A history of Oxfam in Nicaragua

50 axes, 100 machetes and truck, the first Oxfam project in Nicaragua

"When the 1972 earthquake devastated Nicaragua, Oxfam organised the ice-cream vendors in Masaya to store and help with the distribution of the smallpox vaccines sent by Oxfam Canada, which we had obtained to combat an epidemic," remembers Reggie Norton, then co-ordinator for Oxfam in Central America.

However, Oxfam's history in the country goes back to a few years before, specifically to 1963. The project might sound merely anecdoctal; it had to do with the authorisation to purchase 50 axes, 100 machetes, and a truck to help the miskitas communities relocated after the new border agreement with Honduras. With that help, they could clean-up and grow crops on their new land, allowing them to sell sorghum commerically to the closest factory. In total, there was an investment of £1,120.

The Nicaraguan cival war had strong consequences for the country. Thousands of people suffered during the armed confrontation and were forced to look for refuge in other countries. In Oxfam's archives, there are records of projects that were approved to assist refugees in Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico.

Reggie Norton remembers the triumph of the Revolution. He was one of the first international NGO representatives to arrive in the country when it happened. On 17 June he was in the country and two days later he was at the symbolic plaze where Revolution Day is still celebrated today. His first action, after speaking to the new Sandinista government, was to approve a fund of around US$50,000 to purchase food for children under five.

During that period, there was a close collaboration between Oxfam and the new government. After increasing the budget for our work in the country, Oxfam channelled funds to support the National Campaign for Literacy, the Popular Health Conferences (along with the Ministry of Health), and the re-activate the local economy in Minas in conjunction with the Ministroy of Agriculture.

Along with the official institutions mentioned above, the list of Nicaraguan organisations that Oxfam has worked with is wide-ranging: the Augusto Cesar Sandino Foundation (Fundación Augusto César Sandino), the Evangelican Committee Pro-Development (Comité Evangélico Pro Ayuda al Desarrollo), the Nicaraguan Institute of Agrarian Reform (Instituto Nicaragüense de la Reforma Agraria), the Nicaraguan Institute of the Atlantic Coast (Instituto Nicaragüense de la Costa Atlántica), the National Union of Farmers and Stockbreeders (Unión Nacional de Agricultores y Ganaderos), the Nicaraguan Institute of Social Security and Welfare (Instituto Nicaragüense de Seguridad Social y Bienestar), among others.

"In 1985, we developed a project for the economic re-activation of the Triángulo Minero [Miners Triangle]. The same model has been used for the Zero Hunger programme by the present government," recalls Guadalupe Salinas Valle, responsible for the programme at the time.

The Atlantic coast has been the base for Oxfam's work in Nicaragua. Oxfam has worked closely on the recognition of the coast's autonomy, participated on the development plans of the RAAN and RAAS, and supported projects geared to backup the settlements of the Miskito and Mayagna communities. Oxfam has also been active in lobbying on access to information and financed the Sunrise newspaper, directed by María José Álvarez, which was distributed in Bluefields.

In 1985, Oxfam published the book 'La amenaza del buen ejemplo' ('The threat of a good example'). In it, the terrible effects that the Contras were provoking among the poor were highlighted. "It was the first time that we were accused of interfering in partisan issues," Salinas Valle points out.

The 90s were marked by the disaster caused by Hurricane Mitch. The impact on the whole region was devastating. "The disaster prompted an appeal and an enormous financial response from the British public. Our programmes were turned upside down and were redirected to support the response and reconstruction efforts," recalls Simon Ticehurst who was in charge of Oxfam's Nicaraguan programme at the time.

The response was linked to a strong effort to reactivate the economy within affected communities. It also had a large impact on Oxfam. "What we learned has been central to how we address emergencies in the region today," adds Ticehurst.

All the work to re-activate the economy in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch has been continued in Oxfam's work to date and has been one of the core points of Oxfam's work in Nicaragua.