Siuna

The Siuna experience is one of cultural immersion coupled with shared community development work between Nicaraguan community members and the North American brigadistas. Together, they work on construction, agricultural, and health projects, eat, play, laugh, and learn about Nicaragua's history, culture and customs, the effects and causes of poverty and inter-connectedness between Nicaraguan and U.S. history. A sense of pride is created among community members as they explain and share their work with their visitors. Brigadistas get to experience Siuna the Siuneño way; hiking through the forests and taking canoes, using machetes, playing Nicaraguan games with Nicaraguan families, and eating Nicaraguan food all while learning how to be responsible global citizens.

Siuna is a former gold mining town located in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN). Developed around gold mining industry, the urban population was left largely unemployed when gold production began to decrease. Investment in the town was mainly to benefit the gold industry, therefore the municipality still lacks adequate infrastructure including potable water and roads.

Siuna contains gold below its surface and gems within its lush forests. A portion of BOSAWAS BioReserve, the second largest rainforest in the Americas, is located within the municipality. Ironically, despite its neighboring bio-reserve containing an abundance of clean water sources, Siuna has some of the most polluted water in Nicaragua. Siuna is diverse and multi-cultural; visitors will hear the Caribbean music of the Atlantic while riding horses along side cowboys who migrated from the Pacific.

In Siuna, Bridges works in six communities on a variety of sustainable development projects-- projects communities will be able to continue long after Bridges leaves. With the support of Bridges to Community, community members from Siuna are empowered and equipped to launch sustainable development projects in their own communities. Volunteers who come to Siuna will have the opportunity to participate in our development programs alongside Nicaraguan families, our project specialists, local university students and Bridges' volunteer coordinators.