Thank you to Chana for taking a suitcase to Nicaragua, and sharing this experience with us! [NJT Toronto]
“The trip was great, I went straight to the clinic when I landed in Nicaragua. It is located in a tiny village outside of a town called Momostenango. We all go into town on Market days, usually on back of a pickup truck 😉 It is a mountainous region so the altitude and cold weather took some getting used to.The doctors were super friendly and welcoming and the patients were inspiring, and volunteering there is certainly an enriching and educational experience.
The clinic itself was very simple, but provides huge services. There are 2 doctors offices, which were usually consultations on diabetes and hypertension, both big problems in the indigenous populations. Other typical problems were abdominal pain and GI symptoms, cysts which we tried to remove but sometime had to send to bigger hospitals, and a lot of maternal-child and pediatric issues. The clinic is open 8-4, and in emergencies they can call a doctor or ring the doorbell. This has happened a few times for accidents and minor injuries after hours.. On downtime there is really nothing else for staff to do other than run and hike and you can see in the beautiful pictures, its not a problem to do so. Living is communal so we share in the cooking and chores- something I was never good at back home. We even grow our own vegetables and herbs.
I guess the main reason for bringing suitcases is I like putting my money where my mouth is. and if we claim to want to make a difference in countries less privileged than ours, this is a first step in sustaining Their healthcare systems of abilities.
Thank you for the certificate!
Chana”
