Community Partners

Bridges to Community is committed to positive global change, and to further our mission we've worked with a number of world-wide organizations in a number of countries. Our close ties, long-term relationships, and developed infrastructure in Nicaragua, however, allow us to provide a deeper and richer experience there for many travellers, and allow our projects to make many significant changes in the lives of the communities with whom we work. While we will continue to explore new communities and new partner organizations with which to work, Nicaragua is the focus of our current efforts. read more

Masaya

Masaya

Masaya is the second largest city in Nicaragua, situated 27 kilometers south of Managua or about a 40-minute bus ride from the Managua airport. Masaya is composed of 87 urban neighborhoods (barrios) and 27 rural communities. In 1971, the population of the city was 47,174. In 1995 it had grown to 120,856. After Hurricane Mitch it grew again (131,244), and today the official figures show 157,928 inhabitants. Economic activity in the region includes

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Ticuantepe

Ticuantepe

Bridges to Community has been operating in Ticuantepe since 2002. We have constructed one school and over 150 houses for families living in material poverty in four of the eighteen communities in the municipality. We expect to expand and diversify our impact by implementing various community projects in all eighteen of the communities in the municipality of Ticuantepe. Our philosophy for designing and implementing projects is to work through and with local leadership and citizens at the grassroots level.

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Siuna

Siuna

The Siuna experience is one of cultural immersion coupled with shared community development work between Nicaraguan community members and the North American brigadistas. Together, they work on construction, agricultural, and health projects, eat, play, laugh, and learn about Nicaragua's history, culture and customs, the effects and causes of poverty and inter-connectedness between Nicaraguan and U.S. history. A sense of pride is created among community members as they explain and share their work with their visitors.

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Nindiri

Nindiri

Nindiri, located between the capital city of Managua and the artisan capital of Masaya, is comprised of 18 different communities. The principal town of Nindiri was one of the first towns founded in Nicaragua and is home to an impressive four hundred year old temple that is now a national monument. While Nindiri town has preserved much of its colonial flare in the layout of the streets, many of the surrounding 17 rural communities lack even basic infrastructure and are wrought with poorly maintained paths at best, for driving and walking. read more

Community News

Building New School Classrooms for Las Conchitas

In January, nineteen IT professionals from the District of Columbia area were warmly welcomed by Las Conchitas community in Masaya as they began working together to construct two critically needed classrooms serving the children of six surrounding communities. The volunteers had made a commitment to not only to raise money for the school but also to travel to Nicaragua and physically start building it. Another group will complete it in February.

Bridges Breaks Ground for Los Lopez School and Library in Masaya!

The children of the community of Los Lopez in Masaya are the lucky recipients of not only new school classrooms but a library stocked with brand new books and a kitchen to make them healthy lunches. Thanks to Bridges to Community donors who are committed to education through access to libraries and improved school facilities, the dream of this Nicaraguan community is coming true.

Good Morning Siuna! Radio Connects Bridges’ Communities

Communication in Nicaragua is not always easy. In many remote areas of the country, there is no phone service, no cell reception, no internet, no television, no newspapers or even a convenient road for transport. Yet the local communities have found means to connect. In the Siuna region, radio is their link to the broader world.

Farm families that live hours outside the “big town” of Siuna, all have transistor radios that are on 24 hours a day. The farmers go out to their fields every day with the radios slung over their shoulders and placed near by as they work the land. The local university, URRICAN, transmits radio programming from a small building on campus that was built by Bridges’ volunteers a decade ago. Local meetings, happenings in various communities, and opportunities for people to talk to one another are all part of this essential daily information sharing.

Nicaragua Staff


	Kenia Ramirez Country Director, Nicaragua
	Bonnie Gordon Site Coordinator
	Marc Valentin Site Coordinator
	Damaris Narcisso Site Coordinator
	Francisco Ceron Site Coordinator
	David Sandino International Volunteer Coordinator
	Jimmy Gonzalez Community Coordinator