Yogurt con Amor, Nutrition for Kids w/disABILITY

We just finished the month of May promoting Yogurt con Amor, as a project that promotes Special Mothers.  During this time, we have also been living in a political and social crisis in the country of Nicaragua.  I think it is very important to send out a report now to let donors and friends of Yogurt con Amor know that the project has continued in the midst of many obstacles.  This project provides yogurt to mothers of Familias Especiales who are suffering from chemotherapy treatments in Matagalpa.  Most of these mothers cannot eat other foods and the nutritious yogurt makes a major difference to them.  There are also children who are suffering from malnourishment and being able to get a yogurt improves their health.  Sometimes during this crisis, we have had to shut down our special education school and other social services projects because of the danger.  But the yogurt team has continued to go out and sell yogurt, because the funds that Yogurt con Amor raises supports a lunch program that makes over 110 meals during weekdays.

It also helps pay for salaries of people with a handicap.  During this crisis we lost one of our workers who started out in yogurt.  She died of a heart condition.  Luis Amanda.  When she started in yogurt she was a very sad person who walked with a cane.  Our physical therapist did a check up on her since she was a new worker.  He immediately went to Human Resources to report that if she did not get an operation right now she would lose her leg.  This was a little tricky since she had just started and her insurance did not begin for a week and we were about to start Spring Vacation.  But with quick thinking on the part of Human Resources and our therapists she was admitted to the hospital and not only had the operation she needed but had two others which saved her life and her limbs.  She had only worked one week and then had paid sick leave for 4 months to recuperate.  When she came back to work I asked her why she had not had the operations before and she said “Well as a person with a handicap I never had insurance before working at Familias Especiales.”  Luis Amanda continued to work in Yogurt con Amor with a gusto and she began to take extra care of her physical appearance.  She changed jobs within Familias Especiales because of her heart condition so when she died she was working in Recycle a little less stressful job.  Just before she died I saw her chatting with other workers and I said to her.  “Wow you always look like a supermodel.”  She smiled and said “I love my job and want to look my best.”  She had worked for 9 years,3.5 months. She was loved by many and all of her co-workers were very sad and somewhat shocked at her sudden death in the middle of the country's crisis.   I wanted to feature her in this report on Yogurt con Amor because she really exemplifies the spirit, giving her all to work with  other people with a handicap always striving to be her best. Now as they go out to sell yogurt the staff knows that their goal is to help people with a handicap to have better nutrition and to help pay salaries for people like Luis Amanda who was able to live a dignified life.