¡Bienvenidos
A NiCARAGUA!
¿QUE ONDA?
Some of the first words that you’ll hear from any stranger’s mouth in Nicaragua is, “¿Que onda?” or in English, “What’s up?!” This recognizable greeting is symbolic of the embracing Nicaraguan culture. In our home of Chiquilistagua, a community in southwest Managua about thirty minutes from the city’s center, the local people will treat you like one of their own.
Nica Nadadrores places a great deal of importance on our position of influence in the community of Chiquilistagua. Behind every individual that enrolls in our program is a promise not just to that swimmer, but also to the community we serve where living conditions pose a daily challenge to our swimmers and their families. Accessing information, proper sanitation, and dietary concerns are just a few of the difficulties associated with living in poverty in Chiquilistagua.
Our neighborhood
According to the Human Development Index, Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Children in Chiquilistagua often suffer from improper nourishment, insufficient water sources, and poor access to basic infrastructure. A community survey of over 200 community members indicated that 93% of residents cannot swim in water deeper than their heads.
The neighborhoods we serve are not reflective of the urban poverty typically seen in the United States. To a casual observer, it is difficult to spot houses from the main road that runs through different barrios — instead, the area is populated by people living in crowded series of rural, dirt-floor huts nestled under the shade of large trees.
43%
Of Nica Nadadores swimmers do not have access to running water or an indoor toilet within their home.
28%
Of our athletes and their families live in homes with no flooring aside from the dirt or other outdoor surface.
<3%
Of Nica Nadadores student-athletes have access cellular data or broadband internet service in their home.
Nicaraguan student life
We rely heavily on family and parental involvement, so our community recognizes the Nica Nadadores difference. In fact, 85% of our swimmers have family members that are also enrolled in the Nica Nadadores program. Whether it be a brother, sister, or cousin, Nica Nadadores is an interest that the whole family deems worthy.
The nica nads opportunity
Our students get the opportunity to live in a world very different from the day-to-day lives that would be routine if not for Nica Nadadores. Using sport to teach life skills is no breakthrough in philanthropy. But the momentum surrounding Nica Nadadores, has fired up an entire community hungry for a better quality of life.
Nicaraguans are very proud people, and its youth are invested in improving the future of their community and their country. However, there is a real lack of access to roads, healthcare, and material goods. In this environment, sports and recreation are essential to maintaining a healthy childhood. Nica Nadadores provides a place where young people are encouraged to become better students, leaders, family members, and swimmers—a unique opportunity for youth in Managua.
The kids
When people hear that we work with low-income youth, they assume our participants come from broken homes and third-world violence. Nica Nadadores student-athletes come from truly little privilege in life, but countless success stories can be told about their positive development. We are empowering the next generation daily – literally. We place high importance on tracking metrics and data to record their academic and athletic growth; we even collect details such as a family’s monthly income to see how our program changes economic upward-mobilization.
However, we consider their CHARACTER as the most important aspect of maturation.Our swimmers become interested in Nica Nadadores for a variety of reasons, but you can be sure that being a coachable, respectful, and consummate team player are a huge part of our evaluation in their improvement.We teach Nica Nadadores student-athletes to look you in the eyes when talking, shake your hand with confidence, and have integrity. These are difference-makers that might not show up on paper.
The families
Nica Nadadores has grown from the first swim class with only seven kids to serve close to 100 youth and our intention is to keep our impact focused and concise. We are not a traditional swim team – every participant’s parent has our cell phone number and knows no hesitation in calling for help at any hour of the day. Our swimmers’ families open their homes to share dinners with fellow teammates or visiting volunteers. Keeping our membership about quality rather than quantity ensures our ability to care for and protect the valuable relationships we’ve built within the community.
Our organization commands a level of trust and respect that in many cases is stronger than family. Moms and dads embrace the tough love that their children receive from Nica Nadadores because they know we have their son’s or daughter’s best interest in mind.