The Dianova Nicaragua Foundation Launched a Community Development Program Based on Responsible Tourism

Donation of education material in Nicaragua

 

Program “Aprender Participando, Caminando, Conociendo, Viviendo”

Tourism can help fight against poverty and it can foster a country’s economic and social dynamism. However, in order to it to become effective, it is essential to seek partnerships, employment opportunities, favorable environments for local development, while seeking an economic and social sustainability likely to generate opportunities in terms of formal and informal education, which may in turn strengthen the country’s or region’s heritage and cultural identity, while promoting tourism development.

Many international cooperation organizations include tourism in their strategies and in their actions for sustainable economic development, giving priority to rural tourism and ecotourism. The goal is to collaborate on the development of a well-managed tourism, helping to improve the quality of life of local populations and reduce poverty, while promoting job creation and the preservation of the country’s natural and cultural heritage.

Donation of education material

Poverty is Nicaragua’s most important problem. Poverty ruins a part of Nicaragua population’s hopes and opportunities, as well as it limits their development opportunities, especially in young people. All programs designed to reduce poverty, such as tourism programs in this case, should include initiatives for children, young people and adolescents, who are now the most vulnerable members of society. Therefore, when programs are designed to invest in the development of this population, they also contribute to the development of the country as a whole. It is in this sense that we feel it is essential to support education and training programs and to promote cultural identity in order for these programs to have a positive impact on job growth and the social and economic development of youth.

APCCV is a project implemented by different agencies, as part of a responsible tourism initiative created by Dianova and Rutas Escondida, a responsible tourism operator. Several tourism and business associations joined this project, the objectives of which are to use tourism development to increase wealth and as a tool against poverty through participatory learning between different sectors and areas.

The program is intended for children and adolescents of all ages and their families, tourism professionals involved in local development and professionals of Nicaragua’s tangible and intangible heritage. It aims to strengthen links between responsible tourism and local development, education, culture and human capacity building for all tourism operators.

Project’s principal lines of action:

  1. participatory actions to support school facilities in 3 municipalities of the RAAS region, accompanied by cultural initiatives and transmission of customs and local identities and learning to respect the local culture and environment.
  2. An internship program in Managua’s tourist facilities for the benefit of local operators of the Rutal del Café and Pearl Lagoon regions, associated with rural tourism, with the aim of building restoration and administration skills among others.
  3. A capacity-building program for local and regional guides.
  4. Agreements with universities to implement an internship program at the Hotel Europeo in Managua.

First action implemented in October

Design and implementation of participatory initiatives and donation of school supplies to various schools of the Raitipura community in the RAAS region.

The project aimed to meet the needs and demands of young people in relation to their education. During the activity, a briefing was held on the theme of environment preservation. 90 students from Miskito descent and their families have benefited from the project.

The project responds to the needs of the schools of the region, upon demand,  with the collaboration of the municipal government. The project has been developed thanks to the participation of: 

Fecodesa hotel europeo