El Tránsito

Our First Community: El Tránsito

The people of El Tránsito welcomed Terri Marlett the first time she visited. At that time, NICA did not exist, and the Marlett family had not done any work in the town. Even then, the residents were excited someone was interested in helping their community. When you visit El Tránsito, you too will feel the warmth Terri felt on her first visit.

El Tránsito has a population of about 900 people, most of whom do not have potable drinking water. More than 60% of the townspeople live on less than $1 per day. The average house is a shack by U.S. standards, and everyone uses an outhouse because there is no indoor plumbing or sewage system.

Fishing supplies the majority of the limited number of jobs in the town, and fishermen are generally the wealthiest people, but unfortunately most of them have severe problems with alcoholism, which results in hungry children and broken homes. Currently, the fishermen do not use fishing rods and reels to catch fish. If they cannot afford nets, they use only fishing line and hooks, which they reel by hand.

For health care needs, the people must travel 90 minutes to either Managua or Leon. Once they arrive, there is a good possibility they will receive inadequate medical care due to over-worked doctors and insufficient medical supplies. There are no ambulances or emergency personnel trained to react in an emergency in rural Nicaragua. The local store has a pharmacy, but only a limited selection of medications is available.

Roads and other infrastructure are largely nonexistent. During the rainy season, the dirt roads in the town flood, making it impossible to pass without a 4WD vehicle. The buses that pass through the flooded areas create huge ruts that make it impossible for regular cars to pass, once the mud holes dry up.

Electricity is an ongoing problem for the country. In rural areas, the power is often out for several days at a time. The water supply is delivered from wells powered by electric pumps. When there is no electricity, generally there is no water.

The conditions in El Tránsito are distressing, but the smallest offer of assistance can change lives in the community. Whether you can give money, gifts or time, the people there will welcome your support and be grateful for the assistance they recieve.

Check out our 2006-07 Project Status Report to find out about our latest accomplishments and future plans.