Background

About ICT in Latin America

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About San Ramon

San Ramon lies in the heart of Nicaragua’s mountainous coffee region in the state of Matagalpa. San Ramon is a county of approximately 26,310 people (2006 estimate), 91.43% (or 24,056) of whom live outside of the town of San Ramon. San Ramon County covers approximately 427 square km, with around 62 people per square km. Located at 12 degrees 55’ lat N and 85 degrees 50’ long, the county is bounded by Tuma-La Dalia in the north, Muy Muy in the south, Matagalpa city approximately 20 km to the east of the city of San Ramon, and Matiguas in the west. Fifty-eight percent of the population is less than 18 years old. Forty minutes outside of Matagalpa, this largely indigenous town has a wet tropical climate. Coffee production is the primary source of income here, while maiz, beans, chayotes (squash), and cattle are also cultivated. Poverty is high: 76.9% (or 20,153) live in poverty, while 43.8% (11,524) live in extreme poverty, due primarily to the coffee crisis of the early 2000s.

About CESESMA

CESESMA was founded in 1996 as a result of the growing succes of a children's health education project in the municipality of San Ramon. In 1998, the introduction of a children's rights focus led the group beyond the classroom to enable the participation of children and young people without access to formal education. The project adopted a community development approach, involving parents, teachers, and community leaders.

When Hurricane Mitch struck in 1998, CESESMA temporarily turned their focus to relief work. From 2000 onwards, they have focused on training and developing young community educators (promotores and promotoras). These children and young people participate in training and awareness-raising programs, then return to their communities to share their knowledge and skills with other children and young people. CESESMA prioritizes children and young people working on coffee plantations, but has also broadened their community development focus.

CESESMA's work is underpinned by a focus on human rights, and their central strategy is the training and development of promotores/as. They are now developing the capacity of the organization itself and laying the groundwork for institutional sustainability.

About Me

I am interested in access to appropriate ICTs in rural Latin America. I am currently researching additional sources of income for Inveneo, Inc., a San Francisco-based nonprofit that provides ICT solutions for rural organizations in the developing world. Before my work in Nicaragua, I was fundraising and designing/implementing information management systems at TransFair USA, the Oakland-based certifier of Fair Trade products sold in the US. I have lived, studied, and traveled in Nicaragua, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, and Bolivia, as well as Turkey. I have a B.A. in International and Area Studies from the University of Oklahoma.