For the past two weeks we have been working away!
Educación Plus
Educación plus is a non profit organization (eduplusnicaragua.wordpress.com) founded and run by a local Nicaraguan. Its main focus is to provide nutrition and an education program to 120 impoverished and malnourished children that live in the slums outside of Granada in efforts to keep them off the streets. We have been visiting the tiny school (which is run out of the owner Ervin's home) on a regular basis, both teaching and helping with nutritious meal preparation.
A couple of friends from New Mexico (Mateo and Heather) came down to visit us for vacation, and we put them to work! Heather, a nurse work friend of Yasmin's, helped raise money at the UNMH Medical ICU to help the dandy cause. With the money donated from the MICU, Heather purchased tubs of children vitamins from Costco and brought them down south. The money also went towards a first aid kit which included wound care materials, lice/scabies shampoo, medicine, etc. Heather and Yasmin discussed and taught the basic principles of first aid to Ervin, his daughter and the other volunteers.
We took Mateo and Heather to visit Educación plus to help prepare a meal and play with the kids for an afternoon. We purchased all the ingredients from the street market and grocery store and continued on to help prepare the food for the kids that day. The meal consisted of vegetable chicken soup, bananas, milk, and a daily vitamin (much better than rice and soda!).
Escuela Salomon de la Selva
Salomon de la Selva consists of three teachers, 60 students, 7 grades (k-6th), and three classrooms.
We assembled 60 packages (toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, and information and activities regarding good dental and hand hygiene) together for the children of a rural school 30 minutes outside of Granada. To help teach the kids about dental and personal hygiene, a group of 14 UNM Conexiones students (that happened to also be in Granada) got to come along for the ride. The UNM students were a huge helpe and all the kids of Salomon had a great time with them.
The UNM students also brought school supplies, games, books, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and more for the kids.
Huge thanks to the UNMH MICU crew, the awesome UNM students and everyone who donated!!!
The following video is a recap of all the fun. Enjoy.
