escamequita, NICARAGUA
OUR CURRENT SITUATION
Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere. Because of poverty and huge underemployment rates, approximately 30 percent of the population lives on less than $2 per day. In rural communities like Escamequita, poverty rates are especially high, where 50% of households live in extreme poverty.
These circumstances leave little to no room for animal care and education.
THE PROBLEM
Because of extreme poverty, lack of opportunity and underemployment, the health and wellbeing of animals are not a priority. The average life-span of a dog in Nicaragua is 4-6 years. The main causes of death are starvation, malnourishment and tick-borne diseases. There is no access to affordable animal medical care and local families are barely able to provide the proper food for their animals.
