Life in Chichigalpa

Nov 26, 2016
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IMG_2491Life in Chichigalpa is hard. Families struggle to make sure even the most basic needs are covered. We have sponsorship in four communities in Chichigalpa; Santa Matilde, Candelaria, Nuevo Amanecer, and La Isla.

Chichigalpa is home to Ingenio San Antonio’s sugar cane fields. The sugar cane company is Chichigalpa’s largest employer. The hardest part of this work is that the vast majority of people who work there only have work during the six months of harvest time. Approximately 5500 people are employed during the harvest compared to the 800 who maintain yearlong positions within the company. The harvest runs from November until the beginning of May. This is a challenge for our communities who don’t make enough money to create a savings to last through the months of unemployment.

When the school year begins in February, parents are working and have small amounts of money to spend on their children’s education. However, when no one in the family is working, the priority is understandably placed on trying to have enough money for food. There is no more money to make sure the children have pencils, notebooks, or uniforms. September and October are excruciating months as families have been without income since May. Sponsorship helps to consistently relieve families of the burden of worrying about how they will be able to pay for their children’s education.

Our hope is that the students in Without Limits Sponsorship Program will not need the same assistance when they become parents. Version 2We believe that empowering students through education gives them the tools they need to maintain and create fulfilling jobs for themselves. Our students are intelligent and given these tools, we believe, that they will become innovators to bring change to their communities.