The Problem:

With a population of over 28,000 inhabitants, San Lorenzo is a municipality in the Department of Boaco, which is over 56 miles from Managua, the country’s capital. The residents of San Lorenzo rely heavily on subsistence farming, raising such items as beans, rice, corn, wheat and sorghum. Livestock farming is also used in this community but mainly as a means for local consumption.

A majority of the residents in San Lorenzo – especially in the rural areas – cannot afford decent housing and the access to clean water is limited. Many residents use wells, rivers, and public posts to obtain water; however, these sources are not properly treated and contain high levels of contamination.

There is an extreme demand for housing, easy access to clean water, proper sanitation, and income-producing opportunities that will help families to fulfill their basic needs.

The Solution:

With the completion of phase I, building homes for 15 families, phase II was implemented to complete the agricultural component of the San Lorenzo Community of Hope project. This component would consist of the planting, post-harvest, and packaging stages of agriculture. However, due to the extensive 2014-2015 drought in Central America, it was decided to only complete Phase I of the project at the time. The land had been prepared; however, it was not feasible. Therefore, it was decided to discontinue the agricultural component of the San Lorenzo Community of Hope Phase II project.