We all know how magical a circus ring can be: crazy clowns, fearless acrobats, smart animals and all kind of colorful and dreamlike acts. But here, at the Circo Infantil de Nicaragua the real magic happens backstage, where we learn that a good show takes a lot of dedication, hard work and passion.

Meet Francisco Javier, a passionate apprentice at the Circo Infantil Americano, and learn that a circus is a serious business, where hard work is always required. But the long hours of rehearsal are rewarded with family-like treatment and access to one of the most magical places on earth.

Acrobat Francesca was a mujer de casa before becoming a circus artist. It was love that brought her here to the big tent, where she now splits her time between performances and day-to-day chores.

Continuing their trip through Nicaragua, Planas’ film crew stops in San Nicolás and discusses the lack of potable water. A group of Spaniards have offered to remedy the situation. Why does the problem still exist? Could the elected officials actually be standing in the way of progress?

Trying to figure out why he wouldn’t approve the water project, the filmmakers try to track down the mayor, but they can’t find him at home. They do find children with containers making the trek to the water source from home and back.

The film crew met with a team from Ayuda en Acción, and it appears that its organizational heart is in the right place. Yet, despite the presence of over five hundred NGOs working to improve the lot of Nicaragua’s poor, their plight worsens every year. Many local activists and intellectuals do not trust the non-profits, and accuse them of having their own enrichment as concern numero uno.

That literacy will directly contribute to the health and well being of a people few can doubt. But are a literate people more likely to care for the environment? One man thinks so, and has started a grassroots neighbors teaching neighbors project for the good of both la gente y la tierra.

Does graphic and violence-ridden television news that presents the worst aspects of a society also bring out the worst in its audience? Our filmmaker seems to think so, and believes that it is young viewers who pay the price when spectacle trumps thoughtful analysis and measured presentation.

Does broadcast media really have a responsiblity to promote and defend human rights? Or is it to simply make shows that people like and that attract ratings? Several Nicaraguan journalists and media producers discuss these ideas in a round table discussion.

Spain has never been a country afraid of divisive politics, and filmmaker Joan Planas has no fear of getting controversial when presenting his views of society, church and state. Note that the older gentleman is not speaking straight Spanish but Catalan, and the Spanish captions reflect not his exact words but are the same as the Spanish subtitles seen in white on the screen.

Not only does our filmmaker continue with his diatribe against the state of society as he finds it in Nicaragua, but the story takes an investigative turn. We find that not only doesn’t sponsored-child Christina del Carmen match the photo that had been supplied by Ayuda en Acción, she is also not yet enrolled in a school.

Acclaimed financial blog author, Elaine Miranda, gives us some tips to manage our personal finances and get out of debt, particularly in January following the financial excess that often accompanies the holidays.

Financial blog author, Elaine Miranda, explains that while there are different strategies to get out of debt, the method one chooses is less important than the ability to change the habits of consumption that got that individual into debt in the first place.

Financial expert, Elaine Miranda, tells us about scenarios in which credit cards can be both helpful and hurtful for individuals attempting to gain control over their finances.

Elaine continues to talk about personal finances, including the Fifty-Two-Week Saving Challenge and how to talk to kids about finances.