El Cacao, Nicaragua
Click on Programs to learn more about their work in this community
General Information
| Population* | 1,816 |
| Number of Houses | 269 |
| Avg # of people per home | 6-7people |
| Number & Percentage of Children |
0-5: 17% 342 children 6-14: 21% 214 children |
| Electricity | Yes, connected to the national system |
| Location | Located 13 kilometers west of Jinotega along thepaved highway |
| Municipality | Jinotega |
| Department | Jinotega |
| Health Center | Yes, the center is in excellent condition |
| Distance from compounds | Approximately 1.5 hours |
| Road conditions | Excellent at all times of year |
* Population does not reflect how many patients will be seen on Medical
Brigades as many people from surrounding communities come seeking
Medical Brigades medical attention.
Top Three Needs Expressed
• The construction of a water system that will supply water to all residents.
• The construction of at least 115 latrines.
• The training of young people in order to reduce the number of individuals vulnerable to social risks
(drug addiction, delinquency, teen pregnancy).
This community has a complete educational center. Here, 354 primary school students attend morning classes and 95 secondary school students attend afternoon classes. In addition, 184 secondary school students travel from distant communities to attend classes on Saturdays. As this community is centrally located in the region, the student body is comprised of students from a many of the surrounding communities. This is also the location in which Medical Brigades are held.
Twenty years ago, Hydrogesa - the public company that owns the hydroelectric plant - constructed a water system that served all homes at the time. Today, however, the population has grown to four times this size, leaving the water system unable to serve all families. On top of this, those families with a connection only have access to water for about two days per week for six hours at a time. As a result community members must go to rivers and other water sources to wash clothes and bathe that are often contaminated.
This community has a health center that was constructed by the Nicaraguan government one year ago by way of the FISE and the community. The facility has six examination rooms, a waiting room and a pharmacy. Four full-time physicians work at this health center during the week. The difficulty in this area is that there is no access to medicines, so patients must go to the city to buy them.
The main source of income in this population is the cultivation of vegetables like cabbage, tomatoes and onions, among others. As the production of these crops is controlled mainly by a few landowners, the rest of the population works as farmhands on the land as well as at the hydroelectric plant. Some other sources of income include running businesses and fishing.
Hidrogesa (Hydroelectric Company)
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAGFOR)
Nicaraguan Institute for Agricultural Technology (INTA)