ATRAVES is an international non-profit that builds connections among communities, organizations and people in Nicaragua and internationally.
Belleza y Manualidades -Feb-Oct 2011
A project of ATRAVES Nicaragua this year, headed up by the illustrious Sofia Serrano, has been our new adult education program, which started with the 2011 offerings of Belleza (Beauty) and Manualidades (Handicrafts) classes. Over the 8-month long course, Belleza students learned how to cut and style hair, do manicures and pedicures, had group discussions about style and personal hygiene, and reflected on ways to battle the low self-esteem epidemic among women in Barrio Camilo Ortega. The Manualidades students learned how to make handbags from yarn, beach bags from "gimp," party decorations from crepe paper, gift bags from recycled materials and items found in nature, centerpieces from cloth, beaded jewelry, leather key chains, newspaper pinatas, and more. The stuents hope to be able to sell their goods at local markEducation Monthon is coming up, and ATRAVES will be offer o new courses beginning next February.
Education Month -August, 2011
Though we did not have an education-specific delegation this August, ATRAVES was able to offer a second Professional Development Conference for Nicaraguan teachers in the ATRAVES network, thanks to a generous donation made in memory of former volunteer, David Mansbach, by his high school friends. David, who first worked with Leticia years ago in San Juan del Sur, was a scientist by profession and had a passion for education projects. In his honor, this year's conference focused on how to teach science in the classroom. Teachers from EHD, Tipitapa, San Juan de Oriente, and Catarina participated. Sessions were led by ATRAVES Nicaragua board member Prof. Julio Lopez, UENIC Prof. Alfonso Serrano, ATRAVES US board member Prof. Andrew Frishman, and volunteer Prof. Gijon. Gijon, a high school science teacher from the New York City public schools and a friend of David's, volunteered for an additional two weeks at EHD, reinforcing methodologies discussed in the conference and introducing new ones.
Tiling Project -August, 2011
ATRAVES' new fundraising champion, Brandon, returned this year after participating in last year's UMichigan delegation with three new friends. The four volunteers came ready and willing to do whatever dirty project ATRAVES deemed most necessary at the time, which happened to be the clinic tiling project. The four raised all of the money needed to complete this task and then came down to lay the tile by hand, square by square, in the heat and humidity of a Managuan August. The project was completed on time, with some money left-over for small projects needed to protect the clinic from the second part of the rainy season. The clinic is ever so much more bright and clean with the new tiles, and ATRAVES is very grateful to Brandon, Andrew, Julie, and Lauren for taking on this sweaty project for the benefit of all volunteers and patients to come! Special shout out to Dons William and Fran who have seen the whole Casa de Salud construction project through from the very beginning and are the best teachers, security guards, foreman/assistant team, and caballeros ATRAVES could ever ask for.
Michigan State University -July, 2011
For the second year in a row, rising 2nd year med students from Michigan State University came to do some learning and service work with our health program here in Managua. This year it was Lyndsay and Ashley, an all-star volunteer who has been active with ATRAVES through the UMich group for years. Lyndsay and Ashley participated in all aspects of our health program, including providing a few days of free consults and medicine, working with the promotoras in their workshops and home visits, assessing date from Health Month and the school physicals, and adding another layer of paint to the clinic walls. Ashley and Lyndsay worked with our most active Nicaraguan medical contact, Dr. Alberto Pomares, who was able to host them at the Bertha Calderon Women's Hospital in Managua where they observed several births!
Community Health Leaders -June, 2011
The Community Health Lay Leaders group or "las promotoras" was revitalized starting in June of this year. Elaine and super-volunteer Michaela led two weeks of hands-on training sessions for new groups of women, graduating 8 new individuals from the program. After Elaine left, Michaela continued to work diligently to get the group organized, using materials from the Hesperian Foundation and donated laptops to help the women learn how to educate themselves on various health-related topics. Her project has been a huge success and as of September, the women are still making weekly home visits to sick and elderly patients, communicating needs to ATRAVES staff, collaborating with Nicaraguan volunteers doctor Alberto and nurse Silvia who serve as group advisors, running clean-up campaigns, leading health workshops to share their knowledge with other adults in the community, and teaching Health class to students in EHD. Michaela, a rising junior at Vassar College, was able to bring us a small grant to help with this project in 2011 and ATRAVES is actively seeking funding to continue this project as a main component of our Casa de Salud program.
Health Month -June, 2011
With a freshly painted, stocked, and organized Casa de Salud, we were ready to welcome a new volunteer delegation from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Over their 2½ week service project, 12 rising second-year med students continued clinic services, assisting with free consults, exams, and medicine to 600 additional patients and follow-ups to many of those who had come through in May. Their trip coincided nicely with our yearly visit from Delaware Community College, represented by nursing professor Elaine, MSN. Elaine worked with the Creighton volunteers to complete this year's school physicals and she and volunteer Dr. McMillan also brought the medical students on home visits to some of the less mobile patients. Volunteers spent time with the EHD kids as well, teaching health-related English vocab and running an after-school Kid's Club with a physical fitness focus. All in all, it was a very successful first-time collaboration that we hope will be repeated for years to come. After the group departed, we had a last minute surprise when for the first time ever we hosted a volunteer dentist. Dr. Ethan and his partner spent their hard-earned vacation time providing much-needed basic dental care to around 200 EHD students. The pair donated all materials used, and partnered with Nicaraguan dentist Dr. Patricia, who loaned her chair to the clinic for the two weeks of work.
ATRAVES at the University of Michigan -May, 2011
Our fifth delegation of students from the University of Michigan took part in a multitude of projects, all of which they carried out successfully and cheerfully. The group had a record year of fundraising, bringing in a large donation that allowed ATRAVES to continue interior construction on the Casa de Salud. Prior to the delegation's arrival, we leveled the concrete floor, completed finishing work on the interior and exterior cement walls, installed the majority of the gypsum walls, and purchased some needed furniture and equipment. When the 15 volunteers arrived they spent a week and half painting the walls and beams, cleaning, and setting up the clinic for its first brigade. When all was ready, we opened for a week and a half of service, during which volunteers and Nicaraguan medical staff provided about 250 patients with free consults, medicine, and exams. Volunteers also provided support for three professionally run health workshops, prepared and led two health workshops of their own, led English classes for the 4th/5th/6th graders at EHD, tutored EHD graduates in English and Computation, and led an after-school Kid's Club that focused on music, dance, and health education. For the first time ever, ATRAVES partnered with the local nursery school, where they worked with other community leaders on a fence building project.
Primary Education in Catarina -Feb-April 2011
Volunteer Angelica spent last spring practicing her classroom management Spanish vocabulary at the public primary school in Catarina (department of Masaya) before heading back to school for her Master's in Education at Teacher's College. Over the course of two months, she taught basic Computers and English to 5th and 6th graders. The school administration would love to have more qualified volunteers come down to pick up where she left off at any time during the 2012 school year (Feb-Nov). If you know anyone interested in teaching who might be interested in living near the beautiful Laguna de Apoyo for a few months, please have them send an email to lara@atraves.org
Community Health Assessment -January-June, 2010
Long-term individual volunteer Hilary undertook the daunting task of reassessing the current health situation in Barrio William Galeano over the course of several months this year, revamping the 2007 Community Health Assessment survey to help us gather additional information from the community regarding their needs and desires for the new Casa de Salud. Hilary also helped us search for grants, write initial grant requests, and manage the clinic during the May Health Month. Hilary is currently pursuing her Master's in Public Health at John Hopkins University and we expect her to be a valuable resource for the clinic for years to come.