February, 2005
Friends,
I am happy to report that Children’s Wellness Fund is continuing to make progress with our project in Nicaragua. While our first three months in Nicaragua were spent mostly on getting set up – from a legal, a physical, and a staffing perspective, the last three months have been focused on implementation. We now have a small office in the heart of Granada, and with the completion of our census of the Zapatera we have a more complete picture of the people of the island. In collaboration with Bayview Financial we were able to purchase and solicit donations for some 43 boxes of toys and household goods, ship them to the country, navigate our way through customs, and deliver all of the items directly to people in need. We hosted 3 Christmas parties on the island and one in Granada (albeit late) where we presented all of the children and parents with gifts (including toys, sports equipment, and kitchen utensils).
Healthcare for the people of the island (who formerly had limited or no access) is one of our top priorities. We have contracted with a Nicaraguan doctor to spend the next three months on the island serving the needs of the people. We decided that for at least this 90-day period that all costs of medical care, including medicines themselves, will be borne by the foundation. In the future, once the most immediate needs are dealt with, we may implement a system in which care will require a nominal monetary cost (or exchange for services). While the doctor will work for us independent of the government, we have received the approval of the Ministry of Health for this project and will be providing a full report to them periodically. His assignment includes the following:
He will provide examinations and medicines for both children and adults throughout the island.
He will conduct training for the parents focusing on basic medical care and hygiene.
He will coordinate visits by a dentist and an optometrist.
In particular he will focus on ridding the children immediately of their parasites (worms) and on pre- and post-natal care.
Complementing our census by collecting more health and mortality data for the population.
Helping us over the next 90 days to formulate a long term health care plan for the people of the island and the surrounding region.
Our education initiative has also begun in earnest. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education we have provided for two additional teachers for the island (to serve two remote communities), we have purchased school supplies and books, and are supplying a daily brunch to the children consisting of milk and a snack. In addition, all children will soon receive uniforms, in part to increase the status of school attendees. We hope that the combination of increased resources, the breakfast, and the promise of uniforms will result in increased enrollment and attendance.
One of the fundamental problems in remote rural areas such as Zapatera is the lack of a connection to the electricity grid. The absence of electricity makes so many things impossible, and effectively shuts down the community at sundown (most people do not have the resources to purchase any form of lighting, including flashlight batteries or kerosene for lanterns). We believe that electricity is pretty darn important and have focused much of our energy on energy:
We have contracted with a local solar company to construct and install on the island two community photovoltaic panel clusters. The company will also provide training to many islanders on basic electricity and on the maintenance of solar cells and batteries.
The two solar energy stations are sufficiently large to power lights for two schoolhouses, some fans, television and vcr, and items required by the doctor (including a refrigerator).
We have provided to 20 families and will be providing shortly to the remaining 80 families a new flashlight that runs solely on human power (with a hand crank).
We have much that we would like to accomplish over the next several months. We would like to help the islanders to build community structures such as schools and a health center, and over the next several months we will begin this process. Additionally, we still have not solved the communications and transportation issues that the most remote families have, and those problems will absorb more of our focus.
Please continue to forward me your comments and suggestions, and thank all of you for your advice and encouragement.