Our Target Communities
- Palacaguina, Nicaragua
- Roberto Clemente, Nicaragua
- San Antonio Abad, El Salvador
- El Tamarindo 2, Dominican Republic
- Sombrero, Dominican Republic
- Valencia, Colombia
- Corozal, Belize
Description
Palacagüina is a municipality in the Madriz department of Nicaragua. Palacagüina is a small town; the name comes from the Nahuatl language, meaning “village near the mountains.” Palacagüina is featured in the revolutionary song “Cristo Ya Nació.”
Population
Estimated at 9,000 (2014)
Area
60.62 sq miles (157 km²)
Economic Situation
Unemployment is high, estimated at 50%+.
There are over 1,500 farmers in the Palacagüina area growing tomatoes, peppers and onions and raising cattle and chickens. Within the town there are a wide variety of businesses including 100 grocery stores (mostly run out of individual homes), 11 taxis and 7 tuk-tuk drivers, 5 clothing stores, 4 hardware stores, 3 cyber cafes, in addition to bakeries, carpentry shops, a lumberyard and a cigar factory. There is also a large coffee processing facility that employs local residents in the harvest season.
Spiritual Condition
The primary indicated religion is Catholicism. However, for many residents, religion is not practiced regularly. There are several Protestant churches in Palacaguina including two Baptist, two non-denominational, one Assembly of God, and one Jehovah’s Witness.
Alcoholism, drug use, and teen pregnancy are pervasive problems. It is not unusual to see men passed out from drinking in the town square or even lying on city streets.
516NOW Involvement
Palacagüina is the first town in which 516NOW began working – in 2011. Our local missionary is Jaime Blandon, a native of Bluefields, Nicaragua and a graduate of Rio Grande Bible Institute. Since we began working with key individuals and groups in the town, we have three churches, added a room on the local medical clinic and build a maternity ward, built a school building, refurbished several school classrooms and the local jail, installed of a radio station, organized several sports clinics, construction of a cafeteria, construction of a water system for more than 670 people, electrification of a neighborhood with benefit for 75 families, the installation of a bilingual and christian school, donation of all kinds of technology for public schools, construction of three houses for poor people, stablisment of a microloan and many other activities.
Description
The Roberto Clemente neighborhood is located in the city of Diriamba (Population 52,000) in the department of Curazo about 40 KM to the west of the capital city of Managua. Diriamba is known for its festival of St. Sebastian which takes place each year from January 17-27 with festivities lasting for two weeks. The city football (soccer) team is known throughout Nicaragua as one of the best club teams in the country.
About 50 families live in Roberto Clemente and most of them work in the city dump located adjacent to the neighborhood. The 516NOW “target” community also includes some residents of nearby neighborhoods who also work in the city dump.
Economic Situation
As there are beautiful Pacific Ocean beaches within a short drive, The Curacao-Diriamba economy has historically relied on tourism. In addition to beaches, tourists are attracted to the rich culture of Diriamba including the Festival of San Sebastian in January and lore surrounding Gueguense, a mythical folk figure. Political upheaval in the country in the spring of 2018 followed by the pandemic created a significant downturn in an already fragile economy.
The families who work in the dump have never benefited from the tourist economy. Instead, they attempt to survive economically by scavenging for recyclables in the dump that can be sold. Lacking their own transportation, they must rely on selling to a “middleman” thus losing out on part of the potential profit. It is a very hard life and one that always keep them on the edge of survival.
Spiritual Situation
The majority of residents of Diriamba are Roman Catholic and Diriamba is home to three major Catholic churches, including La Basilica de San Sebastián. However, there is a growing evangelical protestant population mostly in small, community-based churches. Most residents of Roberto Clemente are also Catholic, although the majority of residents are not regular church members or attenders. A local evangelical pastor, Eliezer, and his wife, Maria, have been working in Roberto Clemente for years and have always had the trust of the residents. This couple first introduced 516NOW to Barrio Roberto Clemente and have always been valuable partners for our work there. Maria is now our Country Director in Nicaragua.
516NOW in Roberto Clemente
After our initial introduction to Roberto Clemente in 2017, 516NOW engaged in discussions with the community leaders and residents. It was decided that our first project would be Smiling School Kids, a successful program in Palacaguina and one which directly benefits poor families and also encourages students to remain in school, and work hard. There is also a voluntary spiritual component to the program. This program was initiated with the 2018 school year and has been very successful.
Since partnering with Roberto Clemente, 516NOW has attempted to help residents create alternative streams of income but the economic downturn beginning in 2018 has made this especially challenging. Currently, we are conducting free baking classes that allows participants to sell their home-made products out of their home or on the streets. We are also preparing to begin classes in auto body painting and carpentry.
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Description
Corozal Town is a town in Belize, capital of Corozal District. Corozal Town is located about 84 miles north of Belize City, and 9 miles from the border with Mexico.
Corozal was a private estate before becoming a town in the 1840s, mostly settled by Maya Mestizo refugees from the Caste War of Yucatán. Much of the town was built over an ancient Maya city, sometimes known as Santa Rita; this may have been the original Pre-Columbian town called Chactemal.
Population
The population of Corozal Town, according to the main results of the 2010 census, is 9,871. San Antonio, the target community for 516NOW, has a population of about 750 people.
Area
Corozal District encompasses 720 square miles. Corozal Town is approximately 10 square miles.
Economic Situation
Economic activity includes sugar cane growing and processing, fishing and fish processing, and tourism, The unemployment rate for Belize as a country is about 11%, probably slightly lower in Corozal.
Spiritual Condition
Corozal has several churches of many denominations including Presbyterian, Catholic, Anglican, Nazarene, Methodist, Jehovah’s Witness, Baptist, Assemblies of God and non-denominational. The Catholic Church, and to a lesser extent the Methodists and Anglicans, through agreements with the government, operate most of Belize’s premier public schools under a Church-State partnership that has its roots in Belize’s history as a British colony. This results in about 60% of the population identifying as Catholic. A few private or parochial schools run by Protestant and Evangelical denominations also exist.
San Antonio has one church – a Seventh Day Adventist church which also runs the community’s elementary school.
Alcoholism, drug use, and teen pregnancy are pervasive problems. It is not unusual to see men passed out from drinking in the town square or even lying on city streets.
516NOW Involvement
Our focus is on the village of San Antonio, home to 750 people. Drugs are rampant in the community and unemployment is very high. There are no businesses within the community and residents have to travel 3-4 miles to get water and other necessities.
516NOW has started a micro-loan program to provide funding to residents desiring to start a business. We use this as a platform to demonstrate and share the gospel message. The ministry has made over 10 loans and is currently being managed by two individuals – Naida Teck and Bricelda Mendez.