Nurturing Young Leaders in Nicaragua with Casa Congo, Sirenitas Surf Club & CHAVA

In the scenic coastal stretches of El Astillero and Limón 2, Nicaragua, extraordinary community efforts are bringing about real change in the lives of young girls. Rockflower, in collaboration with Casa Congo, Sirenitas Surf Club and CHAVA, is nurturing a new generation of young leaders through an inspiring initiative designed to empower adolescent girls through surfing, workshops, and community engagement.

Since 2023, this unique partnership has been dedicated to impacting the lives of young girls by fostering a sense of agency and self-worth. The initiative began with a clear mission: to guide young girls through a workshop curriculum that not only teaches surfing but also integrates crucial life skills and goal-setting exercises. This program is uniquely designed to instill confidence and guide these young women toward a self-directed and limitless future.

The program kicked off with significant enthusiasm, expanding its reach from 15 to 30 participants by incorporating additional girls from nearby communities such as El Gigante and El Astillero. This expansion has sparked a vibrant exchange of experiences and a flourishing sense of sisterhood among the participants, demonstrating the power of community in personal development.

The initiative's journey over the past year has been marked by inspiring workshops and significant growth in participant engagement. The transition to new leadership in early 2024 brought fresh energy to the program, with Clara stepping in as Program Director and Kerry, a Sirenitas program alumna, taking on the role of Program Coordinator. This leadership change is a testament to the program’s commitment to nurturing its own graduates into roles where they can further influence and expand the project.

A key component of the project has been the educational workshops, particularly those conducted in partnership with CHAVA, focusing on menstrual health and reproductive knowledge. These workshops have proven pivotal in breaking down stigmas and empowering participants with essential health education, enabling open discussions about topics often considered taboo.

As the project moves forward, Las Sirenitas and Casa Congo continue to prepare for a series of workshops aimed at deeper understanding of agroecology and the impacts of climate change. These sessions are designed to equip the girls with practical knowledge and skills in sustainable farming practices, enhancing their ability to contribute positively to their communities and the environment.

Rockflower is proud to support this transformative initiative that goes beyond traditional education by integrating surfing—a sport that teaches balance, strength, and perseverance. This program is a profound example of how holistic education and sports can play a pivotal role in connecting and uplifting young women. We are excited to continue supporting these young leaders in Nicaragua, helping them to harness their strengths and achieve their potential.

Casa Congo Embarks on New Collaborative Project to Empower Nicaraguan Girls

Rockflower has a deep appreciation for the power of a collective. We could not be more excited to be expanding our relationships in Nicaragua to include a collaboration with Casa Congo, a long standing Rockflower partner, with the Sirenitas Surf Club and CHAVA. This new collective project aims to engage Sirenitas Surf Club participants and neighboring youth by implementing a workshop curriculum, in community with Casa Congo and CHAVA, to impact 50+ young Nicaraguan girls during 2023-2024 by helping them to set goals and promote agency.

Casa Congo is a sustainability hub in El Astillero, Nicaragua, where local communities and international experts come together to create projects that address climate change, social inequality, and economic development challenges. It is also home to two women collectives, Las Tejedoras & Las Flores, who will be involved in the implementation of this project.

Sirenitas Surf Club is a non-profit based in Limón 2, Nicaragua. It was established as a youth club in 2017 and developed into a youth development program for Nicaraguan girls in Limón 2 and neighboring communities with a mission to empower young Nicaraguan girls through surfing, swimming, and education. 

CHAVA is an organization that develops digital solutions that enable young Latinas to become informed and confident advocates for their own sexuality, health, pleasure, education, and power to transform the state of sexual and reproductive health in Latin America. They build upon the growing adoption and preference for digital communication and commerce among Gen-Z and Millennial Latinas to offer access to essential sex education and products. 

Together, these three organizations will combine their strengths to empower underserved adolescent girls  in Nicaragua through a series of workshops over the course of two years. These workshops will help to develop 30 students ages 10-18 who are members of Las Sirenitas and surrounding surf clubs.

Each year will focus on a specific theme. The first being “Puedo hacer cualquier cosa que me proponga./ I can do anything I set my mind to.” and the second, “Mi futuro es brillante./My future is bright.”

The goals of the project are:

1. To create an increased sense of agency among participants including: 

• Developing an understanding of the definition of empowerment 

• Developing an understanding of what empowerment means to the participant and what it means to feel empowered 

• Enhancing perceived level of personal empowerment and self-esteem 

• Acquiring knowledge and skills related to bettering participants’ perceived level of personal empowerment and self-esteem.

2. To provide self-empowerment tools for participants to apply in their own lives including:

• Developing a sense of financial independence 

• Strengthening menstrual and reproductive knowledge to overcome menstrual and reproductive health barriers 

• Developing life planning agency through sexual and reproductive knowledge

Overall, this project will provide a space for adolescent girls who are often preoccupied with meeting their basic needs, to focus on themselves and envision their potential and goals for the future. Helping these young people to find confidence in their own strength along with knowledge about their reproductive and sexual health will help them to have greater agency over their lives as they grow into adulthood. 

Casa Congo

Nicaragua

As one of the last countries to confirm COVID-19 cases Nicaragua is being carefully monitored by the Pan American Health Organization to ensure accurate statistics are being shared. There have been no strict lockdown measures enforced and as a result information about the spread of the virus is not uniform. The need to keep abreast of the government’s reporting will be of ongoing importance in the maintenance of balance for community health.

Concerns and Challenges

Casa Congo is very concerned about the spread of COVID-19 given the state of the Nicaraguan health infrastructure. Those with limited resources and access to healthcare will continue to be at most risk.

Adaptation Measures

As the pandemic began to take hold in late February, Casa Congo’s international team members quarantined in their respective home locations of Dubai, France, the Netherlands, Vancouver and Rome. The team on the ground in Nicaragua made the decision to close school operations to safeguard the local community. Casa Congo itself has been closed to volunteers, tourists and children which continues to challenge a well prepared budget, but the community’s safety is the first priority.

Although the pandemic has significantly altered plans, Casa Congo continues to move forward with great fervor. They have adapted to include numerous initiatives and activities, amongst those, a partnership with Buy Food with Plastic (a local waste program), increased gardening activities, a meeting with the Nicaraguan Minister of the Environment and surf lessons for local children.

Emergency Fund

In the coming weeks, Casa Congo will begin to budget and implement a seed program utilizing our Emergency Fund contribution. With the completion of their application for a grant to deliver water filtration systems, they are now looking ahead to what else can be prepared in advanced for long term food security.

International Day of the Girl

On International Day of the Girl, we celebrate the many ways that our partners work to enhance the opportunities available for girls to reach their full potential.

In Global Ambassador Francesca Ward’s guest blog post detailing her experiences during two summers working with Casa Congo, in Astillero, Nicaragua, she touches on the many ways gender equality is being achieved. One simple one is the need to get more young girls surfing. This is just one way to level the playing field for young girls to see what is possible in determining a new path for their futures.

Read more about the incredible example their mothers are setting for the next generation through their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Astillero Women's Collective Project Expansion into Agroecology

Rockflower is pleased to announce an additional level of support to Casa Congo for the Center for Agroecology in El Astillero, Nicaragua. The center is designed to ensure long term investment in the production and management of food in the community. This will provide a continuation in knowledge sharing and skills training and build a platform of success for the Astillero Women’s Collective, through the Women’s Apprenticeship Program and the Women 4 Water Project.

The Women’s Apprenticeship Program trains apprentices in agroecological processes and agroforestry systems. Once the apprenticeship is completed, the graduates are provided with initial resources to grow or improve their own gardens. All of the apprentices have been members of the Astillero Women’s Collective.

The Women 4 Water Project is a funding program to help women buy water tanks so that they can capture rainwater during the rainy season and store water from the town well during the dry season.

Learn more about the Agroecology Project.