Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1

I am still unsuccessful on my search to build international relationships. I have, though, reached out to a close friend who is currently working as a community developer and music educator in a rural region in Nicaragua. We are able to keep in touch fairly regularly, yet his responses depend on his access to internet. I am hoping to hear from him soon!

With this prospective connection to Nicaragua, I have begun to seek information regarding child and family poverty throughout the country. Much of the information I have gained is through the organization Save the Children. The organization has been in tact since 1980, and works diligently to support children and families living in poverty throughout Nicaragua, and several other countries.

In Nicaragua it is uncommon for children to attend school, let alone complete their education beyond sixth grade. Although many children drop out of school due to a lack of accessibility or a need to help provide income for their families, a child's lack of certain mathematical understandings leads to the child's inability to access greater income and opportunities for themselves and their families. Children and families also suffer from a prevalence of natural disasters, such as earth quakes and hurricanes, that cripple their families as well as their communities' economies. With these natural disasters, children and families also are deeply affected by wide-spread malnutrition, combined with a lack of adequate medical care. Organizations such as Save the Children work to provide children and families with access to educational programs, disaster assistance, and nutritional support.