Nicaragua

USAID's development program in Nicaragua, which focuses on democracy, economic growth, health and education, is designed to:

• Promote democracy by training young, emerging democratic leaders and providing technical assistance to bolster civil society engagement and improve local governance.

• Broaden the country’s market-oriented economy by helping small producers and businesses to improve competitiveness and access to new local, regional and international markets.

• Improve access to maternal and child health care and to HIV/AIDS prevention awareness, counseling and testing.

• Provide educational opportunities for at-risk youth through scholarships for children in grades 4-6 and for high school students in Nicaragua’s South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS) that are highly vulnerable to drug trafficking.

• Promote public-private partnerships to increase investments in social sector programs.