Child labor in artisanal mining is a persistent problem in developing countries, where economic, cultural, and regulatory factors converge in contexts of high informal economic activity. This study analyzes the participation of children and adolescents in artisanal mining in Bonanza, Nicaragua, with the aim of describing their working conditions and evaluating the role of the Bonanza Model as a local strategy for prevention and eradication. The research, which employed a mixed-methods approach and a descriptive cross-sectional design, administered structured surveys to 333 artisanal miners, supplemented by a review of documents and regulations. The study shows that seventy-two minors were identified as involved in mining activities (all boys aged 12 to 17), performing tasks such as refining, loading sacks, and handling tools, with workdays of 4 to 6 hours per day and wages below the minimum wage. Among the associated factors, cultural perceptions that legitimize child labor (35.27 %) stand out, followed by family economic conditions (30.33 %) and the intergenerational transmission of the trade (24.38 %). Furthermore, seventy-four percent of respondents are unaware of the legislation prohibiting child labor. While the Bonanza Model represents a significant initiative in territorial governance, its impact on reducing child labor still faces institutional, social, and cultural challenges. It needs to be strengthened through the creation and implementation of active social policies and profound cultural changes.
Environmental education is a fundamental pillar in the training of professionals capable of understanding environmental problems and acting in accordance with the current legal framework. Its study is important because it allows us to assess how the university integrates environmental awareness, pedagogical practice, and legal responsibility into the training of future Natural Sciences teachers. The objective of this article was to analyze the strategies implemented in the Environmental Education component and their connection to Nicaragua’s legal environmental framework in the training of the III year Natural Sciences students at UNAN-Managua/CUR-Estelí during the second semester of 2025. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach and an interpretive paradigm. Data collection methods included a literature review, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. The study population consisted of nineteen students and one faculty member responsible for the component, selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The results show that the curriculum component is consistent with the principles of Nicaragua´s legal environmental framework and promotes active methodologies geared toward meaningful learning and environmental awareness. However, pedagogical, institutional, and attitudinal limitations persist, hindering a more effective integration of the component. It is concluded that, although there is a link between environmental education and national environmental regulations, it is necessary to strengthen students’ critical understanding of the legal framework so that they not only take environmental actions but also understand their legal basis and their professional responsibility.
This document contains the archeological findings of a reconnaissance visit to identify two pre-Hispanic idols or statues in the municipality of Ubú Norte, Bocana de Paiwas. The vist was led by the Center for Research and Documentation of the Caribbean Coast (CIDCCA-BICU), in accordance with the National Strategy for Education “Bendiciones y Victorias”, which focuses on local and national history and cultural identity. The archeological heritage of Ubú Norte and Malakawas in Bocana de Paiwas, constitutes material evidence of high historical, cultural, and territorial value for understanding the ancient societies of the Nicaraguan Central Caribbean. The study aimed to analyze indigenous statues and mound structures located in this area, using an archeological, ethnohistorical and heritage approach focused on documenting, characterizing, and assessing their state and conservation. It was assumed that these artifacts form part of a cultural landscape associated with ritual practices, community memory, and pre-Hispanic occupation processes. The research adopted a qualitative, descriptive, and non-experimental approach. Targeted archeological survey, document review, photographic recording, photogrammetric documentation, and direct observation of anthropogenic, biological, and environmental agents of deterioration were employed. The results allowed for the documentation of three sculptural artifacts, including two anthropomorphic statues and a possible preform, as well as four mound structure, spatially associated with the Malakawas site. It is concluded that the archeological complex possesses scientific, educational and heritage significance, but is in a vulnerable state requiring urgent actions for protection, inventory, preventive conservation, technical monitoring, and community heritage education.
La inocuidad de los productos pesqueros constituye un componente esencial de la seguridad alimentaria y de la protección de la salud pública en regiones costeras con alta dependencia del consumo de recursos marinos. La presente investigación se justificó por la necesidad de generar evidencia científica local sobre el estado microbiológico del camarón fresco comercializado en mercados minoristas de Bluefields ante la limitada información disponible para el Caribe nicaragüense. El objetivo fue evaluar la calidad bacteriológica del camarón fresco comercializado en tres puestos de venta mediante la determinación de Escherichia coli y Salmonella spp y su relación con las condiciones higiénico-sanitarias del entorno de comercialización, contrastando los resultados con los estándares normativos vigentes. El estudio es cuantitativo, descriptivo y de corte transversal, basado en un muestreo no probabilístico. Las muestras fueron analizadas mediante el método de Petrifilm y tomando en cuenta las condiciones higiénico-sanitarias en los puntos de venta. Los resultados evidenciaron la presencia de Escherichia coli en concentraciones superiores a los límites permisibles y la detección de Salmonella spp. Estos hallazgos confirman la hipótesis planteada, mostrando un deterioro significativo de la calidad microbiológica del producto, asociado a deficiencias en las prácticas de manipulación, conservación y control sanitario. Se concluye que el camarón fresco comercializado en Bluefields, presenta un riesgo potencial para la salud del consumidor, lo que subraya la necesidad de fortalecer la vigilancia sanitaria, la capacitación de los actores involucrados y la aplicación efectiva de buenas prácticas de higiene en los mercados minoristas del Caribe nicaragüense.
Las elevadas tasas de natalidad relacionado con el tamaño reducido de las viviendas en el barrio Filemón Rivera de la ciudad de Bilwi, Puerto Cabezas, han generado la necesidad de buscar soluciones prácticas para satisfacer requerimientos básicos de higiene personal, como el lavado de ropa. El objetivo del estudio consistió en evaluar la viabilidad de un proyecto de lavandería en el área. Como instrumento de recolección de datos, se aplicó una encuesta a 30 familias del barrio. La muestra fue seleccionada al azar considerando como parámetro a padres de familia laboralmente activos. Asimismo, se proyectó una oferta de lavado de 87,600 piezas anuales, representando el 93%. Los indicadores económicos y financieros proyectan un resultado positivo en los próximos 5 años. Con financiamiento, se espera recuperar la inversión en 1 año y 8 meses y sin financiamiento, la proyección es de 1 año y 9 meses. Las estimaciones indicaron que el flujo con valor de salvamento del Valor Actual Neto (VAN) fue de C$ 140,697.69, la Tasa Interna de Retorno (TIR) 22.84% y Relación Beneficio-Costo (RBC) de C$1.14, lo que indica que por cada córdoba invertido se recibiría un retorno de 0.14 centavos de córdobas. El estudio demuestra que un proyecto de lavandería en el Barrio Filemón Rivera es viable tanto social como económicamente.
