Society, Culture and Memory

01.01.2024 - 30.06.2030

The programme’s objective is to strengthen and diversify the voices and spaces in civil society from the perspective of culture and memory. Using competitive funds and making contributions to key actors, the aim is to update the offer in training, education and professionalization of the sector. The programme responds to a demand of civil society and expands SDC’s commitment in the field of culture, the recovery of identities and memory in Nicaragua.

PRODET – Programa Desarrollo Económico Territorial

01.09.2020 - 31.03.2025

In Nicaragua, the department of Nueva Segovia is known for its very high poverty level but also for its important economic growth potential, a dynamic productive sector and well-cooperating municipalities. In this context, the program promotes territorial economic development favouring vulnerable populations. Capacities and the coordination of public and private actors shall be enhanced, institutions strengthened, innovation systems supported, and productivity as well as competitiveness improved.

Supporting Civil Society Organizations in Nicaragua

01.08.2020 - 31.12.2024

SDC and other like-minded donors are engaged in enhancing the democratic and public policy processes in Nicaragua. A strong civil society is essential to the quality and sustainability of this effort. The proposed program will promote citizen participation, strengthen capacities of Civil Society Organizations and foster informed policy dialogue. 

Strengthening Systems that Combat Corruption and Impunity in Central America

01.07.2020 - 30.04.2027

The national systems that combat corruption and impunity in Central America are weak. Led by the Organization of American States and the United Nations, mechanisms were set up in Honduras and in Guatemala to promote rule law by strengthening the cohesion and coordination within governments, the judiciary system, civil society, and anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering entities. SDC contributes to both mechanism to support the fight against organized crime and impunity, and enhancing knowledge management between the two mechanisms.

Central America: Regional Program for Environmental Governance and Resilience in the Gulf of Fonseca

01.06.2020 - 31.12.2024

The regional program fosters shared governance of natural resources to build resilience in the coastal communities of the Gulf of Fonseca. It contributes to the protection and sustainable use of the shared mangrove ecosystem of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. Switzerland sees this gulf region as a priority for its high levels of poverty and extreme vulnerability to climate change. 

Community-driven watershed management for climate change adaptation in Nicaragua

01.01.2020 - 31.12.2024

In Nicaragua’s “dry corridor” strong climate variability results in reduced agricultural production and scarcity of water. The project will contribute to: the dialog among all actors of selected watersheds; commonly agreed upon action planning; and community-led rehabilitation of ecosystems. This will enhance the resilience of poor parts of the population confronted with climate change and will allow a healthy agro-ecological balance to be re-established in the watersheds.

Grassroots women building resilience and peace in Central America.

01.10.2019 - 31.12.2022

The project enables two thousand grassroots women and their families to implement effective climate adaptation practices and strengthen their voice and leadership to influence related public plans and policies. The exchange of good local practices will be fostered among women in the region, thus increasing their resilience to climate change and variability.

Inclusive Cities

01.09.2019 - 30.04.2030

The programme promotes inclusive governance in the north-central region of Nicaragua. It strengthens the links between secondary cities and their rural environs, with a focus on participatory planning, economic development and environmental management. Secondary cities play a key role to reduce internal development gaps and promote decentralization. The intervention will capitalise twelve years of SDC experience with local governance in rural municipalities in the same region.

Central America: Zamorano - Educating future leaders

01.12.2018 - 31.12.2022

Cosecha de Agua (Water Harvesting)

01.11.2018 - 31.12.2022

This project strengthens the food security of 2,500 families and responds to the challenges of climate change and the economic crisis in Nicaragua’s dry corridor. The second phase of the project is intended to systematize and replicate on a larger scale water harvesting and other practices for more efficient use of water resources. In the interest of enhanced implementation efficiency and effectiveness, the participation of the government is reduced and a contribution to a specialized international organization is proposed.

Program “Strengthening Governance and Human Rights in Central American with a focus on the Northern Triangle”

01.08.2018 - 30.09.2030

The program contributes to reducing impunity for human rights violations and to protecting the economic, social and cultural rights of the indigenous and afro-descent peoples pursuant to Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization. The program strengthens the regulatory framework for international human rights standards and promotes dialogue around natural resource conflicts including the public and the private sector.

Cocoa value chain

01.01.2018 - 31.12.2022

Actors in the Central American cocoa value chain improve their productivity, establish public-private alliances, respect economic, social and cultural rights, and reduce their environmental impact. Thanks to the program 4,500 producer families will increase their net annual income by at least 10%, while 4,000 young adults and 2,000 women gain access to sustainable jobs. This will boost the local economy in the poor and peripheral areas in which cocoa is grown.