While Nicaragua is enjoying a time of relative peace right now, it is not the stable country that Nicaraguans long for, with its future far from certain. President Daniel Ortega has assumed virtual full control of all branches of government and has decidedly taken a strong affront against the Church, forcefully closing down hundreds of churches and thousands of non-profit organizations in Nicaragua, imprisoning and expelling journalists and political opponents, and even stripping nationals of their citizenship for criticizing him.  Even the Red Cross has been forced out of the country after it criticized the inhumane treatment of prisoners.

As persecution intensifies under the dictatorship, life isn’t any easier for those who aren’t on Ortega’s radar. Long a country steeped in poverty, unemployment, and underemployment, many Nicaraguans seek employment in more stable environments with greater opportunities. Traditionally this has meant undocumented migration to Costa Rica, their southern neighbor, to work on farms in jobs that Costa Ricans do not want. But since the oppressive regime of Ortega has taken a grip on Nicaragua, more and more Nicaraguans have their eyes set on the US to seek asylum and to be able to support their families.

It is not an easy decision to choose to migrate, and it is a decision that people do not take lightly. But between the choice of not working, or working too little or too temporarily to be able to supply basic needs of food and housing for their families, it is worth the risk of the dangerous migration route.

Our work is focused on Ometepe Island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua. Formed out of two volcanoes, this island is home to about 30,000 people—and is a central part of the tourism industry in Nicaragua. As tourism is fickle and dependent on global economies as well as ebbs and flows of seasons, most people—around 90% of the island’s population—does not have full time work, but instead relies on seasonal work related to tourism.

Our heart for Nicaragua, and Ometepe in particular, is to work to keep families together by minimizing the push and pull factors related to migration to other countries. Thus, our projects emphasize economic development for individuals and families in order to ensure an opportunity to stay home with their families—which is the desire of each and every person.

Since 2018, we have worked with families to build small business opportunities that are contextually-appropriate for the needs of the local market. This has included building ovens to produce rosquillas, a biscuit traditionally served with coffee, to purchasing vehicles for delivery of goods around the island.

Our most recent project has included building an aquaponics system with a local church. This project, which grows both fish and vegetables within an enclosed system, is a two-fold ministry opportunity. For one, by selling the fish and produce to local restaurants, it will be able to support ministry funds for the local church as they continue to minister in the community in a variety of ways. But it also serves as a learning and training center. As volunteers contribute their time to helping the aquaponics system grow, they also learn how to build and maintain their own that they can use at a household level.

By focusing on livelihoods in Nicaragua, we aim to help keep families together and to realize that hope exists even within their own community and own country.