Members of the trip toured the central hospital of Jinotega to meet with employees and to observe the environment. Those on the trip included a physician and four nurses. They were very interested in seeing how such a facility ran in Nicaragua. After an hour of walking through crowded hallways and seeing at times more than one person to a bed, we were astounded by the conditions

The most profound disparities I noticed were in the hospital. The conditions, comparatively, were truly lacking in regard to infection control, space, supplies, and a therapeutic environment. I can see that getting "well" there would've been truly difficult for the hardiest of souls.

So much progress has been made but there is tremendous unmet need. We saw many families in need of proper shelter, safe water to drink, and healthcare. Simple things like bed linens and supplies for the hospital could decrease hospital-acquired infection and subsequent morbidity by the patients who are there. Esperança, in partnership with local agencies can make those things happen!

There are 10 million children who die of preventable disease annually. The majority of these kids are born in abject poverty, where their families live on less than $1 per day.

Read more about what Esperança is doing to prevent the spread of disease and what you can do to help!

Tomorrow: Finance Director Kevin Benney discusses his first trip to Central America and how our midwife training program is fiscally responsible. Go to Day 2