NEEDS
ANALYSIS
Many of the Central American countries have among the highest rates in the world for infant mortality1, with wide-spread malnutrition and an absence of even the most basic necessities such as running water and electricity. This burden is compounded for women and girls in poverty. Equal opportunities in education such as attending school after 6th grade, securing viable employment and obtaining comprehensive health care are often out-of-reach.
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According to The Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.., "Central America, because of the crime associated with the rise of illicit trade in narcotics , also ranks among the most dangerous places on earth for women. Honduras is especially violent, with little sign of any improvement... Guatemala is experiencing an epidemic of gender-based violence and femicide that particularly affects young girls and older women. This Central American country ranks third in the world for the murder of women, with two women killed on average every day."2
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Below is a brief summary of comparative data that speaks to the conditions in Central America.
OTHER PERTINANT STATISTICS .
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Female Heads of Households: Nicaragua: 30.9%; Honduras: 28.1%5
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Access to Clean Water/Sewers: Honduras: 84%/66%; Nicaragua: 79%/48%6
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Access to Electricity: Guatemala: 79%; Nicaragua: 78%; Honduras: 82%7
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High School Completion Rates: Less than 50% for Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua8
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An analysis of the statistics shows the difficulties faced by families in extreme poverty, with a poverty rate exceeding 50% of the population in Nicaragua and Guatemala, with Honduras at nearly 70% (see chart above, bottom). The GDP per-capita of Honduras and Nicaragua is under $1,000 annually, with Guatemala under $2,000 (see chart above, top), in comparison to $29,000 in the United States. The indigenous Mayan groups in Guatemala are among the most marginalized in the region, and as such will be a priority group for services.
Poor households with electricity and water may only have those services for a few hours each day. In the dry season, water may be scarce for days or weeks and families are forced to keep reserves of water, which is often not feasible. More than half of children living in rural areas fail to complete nine years of education, primarily due to a lack of financial resources. A study in Guatemala indicated that household economic limitations account for the reason in 50 percent of the cases of children dropping out.9 Many rural schools also lack water and sanitary facilities. One organization in Nicaragua discovered the unspoken reason that girls at puberty were dropping out of school was precisely because of the need for running water and proper sanitary facilities.