I have partnered with the New Song Mission’s local clinic in Nicaragua to start a community health program that has allowed the clinic to extend the love of Christ into communities that do not have medical attention, as well as offer health education in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua.

In Chichigalpa, Nicaragua there is a huge health disparity, as a lot of the poor people don’t have good access to health care services or basic health care knowledge. To help reach the community, we have taken 34 local people, representing 19 different barrios (communities), and trained them to be community health workers—how to provide basic medical care, prevent diseases and childhood deaths, and promote better nutrition and sanitation practices. The health workers have all completed a 6 week training program to certify them as health workers. I trained them on basic first aid; how to take vitals—temperature, pulse, respiration rate, blood pressure; good nutrition; the importance of water; how to live longer and healthier with CKDu (the chronic kidney disease epidemic killing many of the men here); what to do when a child is sick; ways to prevent diarrhea; etc…. After training was completed, we held a big graduation ceremony for the health workers incorporate into a community health seminar that included providing toothbrushes and dental training to the over 200 people in attendance.
The community health workers have continued monthly trainings to further their knowledge and have already learned how to measure blood glucose with a blood glucometer and water filtration technique. The community health workers are under the supervision of the New Song's clinic doctor and are a connection from the clinic to the people. Through door-to-door visits by the community health workers, the greatest amount of people are able to be effectively given access to basic health knowledge and preventative care.



After a few months back in the Sates, I returned to Nicaragua for a bit to follow up with the community health program and to work with a water scientist on a water project. He brought down 150 ceramic filters from his company that his daughter had helped raise support for. We then passed those out to children (who are in the sponsorship program with the same organization that started the clinic I did the health program through) and their families. We had 4 different sessions in 4 different communities to break them all into groups. Each family was given a filter and two 5 gallon buckets with holes pre-drilled into them. I gave a quick lesson on water—its importance and how unclean water affects the body and causes diseases. Then, he explained how to use the filters. Along with some other people from the organization helping, we went by each family to make sure they knew how to construct, use, and clean their own filters. They put the filters together in front of us and then took them home. It was largely a successful project, praise the Lord!

It was also very cool and very encouraging to see how the community health program is running! I have still been in contact and sending them monthly lessons for the doctor to teach. The clinic had an American team of medical professionals come down that were able to meet with the health workers and give some information as well as answer questions. The doctors loved the program, so they donated more than enough blood glucometers for all the health workers! When I went back, I brought some more blood pressure cuffs that I was able to pass out. We still need a few more, but are getting there. I was only back in Nicaragua for 2 weeks, but had 2 meetings with the health workers—it was so encouraging to hear their stories of how they have helped people int he community and have personally changed certain health habits for their families. One lady even got a job working for the sugar cane company in the fields, helping the men stay hydrated and bandaging small wounds. She told me she got the job because she was able to tell them she is a certified health worker and has learned how to do those things! I am still praying God continues to work in this program.

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