Camps at SWB Nicaragua are week-long events held during out-of-school time that bring together girls from across the Granada region for team-building activities, leadership workshops, and soccer. Each camp celebrates and amplifies the themes of team-work, inclusion, and gender equity within and beyond the FSF community. Through SWB's year-round program and annual camps, girls ages 6-20 develop key skills and a sense of belonging that supports their pursuit of growth, inclusion, and personal success.
 
Soccer and cultural exchanges are essential to the success of TEAM Camp. As a part of the SWB team you will wear many hats and support all aspects of the camp from preparation, to set-up, to equipment distribution, to coaching and playing. You will use your energy, enthusiasm, and passion for soccer to help facilitate on and off field activities for players throughout the week. As a team, guests and staff will have opportunities throughout the week to get to know one another, experience the city of Granada and its culture, get to know local families through home-stays, participate in team-building, reflect on the meaning of authentic collaboration, and understand our work in the context of the larger sport-for-development movement.

Fútbol Femenino in Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western hemisphere with 30% of the population living below the poverty line (as of 2020). Schools in Nicaragua are generally half-day, with a majority of youth dropping out prior to graduation from secondary school. While the challenges for all young people are significant, opportunities for girls are even more rare.

Although sport-based programming has proven itself an effective intervention for these and other challenges, girls and women face significant economic and cultural barriers to participation. Specifically, only 4% of Nicaraguan girls participate in school-based extracurricular sports, and only 13% informally play sports in their neighborhoods, compared to 52% of boys (PAHO). Less than half (48%) of Nicaraguan girls believe their neighborhoods are safe for sports. Nearly two-thirds of Nicaraguan girls report that their parents “never” or “almost never” support their participation in sports compared to 87% of boys reporting that they receive “daily” support.

While sport and sports teams have been proven to address these challenges, particularly with girls, the aggregate of these numbers is that 90% of girls in Nicaragua report barriers to participation. Parent permission, safe spaces, and resources such as equipment and sport clothing are the top three reported barriers (PAHO). As a result, there is a huge need for youth-centered programs that are accessible to girls and young women. SWB Nicaragua meets this need by providing positive learning opportunities during out-of-school time, educational support, and support networks of peers and mentors to ensure that students graduate, stay healthy, and reach their full potential.