Nicaragua News & Gallery

Pastor Steve and several members of the congregation have formed close bonds with JHC-CDCA (Jubilee House Community and Center for Development in Central America) Therefore, you will see periodic announcements about their activities here. As well as a gallery of pix from our members' visits to Nica.

To see more information about JHC's activities, follow them on

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhc_cdca/

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jhccdca/

twitter: https://twitter.com/JHC_CDCA

blog: http://jhc-cdca.blogspot.com/

and at their website www.JHC-CDCA.org


Follow the News of JHC-CDCA here to keep up with the latest projects and successes.

COPROEXNIC

COPROEXNIC is the organic agricultural cooperative. From the 2016 growing year, they accomplished the following.

  • With CDCA's help, they were able to export to two different buyers a total of 704,736 pounds of organic sesame valued at $719,371 USD
  • Together they exported to three buyers 413,800 pounds of organic peanuts worth $420,657.12 USD
  • Together with El Porvenir, they exported 23,250 pounds of organic coffee.
  • COPROEXNIC received a 3-year lease for the sesame processing plant, employing 32 workers.
  • The Sesame plant continues to undergo tremendous renovations to make it a world class processing plant.
  • Much of our efforts have been towards broadening the pool of financing for COPROEXNIC and slowly, financing is getting a bit more secure.
  • We host different groups of buyers, including one from Once Again Nut Butter, to consult about a tahini processing plant in the future.


VIDA FUND

The Vida Fund is....

  • We lent out $556,485 in 2017.
  • Loan payments and interest received in 2017 were $471,264


NUEVA VIDA HEALTH CLINIC

  • We received our final papers from the Ministry of Health as as approved Health Clinic.
  • We discovered through another NGO's survey, that 80% of the residents of Nueva Vida preferred our clinic!
  • We held block meetings and then did a survey on what the residents of Nueva Vida thought was their biggest need. We discovered the that the treatment of both black and grey water was high on the list. This has spurred investigation of how to acquire this for 1,200 families.
  • We treated 11,111 patients by our four part-time physicians, an orthopedist, generalist, ob/gyn and pediatrician, a full-time radiologist, and volunteer physicians.
  • There were 1,438 home visits providing better medical treatment
  • Our half-time ob/gyn took not only PAPs, but also biopsies, performed cryotherapies, conizations, and pre- and post-natal care.
  • Our family planning program offers free, consistent birth control for 279 women and 9 men - very important with the Zika virus. We began offering birth control implants lasting 3-5 years. We put in 117 implants and 18 IUDs, which is in addition to the 279 women, and we provide birth control for about 50 women in a remote rural coffee cooperative.
  • Our radiologist performed 1,658 ultrasound exams on 1,365 patients. We also did 325 EKGs.
  • We gave out treatment and medicines for 25,498 conditions and diseases.
  • We treated 140 patients monthly through our chronic care program. Besides their check-up, lab work and medications, they also attendmonthly meetings to learn about diet, exercise, taking the medications properly, and giving each other support. Most have type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension.
  • We hosted a volunteer plastic surgeon who did 57 minor surgeries in our clean room.
  • Our part-time counselor saw 405 clients working on an average of 2 and a half different issues in each session. Most were family problems and behavioral issues.
  • Our laboratory completed 6,411 tests in the clinic for 1,788 patients, We also do weekly-to-monthly glucose checks as well as urine tests when patients are checked in. We sent out 417 PAP tests to be read by a pathologist.
  • We continued our dental program with ORPHANetwork to see children in Nueva Vida, and have expanded to include children in their feeding centers from 8 other places.
  • Our full-time dentist, hygienist, dental assistant, and volunteer dental professionals saw 5,630 patients (48% were under the age of 12 years). They performed 14,115 procedures. Of those procedures: almost 46% were preventive care [cleanings, fluoride and sealants]; 26% were restorative care [fillings, etc.] and less than 6% were extractions. This is amazing for Nicaragua! We started a new treatment that halts a cavity from growing until it can be repaired.
  • Our dental staff continues to teach patients on the importance of good oral hygiene in the clinic, in the public schools and in the above-mentioned feeding centers.
  • Our one-morning-a-week eye correction clinic expanded to three mornings with the help of a volunteer health promoter. The clinic saw 523 patients and provided 670 pairs of glasses (20% were custom-made glasses). Four visits for vision checks were made out in communities.
  • We gave our wheelchairs, canes, handicapped toilet seats, crutches, and more to 76 patients.

Continuing Community Outreach and Health Educations

  • Continued the new mothers' group and included classes on pregnancy, labor and birth as well as family planning
  • provided 97 talks/classes with a combined attendance of 2,375 women
    • a group of mothers of 0-1 year babies;
    • a group of mothers with toddlers;
    • a group of pre-teen and teen girls to build self=esteen and give options for their further other than being a teen mother;
    • a boys' group to build a sense of responsibility and self-esteen as well;
    • a support group for parents of children with asthma;
    • a support group for the LBGT community;
    • and continued a support system for patients who are HIV positive.

Delegations

We hosted 14 delegations that stayed from 3-22 days.

In july, we moved our delegation to a small hotel/NGO in Ciudad Sandino for a more Nicaraguan experience.

We moved our cramped office quarters into the volunteers' former sleeping area.

We hosted over 25 voluneer medical, dental, and public health professionals in the clinic, plus 4 classes of students int he medical profession

we hosted 7 individual volunteers from a week to a year.

Speaking Tours