NGOs In Nicaragua

Here’s a short list of various NGOs working across Nicaragua in all kinds of topics related to human rights, gender equality, and living a life of quality sin violencia.

Check it out—there may be some near you that you didn’t know about!

PLAN Nicaragua: https://plannicaragua.wordpress.com/
à salud sexual y reproductiva, educación inclusiva, salud materna, VIH/SIDA
à Somoto, Chinandega, Juigalpa, Puerto Cabezas

Pro-familia: http://www.profamilia.org.ni/
à planificación familiar, servicios médicos, consejería, salud sexual
à Managua, Masaya, Rivas, Chinandega, San Pedro del Norte, Boaco,
    Juigalpa, Matagalpa, Jinotega, Estelí, Somoto, Ocotál, Jalapa

Teacher Training on Gender

Have you ever found yourself wondering why only the boys ever play soccer during recess, or how girls are almost always called on when the class needs mopping but not nearly as often when a question needs answering? Have you heard teachers giving advice to students like “Girls, you’ll have to take care of yourselves in the future because your husbands will probably be unfaithful” or “Real men don’t cry”?

In honor of the upcoming Day of the Girl, here’s a workshop designed by volunteers to address just those issues of how gender norms affect the school environment. The charla has three objectives:

Counterpart relations across genders: Volunteers speak

You asked, we investigated! Some volunteers wanted to hear suggestions or advice for working with counterparts of the opposite sex. We polled current volunteers from all sectors and here’s how volunteers responded in their own words…

Males PCVs with Female CPs …

“I always hear comments or chisme about how I’m dating the profe I work with. When it’s kids from class I tell them that we just work together, but when it’s adults making jokes I laugh it off.”

“I made a point to get to know my profes’ husbands and families. And also just co-plan at times and places they feel comfortable with.”

“I work with all women in both my schools. This can be challenging at times. It can be hard to feel a part of the community there although I get along with most of them individually. I haven’t really found anything (activity or topic of conversation) to make me feel more part of the community. I work there and have confianza with my profess, but my communities are elsewhere.”

Mark your calendars! Upcoming: Day of the Girl and Men’s Day

October 11^th is internationally celebrated as Día de la Niña (known in English as Day of the Girl or Day of the Girl Child) to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. It’s only 4 weeks away! Here are some ideas for celebrating in your site…

• Host a movie night with films like Girl Rising or other local variations that show the challenges girls face and their potential to contribute to their communities. (click here for our post on gender consciousmovie nights)
• Perform plays and sing songs about the importance of girls' education at primary schools
• Do a poster contests depicting girls’ life goals or women’s role in work or society
• Hold a sports tournament for girls—volleyball, soccer and kickball are all huge hits.
• Organize mentoring activities for girls, such as Take Our Daughters to Work
• Have a parade, feria or other public event with local women’s groups
• Discuss how gender norms affect the classroom with teachers in your town (more info on this to come!)

Ira Glass Watch Out: An Expert* Radio Interview with the Coordinator of a Nicaraguan LGBTQ Center

Lucy (Health 61) lives in a medium-sized and highly conservative city in the valley of Matagalpa. Lucy participates in a weekly radio program that addresses sexual and reproductive health topics. She and the staff at the station wanted to cover the topic of sexual diversity, or LGBTQ issues, but people who identify as part of the LGBTQ community in their town do not feel comfortable speaking about the topic on the radio. Isabel (Health 61) works with an LGBTQ center in León, a slightly more liberal city, and knows a few outspoken LGBTQ activists who jumped at the chance to bring their cause to a larger audience. Isabel asked Helen Alfaro, the coordinator of a local LGBTQ center, La Casa de Colores, to be interviewed, then sent the recording to Lucy, who broadcasted it on the radio with commentary from Milo, the host of the program, and with commentary from Lucy herself.

We like what you did there, Playboy...

Remember a few months back when we posted a piropo flow-chart about deciding when and when not to respond to street harassment?

Playboy recently published a "Should you catcall her?" flowchart, check it out!

Resource: Camp in a Box

Although it may be hard to believe now, summer vacations aren’t far away for class in Nicaragua. If you’re wondering what kind of project you can do to fill the often empty month of January, check out the Camp in a Box.

These resources were compiled by Peace Corps to guide and support volunteers looking to do all kinds of camps in their communities – environmental education, HIV, gender equality, life skills, TEFL and more!

Click here to see and download the Camp in a Box folder.