Health Care for 10,000 Nicaraguan Campesinos

At the end of September 2020, Nicaragua Projekt received an exceptional donation from GlobalGiving to use for COVID protection for our patients. Our top priority was to provide a mask for every person and a hygiene kit for every family we serve. So far, we have distributed thousands of masks and hundreds of hygiene kits. We purchase double-layer, washable cloth masks in Ocotal for 50 cents each. This doesn’t sound like much money, but for our clients, if they have 50 cents, the question for them is whether to spend it on a mask for protection against COVID or rice to cook. Now Nicaragua Projekt can provide the masks. The hygiene kits we distribute consist of bars of soap for handwashing, cloth hand towels, and bottles of alcohol to use as a disinfectant and for cleaning hands when no water is available. (Most of our families do not have running water in their homes.) At each mobile clinic, our nurse gives a talk to attendees explaining the importance of wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, disinfecting items with alcohol, and social distancing. People understand. They clutch their hygiene kits as if their lives depend on them. The generous donation from GlobalGiving also enabled us to return to conducting twice-monthly mobile clinics in each of our eleven villages. This is important because if villagers can be treated locally, they can avoid the long journey via trucks and crowded busses to our clinic in Ocotal. We will be able to continue distributing masks and hygiene kits, and conducting twice-monthly mobile clinics, into the New Year. 

The Nicaraguan government denies the existence of COVID19 in Nicaragua. In March and April 2020, the government organized mass rallies and celebrations. Many Nicaraguans have died of "atypical pneumonia" since the COVID19 pandemic has swept the rest of the world. In the eleven villages our health care project serves, our health care providers have been emphasizing the importance of frequent hand washing, social distancing, and wearing masks. However, most of our clients are not wearing masks because they cannot afford to buy them. During our September mobile clinic visits to each of the villages, we will begin distributing washable double-layer fabric masks to our clients. So far, we have purchased 1,000 face masks at 50 cents each. But to provide all of our clients with face masks will require new donations of several thouand dollars.