region is essentially rural and known for its cattle grazing and coffee. The Atlantic region on the eastern side of Nicaragua is by far the largest region in the country. With the exception of two major cities where English is spoken, it is sparsely populated and home to 5 distinct indigenous groups.

Nicaragua won its independence from Spain in 1821 and established itself as an independent republic in 1838. During the 150 years that followed, the country endured corrupt governments, natural disasters, and civil wars. Only since 1990 has the population of Nicaragua experienced any prolonged peace, opening the door for long term transformational development and economic growth.

Social Context

Nicaraguan culture has many positive characteristics such as creativity, humor, hospitality and persistence in the face of incredible natural and man-made disasters. However, its community development has been impeded by prevailing views such as a fatalism, a mystical or ritualistic understanding of the interaction between the divine and the human, a depreciation of physical work and those who do it, a devaluation of women, and a hierarchical and authoritative leadership style. The social context has also been impacted by the influx of North American media and its consumerist values. The absence of fathers in many homes due to past wars and economically induced migration has left a growing population of youths turning to informally organized street gangs to find social support and access to the new consumerist lifestyle.

Political Context

Corruption and lack of transparency remain obstacles to Nicaragua's fledgling democracy and to its ability to secure foreign aid. Studies done in 2005 by Transparency International rate Nicaragua as the 50th most corrupt country in the world (50th out of 146 rated countries). On the positive side, Nicaragua continues to have a free, independent and aggressive press. There are also active factions in the dominant political parties (Liberals and Sandinistas) that are pressuring for greater transparency and democratization.

Economic Context

After decades of civil wars, natural disasters, and corrupt governments from diverse ideologies, Nicaragua has one of the lowest per capita GDPs of all the countries in the Western Hemisphere. More than ½ the population lives on less than $2 a day, and current financial remittances from Nicaraguans living abroad account for a higher percentage of the GDP than coffee, Nicaragua's largest agricultural export. Economic advances remain poorly distributed with 60.5% of the income earned by richest 20% and only 2.8% is earned by the poorest 20%. Some of the factors that impede more widespread economic progress include the general culture of corruption, the unequal wage structure, a lack of credit for the small and medium-sized businessman or the middle-class home purchaser, and the weakness of industrial and agriculture production. These economic factors have put increasing stress on Nicaragua's rich, but threatened, natural resources, manifested in continued patterns of deforestation and contamination of both ground and open water sources.

Educational Context

The educational system in Nicaragua is the weakest in Central America. Throughout Nicaragua, 20.5% of the population over 10 years of age is illiterate, but among the rural poor the illiteracy rate is 41%. Teachers are extremely underpaid. Class sizes are very large and basic teaching materials and supplies are lacking. On the positive side, there is evidence many Nicaraguans value an education for themselves and their children and are willing to sacrifice to achieve it. One testimony to this fact is that despite the poverty, 27.4% of young people finish high school and 8.2% get a college degree. Christian schools may be one of the key factors in raising up a generation of leaders who can bring true change to Nicaragua. But these Christian schools will need help in integrating Biblical truth into their curriculum, implementing more progressive teaching methods, and developing a transparent and self-sustaining institutional base. In higher education Nicaragua lacks an evangelical college with a well-developed vision for applying Biblical truth to all areas of study. However, the ministry of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students is active in helping many students develop an integrated Biblical worldview.

Religious Context

The polarization between evangelicals and Catholics continues to be a major issue. While patron saint celebrations continue to be the strongest sign of Catholic religious fervor, a significant charismatic renewal movement is underway as well. About 20% of Nicaraguans are now evangelicals, the majority of those being Pentecostal. Unfortunately, 80-90% of the evangelical churches have less than 50 members. This reflects the societal tendency toward power struggles between authoritarian-style leaders and weakens the impact of the evangelical church in its community. Extreme legalism and an escapist view toward society have historically characterized the evangelical church, but in the last several years its attention to community-oriented ministry has begun to increase. A common thread within the ecclesiastical context is the continued need for spiritually mature, stable leadership.