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Day 18

A woman in Nicaragua vaccinating a goat

Strong women, full people! Strong women, full people!

A woman in Nicaragua vaccinating a goat
Day 18
Training of animal specialists in Nicaragua

While we in Germany wait for the first snow during Advent, the annual dry season begins in Nicaragua. Small farming families in rural areas then have to contend with increasing water shortages. The fact that people in Nicaragua have less and less water also has something to do with us: it is a consequence of global climate change. In Nicaragua, of all places - the country with the most water in Central America - people and animals are increasingly suffering from food and water crises. In addition, many small farmers in Nicaragua lack knowledge of appropriate cultivation methods, animal hygiene and appropriate feeding. Due to this situation and the climatic conditions, entire harvests are lost and many livestock die an avoidable death. The drought year of 2015 destroyed almost 50,000 tons of corn, a million cattle suffered from malnutrition and 2,500 animals died of thirst (Zeit online, 2015). Due to this situation, many families no longer had enough to eat for themselves.

Training of animal specialists in Nicaragua
need
Local veterinary treatment options (e.g. vaccinations for goats) for small farming families in remote communities in Nicaragua.
activity
Women are trained as veterinary professionals and provided with medication to provide affordable veterinary treatment.
Measurable performance
Number of veterinary treatments performed by local professionals.
Result
Animal diseases are detected early and treated inexpensively, which reduces animal mortality and increases livestock production.
Systemically relevant impact
Increasing animal welfare, food security, reducing gender hierarchies and improving the status of women in communities.
background

The lack of water and the resulting difficult living conditions particularly affect women in rural Nicaragua. Women often live in great dependence on their husbands. According to United Nations statistics, 23% of all women in Nicaragua have experienced domestic violence at least once (UN Women, 2016). Opportunities for self-realization are therefore limited. Added to this are the ongoing political unrest and protests that began in April 2018 and are directed against the government. More than 500 people are said to have died in the protests (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 2018). The country is in a deep social crisis and thousands of residents have already fled to neighboring Costa Rica.

Small farmers make their living primarily from goat and sheep farming. Nevertheless, most people have little knowledge of animal husbandry. They hardly grow their own feed that can be used during the dry season. Animal mortality from births and illnesses is high. There are no state or private veterinary services in the communities, so there is no possibility of having the animals treated locally. In emergencies, people have to make the long and expensive journey to the district town - if they can afford it.

Managua, Nicaragua
Day 18 Day 18
The good deed

Through this good deed, women in Nicaragua are being trained to become veterinary specialists. They are gaining knowledge and tools to be contact persons for around 500 animal keepers in their communities. The new opportunity to provide health care for animals in their own community reduces animal mortality and increases milk and meat yields. This good deed thus improves the nutritional situation of families. Women are also penetrating areas that are traditionally dominated by men and their social standing and self-confidence are growing enormously. "I hardly dared to speak before. Thanks to the work of the Xochilt Acalt women's center, I now know what I can do. With my skills, I help many people in my community when their animals are sick," says Mirna R., an animal health specialist trained in a previous project. This good deed is therefore also an important contribution to strengthening women's rights and the position of women in Nicaragua.

AboutNicaragua
Managua
Managua
Capital city
6 150 000
6 150 000
Population
5.157
5.157
Gross domestic product per capita per year
124
124
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake in Central America - and yet water is in short supply. According to the 2018 Climate Risk Index, Nicaragua is the fourth most threatened country in the world by climate change (Germanwatch, 2018).

About the organization and further information

organization

Inkota network eV

Website

http://www.inkota.de

Transparent Civil Society Initiative

Further links