Olive Tree Nicaragua Delegation

Year 5 March 2012

Team: We had 23 U.S. members of the delegation, plus 12 University of Virginia students. We had 4 registered nurses, 3 certified nurse midwives, l family nurse practitioner, 2 doctors, l physical therapist, 4 clinic helpers, 4 part time clinic helpers who split time with the construction project, 3 full time construction workers and 2 logistics persons. One clinic worker also served as chief cook and co-disburser of money. We had 8 Nicaraguan interpreters, two part time, and one who also served as a driver. Our interpreters do not just interpret the language but advise on culture and survival information as well, and we are so grateful for that. One volunteered a day.

Website and Tax status: We added a website at www.olivetreenica.org and 501c3 status this past year.

Teaching: - 3 days of teaching with the folks of AMOS (www.amoshealthandhope.org) to institute a doula project; 3 additional days of teaching emergency childbirth and neonatal resuscitation to health promotores in conjunction with AMOS; and one day of teaching emergency childbirth and neonatal resuscitation of health promotores from the area served by the Huehuete MINSA clinic. We used hands-on Mama Natalie teaching models and sociodrama. Followup project development work with both sites is in progress.

Community Projects: The Hub City Vineyard Church members contributed l5 person work days of construction labor to the Nica Impact Greenhouse project. Olive Tree contributed over $200 of additional books for the school library in Huehuete. The clinic team took the annual individual photographs of children in 3 group homes for the use of their house parents and the students' families.

Local meetings: We met with 11 students that we assist monetarily. We are supporting 11 students in University with tuition, carnet certificate, books, internet costs, transportation, and some other costs. We have helped 3 other students with books and medical equipment. We met informally with a former HueHuete doctor and the current one to review needs, projects, and teaching options in the future. We met with Lynne Schweitzer of Ministerio Mateo to review their needs and mutual projects.

Clinics: We did 12 medical clinics at 7 clinic sites. We saw over 600 patients. Most common diagnoses were respiratory/nutrition/GI/dermatology and hypertension. At our sites, we do height/weight/blood pressure/vision tests/fluoride application/vitals/and focused physical exams. We provide albendazole to all appropriate persons plus other medications as needed using Nicaragua formulary based medicines.

Vitamins: We distributed over 35,000 vitamins, some of which were left in bulk at the children's homes for use over the next year.

Supplies: We distributed medical books, equipment and supplies to local physicians, a hospital, and medical students. This included a microscope, doptones, medical dressings, surgical supplies, blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes, 200 clean birth kits, and 3 hemoglobin/hematocrit instruments with supplies. We provided a computer to our Eye/Dental/Interpreter coordinator and one to one of our students whose field is computer design.

Medications: We dispensed $2900 (actual cost, with U.S. value much higher) of medications. Leftover medications were left at the HueHuete clinic. MINSA clinic workers reported low supplies of many medications throughout the country. Two thirds of the medications by cost were purchased in Nicaragua. About one third by cost was purchased or donated from U.S. sources. We prepared five boxes of common over the counter medications and bandaids for the use of house parents in the children's homes.

Other donations: We distributed over 1500 pounds of nonmedical books/clothing/shoes/toys/ to people (estimates based on suitcase weight limits figuring about 30 people with at least 50 pounds each. The Hub City Church donated a team's worth of soccer uniforms, money for the Nica Impact paint project plus construction tools, and household items.

Eye/Dental: We distributed hundreds of reading glasses and sunglasses. We gave 500 floride treatments with materials donated by a U.S. dentist. We have a list of about 65 people from Casa Mateo, Quinta Esperanza, Youth Center, Los Quinchos, and Rancho Hebron who will get vision and dental services from a local dentist and eye doctor throughout 2012 based on our screenings.

Thank you to all! Ellyn Stecker