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Soccer Without Borders

Nicaragua

Serving girls in the city of Granada and advancing gender equity across the region since 2008

SWB Nicaragua in Action

I don't know what type of person I would be if Soccer Without Borders weren't a part of my life. I feel its influence has formed me to be who I am. To be a part of the leadership team, to feel the desire to help, to be with the girls in the program, to share with them, to listen to their desires and dreams. Soccer Without Borders hasn't changed my life, it has formed my life.

Natalia, SWB Nicaragua Graduate

About SWB Nicaragua

A group of five older female SWB participants stand together in SWB shirts.

Soccer Without Borders Nicaragua uses soccer as a way to build leadership, improve educational outcomes, and strengthen social-emotional skills for girls, ages 5-20. At SWB Nicaragua, sport, education, and leadership development go hand-in-hand. There are many factors that cause a girl in Nicaragua to drop out of school, including domestic responsibilities in the home, a financial need to work in the market/informal economy, unplanned pregnancy, and a lack of visible pathways and encouragement for women to enter the workforce and pursue a career. SWB addresses these barriers through holistic, long-term programming and a future-focused culture that invites girls to "dream big" and imagine their future.

Featured Initiatives

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Coaches Earn D Licenses

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Meet
Granada FC

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2023 Education Report

SWB Nicaragua By the Numbers

Most Recent Year

An SWB Nicaragua participant smiles at the camera.
Overview

859

youth served

80%

retention rate

from year to year

88%

average academic advancement rate

58%

of coaches are program alumnae

134

primary, secondary, and university scholarships awarded

93

women coaches trained through SOMOS Equidad

Spotlights

Veronica Balladares smiles and laughs as she coaches girls.

Spotlight: Co-Director Veronica Balladares

At SWB Nicaragua, "If she can see it, she can be it" is an everyday experience, as women like Veronica Balladares are breaking barriers in sport and beyond. Veronica was one of the first women to join SWB as a coach in Granada in 2008. After 7 years of balancing her studies and work with her passion for SWB, in 2015 she was named Co-Director of SWB Nicaragua. She has since set the highest bar across SWB in developing leadership pathways for participants to become coaches and leaders.

Spotlight: Education Program

Since its creation, the SWB Education & Leadership program has awarded over 450 scholarships, including 35 university scholarships. Scholarship recipients not only receive funding for school fees, but also the tools needed to attend, including uniforms (required for all public and private schools), gym class uniforms, shoes, backpacks, computer and internet access, tutoring sessions, notebooks, pens, and more. In 2021, we published a status report and spotlight on the program.

A set of SWB backpacks are stacked for participants.

SWB Nicaragua Partners

Building a more inclusive world requires a shared purpose and a collaborative approach. Our partners and supporters enable us to provide programming to youth free-of-cost, while also providing complementary services to youth and families when their needs fall outside of our scope.

Official Uniform Provider
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Official Game Ball
Common Goal Logo
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Boreiko Family Foundation

Bristol Link UK

Cruz Roja

Federación Independiente de Granada

FENIFUT – Fútbol Federation of Nicaragua

Girls' Rights Project

Global Rescue

Granada FC
 

Hotel Con Corazon

INTECNA

MINED- Ministerio de Educación

Thomas H. Pope Memorial Fund

Together Women Rise

U.S. Department of State-SportsUnited

U.S. Embassy in Managua

SWB Nicaragua Latest News

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