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Nicaragua is a developing country. It is the 2nd poorest country, next to Haiti, in the Western Hemisphere. Every year, since 1995, Duquesne University Nursing Students have traveled to Nicaragua during their Spring Break to make a difference in the lives of the Nicaraguan people.
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In Villa Libertad, an urban barrio in Managua, Nicaragua, “home” is a wooden shack with no door and a leaky corrugated roof.
There is no indoor plumbing; public water service is only available for a few pre-dawn hours each day. Residents collect rainwater in barrels and use outdoor sinks, showers and latrines. With no sewage system, water drains into streets where children play. Some are not in school because they do not have proper clothing, shoes and books. They sleep on hammocks or cots, three or four to a bed. The local clinic lacks supplies and equipment.
Students forego their Spring Break to work in health centers and in family swellings. They assess health and environmental conditions, provide health care, education and humanitarian services, and return to school profoundly changed.
They leave behind priceless gifts – medical supplies, lab test kits, eyeglasses, and medications, water filtration systems; beds and mattresses; and improved housing. They share knowledge that allows residents to take etter care of themselves. And they provide scholarships for residents of the barrio to study nursing at a sister school, the Polytechnic University of Nicaragua.
Our students emerge transformed. So do the people they serve. Little by little, Duquesne students are making a real difference in the residents’ lives.
Our efforts are made possible, in part, by alumni and friends like you who support the School of Nursing Nicaragua Health Fund. Will you join us by making a gift today?
In just a few weeks, our students will return to Villa Libertad. Please help change even more lives by making your gift today.
Our students –and the people of Nicaragua –appreciate your generosity.
A $20 donation will provide basic basket of food for a family of four.
A $25 donation will provide a school uniform and a pair of shoes for one child.
A $75 donation will provide an eye exam and new eyeglasses for one person in need.
A $100 donation will provide labor and materials to replace a roof on a house.
A $200 donation will provide a scholarship for a Nicaraguan nursing student to attend one year of school.