The territory
The three rural areas where CESESMA works
Samulalí district, Municipality of Matagalpa
Samulalí is a remote rural area forming part of the Municipality of Matagalpa, about 25 km south-east of Matagalpa city. It is a mountainous area with a wet tropical mountain climate. The main economic activity is agriculture and there are high levels of poverty and extreme poverty. There is a strong indigenous community presence in Samulalí, many of whom conserve ancestral traditions.
CESESMA has worked in Samulalí since 1998, with active presence in six communities. Samulalí has three health posts, five primary schools, one small secondary school and seven community pre-school groups
There is more detailed information about Samulalí on the Spanish page
Yasica Sur district, Municipality of San Ramón
Yasica Sur is a rural area forming part of the Municipality of San Ramón, some 20 km east of Matagalpa. It is a mountainous area with a wet tropical mountain climate. The main economic activity is coffee production; there are also maize, beans, chayotes and cattle. There are high levels of poverty and extreme poverty, due to the economic crisis of the coffee industry.
Yasica Sur has a health centre, 12 primary schools and one secondary. However it is estimated that around 34% of children do not attend school for various reasons. There is a high incidence of child labour, particularly in the coffee plantations. There is also a small-farmer co-operative coffee-growing sector, which generally provides better conditions for children and families. In recent years this sector has started to attract coffee-related eco-tourism projects.
CESESMA works directly in 12 communities in Yasica Sur and also has a presence is several of the large coffee plantations.
There is more detailed information about Yasica Sur on the Spanish page.
Municipality of El Tuma - La Dalia
The Municipality of El Tuma-La Dalia is situated about 45 km north-east of Matagalpa, centred on the town of La Dalia. It has an area of 650 km2.
It has a population of 64,780, of which 85% is rural and 15% urban. It is a very young population, with 52% aged 16 or under.
Most of the municipality is rural. It is a mountainous area, the highest peak being Peñas Blancas (1,745 m). The area has a wet tropical mountain climate. The main economic activity is coffee production; there are also maize, beans and cattle-farming. There is logging of precious hardwood in the area's few remaining forests. There are high levels of poverty and extreme poverty, due to the economic crisis of the coffee industry.
CESESMA works in 16 communities throughout the district, and also has a presence in six large coffee plantations and two farmers' cooperatives.
There is more detailed information about El Tuma-La Dalia on the Spanish page.
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