Child Sponsorship Background from Juigalpa, Nicaragua

SOS Children's Village Juigalpa

Chontales was one of the regions that suffered most during the Nicaraguan civil war. Many children lost their parents or had to live in bad conditions. The SOS Children's Village, which had already been opened in 1981, was therefore extended at the beginning of the 1990 in order to offer more space for orphaned and abandoned children.

The Children's Village is situated on a little hill at a distance of 2 km from the city centre, offering a nice view over the town of Juigalpa. It consists of 12 family houses, the village director's house, a multi-purpose hall, an administration area as well as a basketball and a volleyball field.

Other SOS Projects in Juigalpa

An SOS Youth Home was established in 1997. At this facility, youths prepare for independent living while they are finishing their education or training.

In Juigalpa, there are two SOS Social Centres. Both of them have a child-day care centre and help to organise childminding programmes as a measure to strengthen local families. Thanks to these programmes, many single mothers, who do not have anybody to look after their children, are given a chance to make a living.

The SOS Social Centres also offer training classes for parents; there are special training workshops for income-generating activities to improve the financial situation of the families as well as courses for personal development.

Background to Juigalpa

Juigalpa lies within a valley in the Amerrisque Mountains. It is the capital city of the Chontales Department of Nicaragua.  The city is approximately 140 km east of Managua on Carretera Rama, in the central region of Nicaragua.  Juigalpa has a population of over 70,000 people. In comparison to other parts of Nicaragua, Juigalpa is rather prosperous.