Building practical pathways to prosperity in La Calle Real

Opportunities for children with disabilities are extremely limited in rural Nicaragua, due to lack of infrastructure including poor roads, inability to access medical services and equipment, and lack of special education programming in the local schools. Most children with special needs spend all day at home with limited social contact or enrichment opportunities.

Our special needs program aims to improve the quality of life for these children by providing enrichment and learning opportunities through twice weekly classes, staffed by our talented program director, Veronica and several classroom assistants. As part of this program, we provide a snack and transportation to the community center using our van, which was purchased in early 2026 thanks to our generous donors. The children also have the opportunity to participate in occasional field trips and other community gatherings and events. Children in the program are able to receive regular health evaluations from our health clinic pediatrician and receive aid in supporting their individual health challenges.

Our program's reach extends to the caregivers of these children through a monthly support group led by Veronica. For those students who are unable to attend, we conduct home visits to ensure they are safe and to provide positive social contact and support.

In Spanish, this program is called Rayitos de Luz, which means Rays of Light, because these inspiring children radiate a beautiful light into the world around them. It is a gift to see this light grow even brighter with access to our life-changing support services.

As the poorest country in Latin America, wages in Nicaragua are often insufficient to meet basic needs, especially in rural areas, where jobs are also scarce. English fluency is an enormous advantage, opening doors to jobs in tourism, call centers, or with other international employers. English fluency can double or triple the salary of a Nicaraguan worker.

Because of the economic earning power provided by English fluency in Nicaragua, a main focus of our organization is to provide free, accessible English classes to the community. As of 2026, we have 50 students in our English Academy, which includes classes for primary-school-aged children, secondary-school-aged teenagers, and adults.

Utilizing curriculum from the evidence-based EnglishConnect program, our intensive English classes are taught by Nicaraguan teachers with university degrees in English. Each English Academy class meets in our community center two to three times a week. Students focus on gaining vocabulary and activating new grammar concepts among their peers, building confidence as well as conversational fluency that will ultimately enable them to obtain gainful employment. The increased salaries of a few community members bring more money into circulation in the village, furthering economic development in the community as a whole.

Despite rapid globalization and the spread of new technologies such as smartphones to developing countries, many residents in rural areas lack access to computers. According to the World Population Review (2026), there are 4 computers per 100 people in Nicaragua, a very low number compared to the 80 computers per 100 people in the U.S. Despite the shortage of computers, Nicaraguan university students are required to complete most homework assignments online. Even if university students are able to access a computer for their homework, many lack the digital skills necessary to navigate computer programs.

To help school-aged children build computer skills in preparation for college and the workplace, we offer computer skills classes at our community center. Using our shared laptops, students learn typing skills and gain proficiency in Microsoft programs such as Word and Excel. After passing a basic skills test, students are taught foundational computer science concepts, such as logic and basic coding. When computer classes are not in session, current university students can access our laptops to complete and submit their homework assignments.

Furthermore, our computer program encourages the pursuit of computer science careers among standout students. Among impoverished Nicaraguans, computer science skills can open doors to higher-paying jobs with international companies. Our computer program coordinator, Hermes, chooses a few standout students each semester to take a fundamentals of computer science course through the online university platform BYU Pathways. The fundamentals course introduces these students to the field of computer science, helping them succeed in university computer science courses should they choose to pursue this career.

Most of the food supply in La Calle Real is imported from Nicaragua's second largest city, Leon, which is 90 minutes away. However, because delivery trucks and street vendors often lack refrigeration, fresh produce spoils before it can be transported to La Calle Real, resulting in a shortage of fruits and vegetables in the community. This shortage leads to an overreliance on processed foods--the diets of many residents lack the necessary nutrients provided by fruits and vegetables, exacerbating chronic health conditions such as diabetes.

To combat the produce shortage and encourage self-reliance, we provide gardening supplies and guidance for families in the community who want to cultivate fruits and vegetables at home, including papaya, tomatoes, and peppers. Our garden project manager, Harold, teaches the families how to plant the seeds, care for the crops, and harvest the produce in the gardens. Harold visits the participating families at least biweekly and has recently helped a few of them install vertical garden structures to optimize water use.

Families in La Calle Real also have the opportunity to help care for a community garden, which is planted right behind our community center. Those who help plant and water the seeds, weed the land, and harvest the vegetables get to reap the fruits of their labor by taking the produce home. The community garden program encourages discipline and consistency and rewards its participants with fresh, nutritious food.

Here at Pathways to Prosperity, we understand the importance of centering the voices of the people of La Calle Real in the work that we do. To build unity among the community and identify areas where our services are most needed, we have two community councils: one for adults and one for the youth (teenagers and young adults).

Each council is composed of about 10 interested community members from various neighborhoods in the village. The councils meet weekly to discuss problems in the community and develop and implement solutions to these problems. They also plan extracurricular and community-building events such as pickleball tournaments. Each member of the council receives regular leadership training from our on-the-ground staff.

This year, our adult council is working on a project to teach healthy habits and encourage community members to implement these habits in their lives. In the past, the adult council has identified safety concerns in the community, and Pathways to Prosperity provides the resources to address these concerns. For example, the adult council worked to build a streetlight in a dark intersection where pedestrians had been injured by motorcycles at night.

Our youth council focuses on problems that largely affect young people in the community. After speaking with other youth, the council identified the widespread need and desire for accessible exercise facilities. The council is currently working with the director of the community center, Carlos, to make plans to build a gym, which will also create employment opportunities for young people in La Calle Real.

As in many rural villages, the local primary and secondary schools in rural Nicaragua are understaffed, underfunded, and under-resourced, leading to overcrowding in classrooms and lower-quality education for each student, despite the heroic efforts of local teachers and school administrators. Rural villagers with more disposable income can pay to send their children to private schools in Leon, but this option is not accessible for most people in La Calle Real.

To improve educational opportunities and outcomes for children in La Calle Real, Pathways to Prosperity has developed a strong positive relationship with the public schools. We regularly send local staff and interns to provide one-on-one tutoring for children who struggle with literacy in the secondary school, and our humanitarian groups make special visits to teach lessons and play games with the primary-school children.

Our biggest collaboration with the secondary school is a life skills class taught by Carlos, the director of our community center. The life skills class helps students identify their strengths and interests and develop a plan for life after graduation. For those who are interested in university, Carlos identifies motivated students to be granted monthly scholarships to attend school as part of our scholarship program.

As part of this course, the students take vocational training classes through the Carlos Slim platform, which allows them to explore their fields of interest. The students are awarded certificates for each Carlos Slim course they complete; the certificates are a strong addition to the students' resumes, demonstrating basic proficiency in their field of choice.

Learn more about the Scholarship Program.

As in many countries, a college degree provides a significant boost in employability and earning power in Nicaragua. Nicaragua has both public and private universities, with the public universities being free to attend. For rural students, however, there are still many barriers to accessing a college education. The closest university to La Calle Real is the UNAN in Leon, which is a 90-minute bus ride away from the village. Bus fare fees can add up, and when you combine the cost of transportation with fees for books, document printing, meals, and other materials, the total is often more than an impoverished family can afford.

Pathways to Prosperity makes college education accessible for 25 motivated students by covering these costs with a monthly scholarship. This money is deposited into the bank accounts of the scholarship recipients at the beginning of each month. Thanks to our scholarship money, students from La Calle Real have graduated with a variety of college degrees including nursing and pharmacy. When choosing students for our scholarship program, we prioritize those who plan to study for careers that will result in gainful employment and bring resources back to the community, including English, medicine, and computer science.

As part of their award, each scholarship student is required to complete a few monthly service hours and make progress toward a vocational course of their choice. We connect students with local businesses in the region so they can do service related to their field of study, creating an experience similar to an unpaid internship. For example, our education majors serve in the local schools, and our nursing majors shadow community nurses at our medical clinic. The goal is to connect students with opportunities to gain hands-on experience in their field to prepare them for the workforce while also encouraging them to give back to their community.

The Economic Development Program empowers individuals in the La Calle Real community to become economically self-sufficient. We support local small businesses with the resources they need to expand, grow, and create lasting opportunity in the village.

When local businesses grow, they can hire, train, and retain residents who are currently unemployed. That growth strengthens families economically and keeps more income circulating in the community.

We help in three practical ways: we provide funding to support business growth and expansion, we offer business expertise and guidance, and we connect business owners with additional mentorship and support from local Nicaraguan business experts.

Our overall goal is to increase the economic viability of La Calle Real by creating sustainable businesses and employment opportunities.