Technology for Improved Learning and Education in the Bosawás Region of Nicaragua (TILE) Project

The indigenous territory of the Miskito is located in the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve. Bosawás is one of the most remote regions of Nicaragua, reachable only by a nine-hour journey in a dugout canoe along the Rio Coco. The Miskito live a precarious existence where only 50% of the people are literate. In a region challenged by location that sees the people here being marginalized by the centralized government, a river that makes trade and economic activities challenging, and natural disasters that threaten a way of life that relies on the land.

Barriers to educational achievement in this region include: 1) poor quality education at all levels; 2) a lack of educational resources; 3) untrained teachers; 4) the absence of culturally and linguistically appropriate or adapted curriculum; 5) gender inequality; 6) a high drop-out rates as a result of social and economic factors, including early pregnancy; 7) a lack of community support for secondary education, especially for girls; and 8) the marginalization from technology and government support for education due to remoteness and a lack of statistical data