Camoapa is a large municipality in the central highlands of Nicaragua. The population of the municipality is 40,700, with 67% living in rural areas and 33% living in urban areas, primarily the city of Camoapa. The economy of the municipality is basically agriculture and livestock production. Camoapa is one of the main cattle producing areas in Nicaragua. The dairy industry is the main economic activity in the city of Camoapa, with a large Parmalat milk collection facility, and a newly enlarged cheese factory which exports cheese to other Central American countries. Camoapa is also known for leather goods, and a regional style of woven palm hats and baskets, called pita.
During the revolution in the 1970’s, and the Contra War in the 1980’s, the rural parts of the municipality were a battleground, forcing many campesinos to flee their villages and come to the city. Many of them are still living in makeshift houses in outlying barrios where there are no city services for water, electricity or sanitation. These families, displaced from their small villages, have lost many of their traditions, and their social networks. Because of these losses and widespread unemployment, there is much alcoholism and domestic violence. Many children grow up in single parent households, where their mothers work long hours for low wages. These children are often unsupervised, and roam the town instead of going to school. Under the last three conservative governments, the cost of keeping children in school (including uniforms, supplies and fees) was too much for these families to afford.
Under the present government, the fees have been dropped, and poor children are given at least some of their school supplies. However, many of the families in Camoapa are so overwhelmed by poverty and the hardships of their lives, that they are still unable to keep their children in school.
The average number of years in school for citizens of Nicaragua is 4.5.
