As coverage of COVID-19 in the US continues to dominate media coverage, our Nicaraguan partners have reached out with concern for our safety. Of course we are just as worried about their safety, especially since accurate information about how the virus is impacting Nicaragua is currently hard to come by, even for Nicaraguans. What we do know is that our partners will need our help to face the fallout of this unprecedented  crisis. That is why we are setting out to raise $20,000 for a COVID-19 emergency fund. 

We need to help our partners stay safe, employed and to continue providing critical assistance to the Nicaraguan people.

Here are a few examples of the disruptions our partners are facing:

• Inhijambia has temporarily closed its offices and has set up a once per week food bank where as many as 130 children pick up enough staples to feed a small family for a couple of days. In this new reality, Inhijambia is going through their monthly nutrition budget in a week.
• Axayacatl is limiting the size of physical meetings with women, but their work with survivors of domestic violence has intensified. The rise in domestic violence is a global phenomena because of the economic hardships and stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• FEDICAMP in Esteli was an early adapter to social distancing – cutting office hours and holding only essential meetings. They still go to the field to meet with project leaders, but have stopped community wide and group meetings.