SOS Social Centres in Nicaragua

In Nicaragua there are currently 20 Social Centres for children and the local community, including those in Matagalpa, Managua and Esteli.  Many SOS Social Centres operate via Family Strengthening Programmes, which aim to support the wider community.  Below is some information about some of the Social Centres that SOS Children runs in Nicaragua:

SOS Social Centres around Nicaragua: In-Depth

Matagalpa

Description of SOS Social Centre/FSP:

SOS Social Centre Matagalpa started its work near the SOS Children's Village in January 2001. It includes a day-care centre for babies and little children and organizes childminding programmes where one of the mothers from the local community looks after the children of the other families. Furthermore, the SOS Social Centre offers training classes for parents (especially for single mothers). On the one hand, there is professional training which is intended to assure the families' income; on the other hand, there are also personal development courses for the mothers and parents of the children who are looked after in the childminding programmes and in the day-care centre. All these measures help to strengthen the families of the local community so that as many children as possible can be brought up in their biological families and will not need any kind of foster care.

Work and Achievements:

The attended participating families number 415 with 522 children with an 89% attendance rate. This year a good relationship with the Ministry of Health was maintained, therefore the health service was provided (vaccination, deworming, weigh, height, vitamins delivery, and flue vaccine).

A total of 142 children from the III level were promoted and are now ready to start the first grade of elementary school. 98% of attending children in the programme of Juega Aprendo passed the school year, and most of them were placed in the first 10 best grades in their schools.

Juigalpa

Description of SOS Social Centre/FSP:

In Juigalpa, there are two SOS Social Centres. Both of them have a child-day care centre and help to organize 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

Work and achievements:

The year 2009 was full of challenges, goals and commitments for the organization.

As a result of the efforts made by the co-workers, parents, and community staff; 45 children from the different encounters and trainings provided are now getting prepared to start elementary school.

The participating families number 210 and all of them received family orientation, a service that allowed the mothers to develop skills in education styles and family cohabitation to make the home environment easier for children.

With the support of organizations and allied institutions, 15 women completed courses on labour training and are now in the process of elaboration and commerce of their products.

Esteli

Description of SOS Social Centre/FSP:

Over the years, several SOS Social Centres have been set up in different parts of Estelí. All of them run child-day care centres and childminding programmes as a measure of family strengthening. In addition, they offer different training workshops in income-generating activities for parents of the local community.

Leon

Description of SOS Social Centre/FSP:

The SOS Social Centre runs a day-care centre which is intended to support single mothers and families with many children. The social centre also helps to organize childminding programmes, with one of the mothers from the local community looking after the children of the other families. In both types of child care, children receive meals, pre-school education and basic medical treatment. The SOS Social Centre includes a health centre offering paediatric and dentist's surgeries and medical counselling. Furthermore, parents can attend workshops in income-generating activities and personal development classes. All these measures strengthen the families of the local community so that as many children as possible can be brought up under the care of their biological family.