American Nicaraguan Foundation

To improve the living conditions of impoverished rural communities by giving them access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation facilities.

To improve the access to and quality of medical attention provided to people living in poverty across Nicaragua, and build dignified houses, build medical centers, community centers, and schools.

To create incentives for parents to send their children to school, and to obtain a higher percentage of children in primary and secondary school, as well as building new learning facilities, provide school supplies, and nutritious meals for school children.

To promote sustainable agricultural practices in an effort to help rural families in Nicaragua achieve food security and sustained economic growth, while contributing to the maintenance of ecosystems and strengthening capacities to adapt to local climate change.

Most water and sanitation interventions complement ANF's housing initiatives; together they change families' hygiene behaviors and strengthen the communities' capacity to manage their new facilities once projects conclude.

ANF distributes food, medicine, medical supplies, and equipment to a network of more than 130 health centers throughout the country. Additionally, ANF supports feeding and nutritional recovery programs and carries out health education campaigns for low income students and their families.

ANF has been working with international entities and the Government of Nicaragua to improve the living conditions of impoverished families through the construction of dignified, two-bedroom houses. In many rural communities where ANF builds homes, we often build medical centers, community centers, and schools. Moreover, ANF provides families with tools and training to improve their livelihoods.

ANF focuses its educational programs on reducing the indirect costs of education, thereby creating incentives for parents to send their children to school. This is accomplished through the distribution of in-kind donations (school supplies, books, classroom furniture) and the implementation of school feeding programs. Additionally, ANF supports the construction of classrooms, computer labs, and water and sanitation stations.

Through its Center for Agricultural Training, ANF also promotes agricultural research and new, low-cost technologies to improve small-scale farmer's agricultural knowledge and practices.

ANF relies on a holistic community development model that integrates solutions in the areas of health & nutrition, housing, water & sanitation, agriculture and humanitarian aid.

ANF has a network of more than 1,000 local partners organizations throughout Nicaragua, including local governments, schools, clinics, religious institutions, NGOs, and civil society organizations.

With the support of this network, ANF reaches the poorest communities, having a significant impact on thousand of families.

Thanks to ANF's Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) program, to date we have built 117 water wells, connected 4,897 household water systems by installing tap stands in their yards/plots, built 9,525 sanitation facilities, benefiting 92,491 people.

We have helped improve the health of 2,530 malnourished children, and helped build 11 children feeding centers, as well as building/rehabilitating 13 medical clinics and also supported the construction of 19,936 houses, benefiting 99,680 people.

ANF has distributed 1,037 containers of school supplies, supported the construction and rehabilitation of 140 classrooms and schools, established 8 computer labs, and helped train over 1,500 teachers in new teaching methodologies.

We have established 28 greenhouses, benefiting 217 small-holder farmers, provided technical assistance in training bean and papaya farmers, and beekeepers. 1,925 families benefited with fruit and vegetable garden initiatives, and we have built 58 community centers.

However, there is still a lot to be done. Our mission is to reduce the impact of poverty in the lives of the most vulnerable population throughout the whole country.